The Japanese game industry has "gotten worse," according to Mega Man creator and former Capcom director Keiji Inafune. Speaking with GameSpot today at PAX Prime, the outspoken critic of the Japanese game scene lamented the state of the industry, but said developers have options to turn things around.

　　"Ultimately, it's probably gotten worse than when I was talking about it before. And that's a shame," Inafune said through a translator. "But there are options out there. And there are many options that Japanese independent developers can pursue to gain more control, to own their own IP, et cetera."

　　"And Kickstarter is one of those fantastic options,” he added. "And so, one of the reasons why I was interested in doing this Kickstarter wasn't just because potentially being able to connect with the fans, but also potentially being able to show other Japanese independent developers that there is a way, that there are options."

　　Yesterday, Inafune announced a Kickstarter campaign for Mighty No. 9, an all-new classic-inspired side-scrolling game. The project has drawn strong initial interest, with more than $650,000 pledged of its $900,000 goal. Funding closes on October 1.

　　Though the Japanese industry has fallen in Inafune's eyes, he remains of the belief that there are "still lots of great solutions" to bounce back. If developers have "great content" they will be able to get consumers to "stand up and listen and support it" to help improve the Japanese industry, he said.

　　Check back later this week for more from GameSpot’s conversation with Inafune.