The current issue of Famitsu Weekly held a discussion on the future of the Japanese games industry with the top tier developers from Japan. This post will mostly cover what Toshihiro Nagoshi (Daytona USA, Super Monkey Ball and Yakuza) said (cuz, you know, we are a SEGA news site).
Famitsu also interviewed Toeishi Ashihara (Cygames), Hideki Kamiya (Platinum Games), Yoshinori Kitase (Square-Enix), Akihiro Suzuki (Koei-Tecmo), Yosuke Hayashi (Koei-Tecmo), Katsuhiro Harada (Bandai-Namco), and Hiroshi Matsuyama (CyberConnect2). If you want to read their replies check out Nichegamer’s article on the the whole thing. Check out Nagoshi’s responses after the jump.
- Is really grateful the PS4 has a lot of power that can be utilized relatively easily. Right now the biggest issue with making games is the business side rather than the development side.
- Developers don’t have a prediction for when enough people will shift over to current gen, allowing them to gradually shift away from cross-gen development.
- All that power allows them to make really beautiful and fluid games but it costs a lot of money which causes a lot of uneasiness. Ultimately though they don’t want gamers to have to worry about such things and just be able to enjoy the games.
- Despite the PS4’s graphics being certainly better when compared to the PS3, he doesn’t think it’s that huge of a leap.
- While they plan on being able to release only on PS4, they can’t say anything concrete.
- They estimate that sales within Asia will double that of Japan and things will start to change.
- The Yakuza series is first and foremost a game for Japan, so you can’t pin all your hopes and dreams on such a Japanese game.
- We need to think of high-end consoles as something necessary to keep us moving forward.
- In a world where PCs and smartphones exist, game consoles kinda occupy this weird little place in the middle.
- Can’t imagine what things will be like 10 years in the future but doesn’t see an easy path for game consoles.
Its interesting to note that SEGA’s focus has seemed to have shifted from the Wii U to the Playstation 4. Every interview with them has been mostly positive about the system, makes you wonder what they have up their sleeve for the future…
Ad:
“The Yakuza series is first and foremost a game for Japan, so you can’t pin all your hopes and dreams on such a Japanese game.”
Isn’t that kind of thinking that’s the problem, and has been a problem since the Saturn… I see nothing’s changed.
I dont see how the current and the Saturn situation is similar…especially in regards to Sega anyhow. Aside from Sakura Wars at most (which come on, really had no chance anyway to come over), I dont think Sega development approached has changed.
..has not changed from the Genesis.
Well I’m just talking about their problems with localization, not all their problems. And the genesis didn’t really miss out on much in that regard.
The Saturn did big time, not just Sakura wars… but a massive amount of games, especially a lot of great fighting games and shoot ’em ups.
But how many of them for Sega games? Sega did not do 2D fighters or Shoot em ups.
Sure, regardless though localization has and is still a problem. I mean, PSO2 anyone?
At the end of the day, Sega is a Japanese game company, Japanese games are what we want isn’t it? I sure as hell don’t want western centric games from a Japanese company.
Well, yeah. But you were talking about Saturn. I dont think localization was a problem in Sega’s console days regarding Sega’s own games.
Though, is it? Most of SEGA Japan’s greatest games (at least from people here) have all been aimed at the West. Think about it. Outrun, After Burner, Daytona USA, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, and so on. I wouldn’t say its a negative just yet.
I don’t know if I necessarily agree with calling those arcade classics western centric.
I believe the Yakuza Series can go on like Final Fantasy series; but it is going to need an wider audience; than in Japan, and as an Sony exclusive; Sony should be able to co-publish it for the west with english subtitles; Japan isn’t the only people who love the Yakuza series; I want all of them on my PS 4 to tell you the truth !!!!
When Sega shifts over to the PS4, hopefully their sales will grow up and they earn money for keeping console games created.
Not if they only release the games in Japan, a country where the PS4 sales have been pretty sluggish.
Sega’s CEO said that they’re going to learn from Atlus how to make quality games and release them for western audiences and Sega/Nintendo contract to make 3 Wii U exclusives ran out, so I don’t see any problems for Sega releasing PS4 games worldwide.
Explain to me how a 3 game Sonic exclusivity deal with Nintendo prevented PSO2 and Valkyria Chronicles 3 from making it over here.
These quotes are very cryptic. They seem to be promising more ps4 games on the horizon but with the foreboding caveat of “console gaming is reaching it’s end.”
Let’s each buy 5 copies of whatever new ps4 game is on the horizon.
I think that sega should make less boxart games for the ps4 and focus more on digital here in the west. Also pleasure both gamers ps4 and x1, that way they are making more profit then focus on console
JSRF is not on PC, and Emulators are going to make their happen. Sega is wasting time and money!
“When Sega shifts over to the PS4, hopefully their sales will grow up and they earn money for keeping console games created.”
Sales won’t be great though for these games if they continue releasing exclusively in Japan, the region with the smallest PS4 userbase.
Nagoshi’s comments essentially are furthering my worries that Sega doesn’t see much future in console game development.