• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

Has the Imageepoch CEO, Ryoei Mikage, been found? [UP: He has!]

Justified

Justified

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,017
Atlanta
I was reading something that reminded me of this mystery.

I remember at one time it was thought that he secretly return in that Ideal Factory announcement video, as the mask guy was 1:1 mirroring him from another announcement:
MLQLJmi.jpg

6qUgZ6n.png



However in that same video it seemed a secret message was in it asking for him to contact them. The first column essentially read "Mikage-san, please get in contact with us."
2dpu2Tl.jpg



So has there been any updates on his whereabouts?
 
Last edited:
Hailinel

Hailinel

Shamed a mod for a tag
Member
Oct 27, 2017
35,527
Geez, Louise, I forgot about this. And I have no idea!

I checked Google just now, and all of the articles on the first page are still from two years ago reporting his vanishing act. Though apparently last year, someone put in enough effort on a Ryoei Mikage parody Twitter account to post exactly one tweet.
 

FormatCompatible

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,071
That is certainly troubling; is been so long that actually had forgotten about it.

Man, as much fun I used to make of Imageeepoch as the ''savior of rpgs'', I actually like a bunch of their games, mind you they are mostly promises instead of actually delivering but I still like them.
 
Hailinel

Hailinel

Shamed a mod for a tag
Member
Oct 27, 2017
35,527
FormatCompatible said:
That is certainly troubling, is been so long that actually had forgotten about it.

Man, as much fun I used to make of Imageeepoch as the ''savior of rpgs'', I actually like a bunch of their games, mind you they are mostly promises instead of actually delivering but I still like them.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Stella Glow is a legitimately good effort from them.
 

FormatCompatible

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,071
Strings said:
Seems like just a bizarre stunt though?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I don't think that is the case, the company had some serious money issues, he disappeared just before they went bankrupt if I recall correctly.

The Compile Heart image was from a trailer from a game that Imageeepoch was supposed to develop with them. Just before this trailer Compile Heart's CEO actually send this on Twitter:
If there is anyone that is able to contact president Mikage, please let him know that Sato is attempting to get a hold of him, regarding advertising matters for Destroyer Trillion.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I want to think he just fled Japan to escape creditors, and hopefully not something worst.
 
Aeana

Aeana

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,926
It's all very weird. Even if he were trying to avoid his debts, it was a really weird thing with the hidden message.
 
MrNewVegas

MrNewVegas

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,709
Shooting in the dark here but are Yakuza vocal or quiet in regards to this stuff?

Could be an option.
 
Jamie

Jamie

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 27, 2017
940
I hope they do find him if he's indeed missing, and not because he disappeared.

Also a little envious that his company cared enough to hide a secret message. My job left a post it note on my apartment door saying "lose our number".
 
ILikeFeet

ILikeFeet

DF Deet Master
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
61,987
I always believed he bailed the fuck out due to debts.

this thread reminds me, I should start Arc Rise Fantasia. $30 for a used copy was pretty good. how's it in Dolphin?
 
atomsk eater

atomsk eater

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,828
I forgot this was a thing. Kinda assumed it was a viral stunt, but it seems they didn't actually go anywhere with it. If he is missing, I hope it's him skipping town to avoid a bad situation and that he's otherwise okay.
 

FormatCompatible

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,071
ILikeFeet said:
I always believed he bailed the fuck out due to debts.

this thread reminds me, I should start Arc Rise Fantasia. $30 for a used copy was pretty good. how's it in Dolphin?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
If I recall I tested and it worked fine, mind you I didn't play for long.

Also if possible try to undub the game, good lord is the English voice acting awful, like ps1 era rpg awful.
 
koutoru

koutoru

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,312
omg, I was literally just thinking about this. And how there has been no update on this since.

I mean, he's apparently been missing since 2015. Legitimately troubling.
 
gigaslash

gigaslash

User requested ban
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,122
It's such a sad story. I hope he's okay and will go back to making great JPRGs one day
 
L Thammy

L Thammy

Spacenoid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
49,991
I'm not really sure that this should be investigated. I mean, the timing of it makes it seem pretty clear that it's due to debts. If he's trying to flee, then maybe being found would just get him into further trouble?
 
Hailinel

Hailinel

Shamed a mod for a tag
Member
Oct 27, 2017
35,527
L Thammy said:
I'm not really sure that this should be investigated. I mean, the timing of it makes it seem pretty clear that it's due to debts. If he's trying to flee, then maybe being found would just get him into further trouble?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I mean, there is the possibility that he committed some sort of financial crime that may or may not have contributed to Imageepoch's bankruptcy. In which case, yeah, if he is ever found, then he should be brought up on charges. But if this is something like hiding from the yakuza or an otherwise bad scenario where he happened to be a victim, then yes, I absolutely hope he's OK and nothing bad comes to him regarding any investigation into what happened.
 
