Sure Seems Like Jaleco Is Either AWOL, Or Worse, Dead

Remember Bases Loaded? And Wii role-playing game Ougon no Kizuna (above)? Or that Japanese truck driving game? The company known for those titles, Jaleco, seems to have fallen off the map.

This afternoon, Kotaku phoned Jaleco's Tokyo office. There was no answer, and a recording said the number was "no longer in service". As noted via Biglobe News, the official blog for Jaleco president, Takayasu Katou, is also no longer online.

First reported back in 2009, "Jaleco" was sold off to another company called Game Yarou. Around that time, Jaleco claimed that it was working on new titles. Later that same year, Jaleco did invite users to submit designs for a game called Wizman's World—a stunt that apparently backfired in an amusing way.

But since summer 2011, Jaleco hasn't updated its website. It's unclear wasn't going on. Jaleco president Katou was also one of the industry's more outspoken characters. Online in Japan, people seem worried about this seemingly sudden disappearance.

If Jaleco went under in 2011 and is no more, one of the sad things is how long it took the internet to realize this.

Kotaku will update this post, should Jaleco comment on its status.

ジャレコ加藤社長のブログが消滅 / ジャレコの電話も不通で社長の生存確認できず [Biglobe]

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