I do love it when people come up with ideas for symbolism or mystery etc for stuff and the creator just ****s on that by saying something hilariously mundane.
I've actually noticed that Japanese creators tend to do this quite alot. Its almost bizarre at times just how frank they can be. I would normally expect them to hype up their projects and just kinda go with any extra praise their getting, but they just remain almost brutally frank and honest.
This also happens in the video game industry alot too.
I remember in a recent EDGE interview with the creator of ICO and SOTC
Your games could be seen as a reaction to the bluster of mainstream action titles – is that what you’re aiming for?
don’t think that I’m trying to do anything different or as a reaction against a mainstream trend. I think that from a visual point of view, the game is pretty much in line with the market. But I don’t think that my games are that different. I don’t design and make them to mark a difference; they’re just games like any other, I think. Of course the directions that I take when designing the games may be different from the market trends – I’m just looking where others are not – but I don’t feel that I’m doing anything particularly unique with my work. In The Last Guardian, the young boy isn’t fighting but the animal is. I’m just displacing the fighting from the player to the NPC that accompanies him or her.
At this point I was like STFU! Games like any other? Visually in line with the market? Is he on drugs?
Game consumers often cry out for originality, but the sales charts show that ultimately they prefer the security of famous, well-established franchises. Does that bother you?
I think the problem is different. I believe the issue is with the product. The fact that Ico and SOTC didn’t sell well is because they weren’t good enough. They didn’t have enough to appeal to users. The Last Guardian wants to learn from this. I’m making the game so that it’s appealing, with the hope that many people will give it a try and love it.
Again I was like STFU! Not good enough? Those are two of my favourite games! Edge were really trying to give him something here, but he would have none of it.
There was also a recent rather hilarious interview with SWEARY about Deadly premonitions. The Gamecentral guys were basically like "All the truely awful controls and terrible design flaws seem to have been done on purpose to help create the games unique and endearing atmosphere,in fact its partly what made us love the game so much. Was the majority of these done deliberately?"
SWEARY basically answers "No, they were not, we just didn't have enough time to improve those areas of the game."
Its just hilarious to me how honest these guys are. I mean if I was SWEARY I would have been all like "yes, it was all done delibertely haha you saw through the illusion, very clever".
At least theres one man we can trust never to be humble, thats right our Tomonobu Itagaki. Did anyone see this EDGE interview.
Many of your contemporaries have said that the Japanese game industry is dying. Do you agree with that?
I agree. Japan failed to import capitalism, or rather, it failed to understand the lessons of capitalism, of the free market economy. What I’m talking about isn’t just limited to the games industry. I’m talking about what has happened in Japan since the ’60s. Japan’s destiny – the destiny of this era – was already determined then. Didn’t I say I was one of the top three most knowledgeable in the industry?
Japan was a rising power from the ’60s until the ’90s, though, right?
Yes. They were doing great. But in the years they were doing great, they had to prepare things. The infrastructure, education, the things you need to do to continue to be that way. But the older generation failed to do that. But don’t think I trust those people who are trying to change things now. It’s not a good idea to trust people who are yelling things have to change. They’re salesmen, just salesmen with something to sell.
Do you consider yourself lucky to be as successful as you have been in such a climate?
Well, of course I was lucky, but at the same time, I’m successful because I am a ‘real’ Japanese. What I’m trying to say is that in the ’60s, the Japanese people were forced to think about what they were good at, what their originality was, about how they deal with the outside world, and especially what their weaknesses were. Once they were doing well, they still had to think about those things, but they became too interested in making money rather than evaluating themselves. Listen, we’re talking about something really important – politics – so we have to make this really clear. Maybe you should ask a question like: “So, are you interested in becoming a political candidate?”
Are you?
No, ask it.
Are you interested in becoming a political candidate?
Yes. There have been some offers for me to become a political candidate in Japan, and we do need a strong leader.
Do you think Japan would accept a leader who dresses like you?
I think so. No, they will. Think about it. Japan is such a hot country, and yet all the current leaders wear suits all the time. Does that make any more sense? I’m much more picky about how I dress. But, you know, there are a lot of things I haven’t done in this industry, so I’ll probably stay in it until I die. After all, I’m a real Japanese; I know to look inside at my own strengths and weaknesses, to know where my individuality lies. I only talk like this because I want people in the UK to know there are people who actually care about these things. Rather than just saying that the Japanese videogame industry is over, really thinking about why.
He's being completely serious....
Anyway I seem to have rambled on quite a bit here. Sorry about that.