L Thammy

L Thammy

Spacenoid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
49,991
Hailinel said:
I mean, there is the possibility that he committed some sort of financial crime that may or may not have contributed to Imageepoch's bankruptcy. In which case, yeah, if he is ever found, then he should be brought up on charges. But if this is something like hiding from the yakuza or an otherwise bad scenario where he happened to be a victim, then yes, I absolutely hope he's OK and nothing bad comes to him regarding any investigation into what happened.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

If I'm not mistaken, he owned Imageepoch, it wasn't a corporation. I don't think there was any financial crime he could have done? I'm sure someone can tell me if I'm wrong. I guess he could have cheated on his taxes but I don't think he had any shareholders he could have lied to.

When you privately own a company, you take on a great level of risk. The company's debts are your own personal debts. I have to imagine that what happened is that things turned out poorly and he went into debt he couldn't recover from.
 
Last edited:
Hailinel

Hailinel

Shamed a mod for a tag
Member
Oct 27, 2017
35,527
L Thammy said:
If I'm not mistaken, he owned Imageepoch, it wasn't a corporation. I don't think there was any financial crime he could have done? I'm sure someone can tell me if I'm wrong. I guess he could have cheated on his taxes but I don't think he had any shareholders he could have lied to.

When you privately own a company, you take on a great level of risk. The company's debts are your own personal debts. I have to imagine that what happened is that things turned out poorly and he went into debt he couldn't recover from.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Oh, believe me. I know from personal experience that he could. My previous employer was a private company where our first CEO actively embezzled funds invested into it, which he then spent for his own personal use. Among other things, he bought jewel-encrusted Swiss watches, at least one penthouse condo, and he even made a down-payment on a goddamn Virgin Galactic flight. Anyway, the board figured out what was going on and alerted the FBI, who arrested him on federal charges, for which he was convicted and spent time in prison.

As for the actual company, the whole drama left investors understandably shaken in their trust, and the investments stopped coming. Our second CEO did his best to turn things around, but the company was never profitable enough to escape the mounting debts and was forced to close.

As for Japan, there was a case a number of years ago where a chain of English-teaching schools called Nova entered serious financial trouble when its CEO used the company's coffers as a piggy bank.
 
L Thammy

L Thammy

Spacenoid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
49,991
Hailinel said:
Oh, believe me. I know from personal experience that he could. My previous employer was a private company where our first CEO actively embezzled funds invested into it, which he then spent for his own personal use. Among other things, he bought jewel-encrusted Swiss watches, at least one penthouse condo, and he even made a down-payment on a goddamn Virgin Galactic flight. Anyway, the board figured out what was going on and alerted the FBI, who arrested him on federal charges, for which he was convicted and spent time in prison.

As for the actual company, the whole drama left investors understandably shaken in their trust, and the investments stopped coming. Our second CEO did his best to turn things around, but the company was never profitable enough to escape the mounting debts and was forced to close.

As for Japan, there was a case a number of years ago where a chain of English-teaching schools called Nova entered serious financial trouble when its CEO used the company's coffers as a piggy bank.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Poking around, it looks like Nova got into trouble in 2007 and the company was trading shares since November 1996, so I don't think it was a private company at that time? Am I wrong?
 
Hailinel

Hailinel

Shamed a mod for a tag
Member
Oct 27, 2017
35,527
L Thammy said:
Poking around, it looks like Nova got into trouble in 2007 and the company was trading shares since November 1996, so I don't think it was a private company at that time? Am I wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The thing is, it doesn't need to be a private company to get into these sorts of legal issues. Private or public, if the CEO is outright stealing money from the company, then that's a crime, full stop.
 
huH1678

huH1678

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,029
He is likely ducking his debts, basically there is a 5 year status limitation on debts as long as you can avoid contact with your debt collectors.
 
Itsuki

Itsuki

Member
Oct 26, 2017
423
His dissapearance is too shady, so I think that the Yakuza made him disappear or he disappeared to run from the Yakuza. Or maybe he's doing various part time jobs to pay his debts like Compile's founder.
 
Phife Dawg

Phife Dawg

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,049
Yeah I remember that, weird stuff.

L Thammy said:
If I'm not mistaken, he owned Imageepoch, it wasn't a corporation. I don't think there was any financial crime he could have done? I'm sure someone can tell me if I'm wrong. I guess he could have cheated on his taxes but I don't think he had any shareholders he could have lied to.

When you privately own a company, you take on a great level of risk. The company's debts are your own personal debts. I have to imagine that what happened is that things turned out poorly and he went into debt he couldn't recover from.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Delayed filing of insolvency, embezzlement etc.
 
Rainrir

Rainrir

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,337
Isnt Mikage at Compile Heart? He was in the Trillion Destroyer Promotion Video right?

Also disappearing doesn't have to have sinister implications.

I remember hearing the director (or art director) of Shadow Hearts (or was it Lufia) went home to take over the family Udon shop after the company folded.
 
Last edited:
Phife Dawg

Phife Dawg

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,049
Rainrir said:
Isnt Mikage at Compile Heart? He was in the Trillion Destroyer Promotion Video right?

Also disappearing doesn't have to have sinister implications.

I remember hearing the director (or art directo) of Shadow Hearts (or was it Lufia) went home to take over the family Udom shop after the company folded.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
That's not what happened here though. He simply vanished, couple this with the insolvency and it's not far fetched to assume there might be some shady business going on. Not a necessity ofc but I think it's more likely than him spending all this time in a monastry to reflect upon life for instance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.