Hiroaki Yura (由良 浩明, Yura Hiroaki, born July 21, 1981) is a Japanese violinist, and the founder and artistic director of the Eminence Symphony Orchestra in Sydney, Australia, and the owner and CEO of three Tokyo-based entertainment companies: AREA 35, Inc.,[1] SAFEHOUSE, Inc.[2] and Whistler.[3] He was educated at The Scots College in Bellevue Hill.[4]
Hiroaki Yura | |
|---|---|
 Hiroaki Yura - Recent | |
| Background information | |
| Born | July 21, 1981 Tokyo, Japan |
| Origin | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, concertmaster, producer |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Website | hiroakiyura.blogspot.com |
Video Game & Film Career
editYura later founded his own company, Creative Intelligence Arts, which in 2013 announced its first video game project, titled Project Phoenix. In addition, it was announced that Yura would be the project producer for the Under the Dog anime project planned for a 2015 release.[5]
In 2016, Yura founded a new game studio, AREA 35, Inc.,[6] alongside the announcement and Kickstarter of their new game, TINY METAL, a spiritual successor to Advance Wars and other military turn-based strategy games. While the Kickstarter was unsuccessful, the game was still released in 2017 and was followed up by a successor in 2019: TINY METAL: FULL METAL RUMBLE. Yura has served as Producer on both projects in the TINY METAL series. At Tokyo Game Show in 2022, Yura announced AREA 35's newest game, Felicity's Door, where he will again serve as Producer, among other roles.
Yura is also the owner of SAFEHOUSE, a production studio based in Tokyo that creates works utilizing Unreal Engine. Through SAFEHOUSE, Yura has been involved in works such as Lupin III: The First, Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, Forspoken, and Demon Slayer: Infinity Train[7]. In their latest announcement on July 4, 2023, it was revealed that Yura, as part of SAFEHOUSE, would serve as Producer on the series Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance in partnership with Sunrise.[8]
Kickstarter projects
editIn 2013, Yura launched a Kickstarter project named Project Phoenix[9] through his new company CIA, Inc. and collected $1,014,600 thanks to 15,802 backers. Project Phoenix had a rough estimated release date of 2018 but has still never been made.
In September 2016, through another new company called Area 35, Inc.,[10] he started a new Kickstarter project by the name of TINY METAL, which gathered 1,276 backers but did not reach its funding goal of $50,000. TINY METAL was still produced through alternative funding sources,[11] while Project Phoenix backers had already waited 3 years at that point for their game to be made. His involvement in the TINY METAL game was never stated in the Kickstarter campaign, only known after the game was produced.[12]
In November 2017, Hiroaki Yura was accused by Tariq Lacy of using funds raised from the Kickstarter of Project Phoenix to develop and fund TINY METAL.[13] Later, Lacy admitted that his claims and accusations against Yura and AREA 35 were false.[14]
Personal life
editHiroaki Yura has two sons from a previous marriage.[15]
References
edit- ^ "AREA 35 Inc". AREA 35. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "Staff | SAFEHOUSE Inc". safehouse.co.jp. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "Staff - WHISTLER". whistler.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-10-18.
- ^ Yura, Hiroaki (April 7, 2007). "Diana Simmonds in conversation with Hiroaki Yura" (Interview). Interviewed by Diana Simmonds. Stage Noise. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19.
- ^ Yura, Hiroaki (September 4, 2014). "Hiroaki Yura, the "Under the Dog" Interview" (Interview). Crunchyroll.
- ^ "Area 35 (Company)". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "Works | SAFEHOUSE Inc". safehouse.co.jp. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, A New Original Series Created Using Unreal Engine 5, to be Streamed Worldwide! | GUNDAM.INFO". GUNDAM.INFO | The official Gundam news and video portal. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "Project Phoenix Kickstarter". Kickstarter. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ "AREA35". AREA35. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ "Facing Accusations Of Mismanagement, Project Phoenix Dev Opens Up About Kickstarter And Production". GameSpot. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "TINY METAL (Canceled)". Kickstarter. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ Schreier, Jason (November 20, 2017). "Developer Accuses Project Phoenix Director of Embezzling $1 Million From Kickstarter". Kotaku. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ Chalk, Andy (July 30, 2018). "Former Tiny Metal dev admits Kickstarter embezzlement accusations were untrue". PC Gamer. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ Yura, Mizuki (September 3, 2014). "小島秀夫様より「Under the Dog」に応援コメント全文". Good Wife's Guide (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
External links
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