Nippon Ichi Software is researching generative AI, but not for localization yet

Saruhashi also said in comments around PAX West that he does not think AI necessarily makes game development faster, and that AI is most useful when it improves a game’s quality.

He also wants Nippon Ichi Software and NIS America to work more closely together, with more simultaneous worldwide releases and less delay between Japan and the West.

What happened

Kenzo Saruhashi, CEO of Nippon Ichi Software and president of NIS America, outlined the company’s AI plans in comments made around PAX West. According to the reporting, Nippon Ichi Software is researching generative AI, but the technology is not currently being used specifically for localization. The report comes from a Kotaku article published on September 25, 2026, written by Rebekah Valentine.

Saruhashi also said he personally does not expect AI to make game development faster. Based on the quoted remarks, he sees AI’s best use as something that improves a game’s quality. The reporting does not mention any specific AI product, vendor, or internal pilot project, so for now this appears to remain an exploratory phase.

Beyond AI, the conversation also covered the relationship between Nippon Ichi Software and NIS America. Saruhashi wants the two companies to operate more like a single unit, so more titles can reach the West and scheduling can be better aligned. Kotaku also notes that Saruhashi is both CEO of Nippon Ichi Software and president of NIS America, underscoring his dual role in that coordination.

The company is also looking at more simultaneous worldwide releases, rather than waiting months after a Japanese launch before releasing games in the West. The report does not give a fixed date or rollout plan for that shift, and it does not say which specific games would be first under a new release schedule.

Background

Nippon Ichi Software and NIS America have long worked together on releasing games outside Japan. In the recent reporting, that partnership is being emphasized more strongly under Saruhashi’s dual role, with the goal of tightening planning between the two companies. That matters because NIS America represents the Western publishing side of the organization, while Nippon Ichi Software handles development and publishing in Japan.

The source does not name any specific AI tools, vendors, or internal pilot projects. There is also no fixed schedule for when more simultaneous worldwide releases should begin. As a result, it remains unclear whether the company is mainly exploring AI for production, text handling, support tasks, or other parts of the workflow.

The only concrete use case explicitly ruled out in the reporting is localization at this time. That does not mean the company is permanently rejecting that path; it only indicates that, according to Saruhashi, no specific localization use has been confirmed yet. The available information also leaves open whether the generative AI exploration is limited to one team or is happening more broadly across the company.

Kotaku’s report places the comments around PAX West, but does not name the exact session, panel title, or date within the event. What is clear is that the remarks were made in the same period as the September 25, 2026 publication. The combination of AI exploration and tighter Japan-West coordination makes Saruhashi’s role a key part of the company’s strategy.

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• Nippon Ichi Software discusses with Sony the end of physical PlayStation discs in 2028

Sources

• Kotaku: "Nippon Ichi, NIS America Head Says Company Is 'Researching' AI" (Rebekah Valentine, September 25, 2026)