Hanako: Honor & Blade - personal Inspiration and challenges of a small studio

Published , by Donovan Erskine

Set in Feudal Japan, Hanako: Honor & Blade is a new online beat’em up game. Developed by +Mpact game, the title has been in development for many years, and has taken inspiration from several fictional and real-life sources. We sat down with the cofounder of +Mpact Games to learn more about the development of Hanako: Honor & Blade and the challenges faced along the way.

Shacknews head of video Greg Burke was joined by Matt Canei, cofounder of +Mpact Games to talk more about Hanako: Honor & Blade. The game was originally conceived back when Canei was in college alongside a couple friends. The trio formed +Mpact Games as they worked on Hanako. In the interview, Canei talks about the struggles of being a small studio.

Canei also talks about his inspirations behind Hanako: Honor & Blade. The game is a tribute to his mother, who passed away in 2007. Canei recalls the year she first got sick, and how the media he consumed around that time inspired him. “She let me pick out an Xbox game to rent and I rented Shenmue on a whim and it blew my mind.”

The full interview provides some valuable insight into game development, particularly on the indie-side of things. For more exclusive interviews with developers, be sure to subscribe to the GamerHubTV and Shacknews YouTube channels.