PAX East has always been host of tons of informative and interesting panels, and this year has been no different. One such panel this year featured NieR: Automata producer Yosuke Saito, director Yoko Taro, and composer Keiichi Okabe, wherein they each responded to questions from those in attendance. The questions ranged from the ridiculous, to earnest questions regarding the future of the NieR series.

As always, whenever Yoko Taro is in attendance things tend to get a little weird. The director was asked whether he would like to create a game telling the story of how the machines defeated humanity, which would essentially be a prequel to NieR: Automata. Taro responded that he totally would as long as it was a vertical shooter. NieR: Automata producer Yosuke Saito responded suggesting that they would begin crowdfunding for it, with Taro admitting that Square Enix would likely not provide any sort of budget for that kind of game. They’re probably joking, but you never know with those two.

After that interesting exchange, the discussion shifted to a potential future for the NieR franchise. Yosuke Saito revealed that he believes that they may be able to “open another door in the NieR universe,” though he isn’t sure how long that would actually take. Saito himself stated that there is a 50% chance that the NieR series would continue, and at this point it would be up to Yoko Taro to decide whether or not he wants to come back for another run. Taro admitted that NieR: Automata was very well received by fans, and is grateful for “all the weirdos” that enjoyed the journey of 2B, 9S, and A2. Hopefully the director and producer are able to come together and work on another entry in the series, as at least a few of NieR: Automata’s numerous endings allow for a sequel to happen at some point.

NieR: Automata is now available for PC and PlayStation 4.

So, thoughts on the discussion between Taro and Saito? What are your thoughts on a possible NieR: Automata sequel? Let us know in the comments section below, and as always, stay tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers for all the latest gaming and entertainment news! Don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter for our 24/7 news feed!