Kojima working on adventure game

In Japan, video games aren't the first thing that spring to mind when one hears the name Chiyomaru Shikura. The CEO of Japanese game publisher 5pb has garnered quite a reputation in his home country for his playboy behaviour and heartthrob status, whipping many a mob of teenage girls into a screaming frenzy.

However, it wasn't Shikura's romantic liaisons that made headlines this week. Instead, news surfaced of a new partnership between the CEO and another influential Japanese developer, Hideo Kojima. As reported by Japanese gaming news site Andria Sang, Shikura revealed his plans for a new adventure game with Kojima during a recent interview with gaming site 4gamer.

Asked if he could reveal anything more, Shikura replied:

"Yes, Kojima said that he wanted to make an adventure game. We're still at the level of 'let's lock ourselves away in the mountains somewhere and work on the plot,' so the specifics haven't been finalised."

Shikura would not comment on whether the new project would be science fiction given Kojima's involvement but did state that it would be a "classic" adventure game and a significant departure from his own studio's "gal games"--a uniquely Japanese style of game that utilises a choose-your-own-adventure-style gameplay and features a heap of attractive female characters.

Back in May, Shikura posted a Twitter photo of a lunch meeting with himself, Hideo Kojima, Kojima Productions producer Kenichiro Imaizumi, and Grasshopper Manufacturer CEO Suda 51, saying that the meeting had resulted in plans for a new adventure title.

Since then, Kojima has hinted at several new projects. Earlier this month he told Famitsu publisher Enterbrain that his new work could either be an entirely new game or could end up being Metal Gear Solid 5. Going further back to April, Kojima touted that one of his new projects would "challenge a certain type of taboo" and made mention of an "ally" that would support him in the task.

Whether or not the latter comment refers to the just-announced adventure title remains to be seen.