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Game Arts founder dead at 45

Cause of G-Mode CEO and founder Takeshi Miyaji's passing not revealed; previous company known for creating Grandia and Lunar series.

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Last Friday was a sad day for Japanese role-playing game fans. G-mode CEO Takeshi Miyaji, who was also well known for starting up game development company Game Arts, passed away on the July 29. Miyaji was 45 years old.

Grandia: one of the chief titles of Game Arts.
Grandia: one of the chief titles of Game Arts.

According to the recent statement on G-mode's site, the cause and circumstances of the death weren't stated. His former position as CEO will be taken up by Gaia Holdings CEO Ryu Okoriyama.

Takeshi Miyaji started Game Arts back in 1985 alongside his brother Yoichi Miyaji, who is the current CEO of the company. Game Arts is well known in the gaming community for creating games like Thexder (PC), Silpheed (Sega CD), and Gun Griffon (Sega Saturn), as well as the Lunar and Grandia series. A few staff members of Game Arts also helped developed Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii.

Miyaji founded G-mode in 2000, which focused on developing mobile games in Japan. The company acquired a number of Data East titles for porting, including Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja, Joe & Mac, and Magical Drop.

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