Game Development Giant

Maybe it really is God's will.

In the end, the person who kept the giant Sega from falling turned out to be a fan of Nintendo. This can be regarded as a twist of fate.

Moreover, Norihiro Nagoshi has never changed as a fan of Nintendo. Later, when Sega decided to completely withdraw from the development of home consoles and develop cross-platform games, he was the first to stand up and support Nintendo's NGC. Developing games.

Even when Nintendo was criticized for having too young players.

This person who develops games with money, violence, and women as the core actually comes out to defend Nintendo immediately, even though he is not a Nintendo employee.

He said.

...I think games that can be played by children can also be popular among adults. The current emphasis on age groups may be because the industry is too concerned about appealing to the consumer class. I am not trying to deny the adult orientation. The special culture of the game itself, but no matter what, at least when I make family games, I will regard games that are can played by younger age groups as my main focus.

Of course, Nagoshi Nohiro's ability to have such a high status in the gaming world of later generations would not be because he just developed a few outstanding games.

Some of his concepts on game development are regarded as a guide by many game developers.

For example.

Minhiro Nagoshi believes that the development perspective of the game industry has entered the cross-platform era, and the cost of game development has increased. Ten years ago, developing a game may have cost millions of yen. However, due to the improvement of game console hardware, the content of game production has become more complicated, and the quality of the game has increased. The requirements are getting higher and higher. At the same time, in response to localization needs, it now costs hundreds of millions of yen to develop a game. However, the price and sales volume of the game have not shown a proportional increase.

Therefore, as a game producer, you don’t just have to submit proposals. You must master the characteristics of the game in order to lead the development of a game. Controlling costs and time through coordination is the most important issue. Only by combining planning, art, programming, and sound effects within the budget can you create the greatest profit.

In other words, cost and time control are the keys to the game.

Then, he also believes that the popularity of the Internet has changed the way games are played.

Downloading through the Internet and taking game records with you through Sega's magnetic card memory system allow players to play games anytime and anywhere.

Another observation point is the impact of location on digital entertainment. For example, theme parks or video arcades have localized characteristics. It does not mean that the same game console is equally popular in all amusement parks. Therefore, in addition to market research, The investigation should also propose countermeasures for the market. Theme parks are popular with children, but there are also amusement parks with alcoholic beverages for adults.

In terms of platforms, there was a saying in the past that one of PC and TV would eventually disappear. However, after several years of development, both sides still coexist. This is because different platforms have their own characteristics and can be suitable for different types of games. It operates on it and cannot be replaced by the other party. For example, PC is suitable for online games. The game console is suitable for stand-alone games.

That is to say, the popularity of games varies from place to place.

Then, he thinks the most important thing is the last point, the passion for the game above all else.

In addition to location and localized awareness, marketing is the first step to attract players’ attention. Next, we need to rely on technology to further attract players, but above all this is the passion of the game makers.

He said that he started as a basic game planner and has been working for 15 years. When working as a producer, even though you don’t understand the actual working methods of other departments, you must have the enthusiasm to put forward your own opinions. He also encourages people who want to make games. Humanity's demand for games is never-ending, because the charm that games can bring is endless. People in each era may have different ideas, but having passion and realizing it is the same, and this is what he has been working hard for personally. part.

Although the theory of these three days seems a bit simple, in fact, not many people can actually do it, and Sega, after almost stepping into the coffin board, after he Under the guidance of this game theory, I stood up again.

Jester agreed to Nagoshi Minoru's request.

Nagoshi Nohiro also explained that although he is a fan of Nintendo games, those Nintendo games are still inherited by other game manufacturers. For example, Sega inherited the Metroid series, and this is also His favorite game can now be inherited by Sega, and he thinks that he will have the opportunity to make his favorite game himself in the future.

That is also a very exciting thing.

Jester didn't spend much time in Japan. After processing Shadow Blade and submitting it to Sega for review, and then meeting with Yu Suzuki to discuss the progress of the combat system, he was about to return to the United States. Because he is responsible for everything in the entire 'Era' project, there are nearly ten different development teams, and there is a huge amount of things that need to be processed and coordinated.

Moreover, although Itagaki Tomonobu was responsible for the production of Shadow Blade, Jester was still a little worried without personally checking the game.

After all, if the game's performance is not satisfactory after its release, the person who will be scolded is you.

The theme of the game that Jester wants to make is actually very simple, that is, heroes. Therefore, if this theme is not clear, then there will be no way to develop the game history. The first thing is to let people know what it is. It's called a hero.

Jester handed over the matter to Fu Zan's team.

After all, a team that was born and raised in China and has the best understanding of domestic culture is perfect for this task.

Just a few days after Jester returned to the United States from Japan, Fu Zan came from China to report the matter to him. This time, not only did he come by himself, but he also brought two assistants with him.

In addition to the fact that these two people are the interpreters of the hero theme of the game, these two people also have to intern at Mars Entertainment for a period of time. This is what Fu Zan promised to each other when they were recruited. You know, in today's In China, if there is no requirement to go abroad, it will be difficult to recruit people from top domestic universities.

One is from Tsinghua University and the other is from Peking University.

When Fu Zan met with Jester, he briefly introduced the situation of the two people to Jester. Then Jester asked about the English proficiency of the two people. After getting a positive answer from Fu Zan , Jester directly arranged the two of them to the Shadow Blade development team of Itagaki Tomonobu. After all, this development team was one that he would often pay attention to during this period.

This makes it easier to understand their status.

Finally, Jester picked up the document prepared by Fu Zan and saw that it contained the interpretation of heroes that Jester asked him to make.

However, after just a few casual glances, Jester frowned.

Because this is not what he wants to see.

After pondering for a while, Jester threw the folder in his hand on the table. He raised his head and glanced at Fu Zan, who was a little strange. It seemed that he didn't know why Jester would only look at it. After a few glances, the documents were simply thrown aside.

Did you do this with the two top students you just recruited?

Jester did not directly express his dissatisfaction, but asked first.

Fu Zan couldn't figure out what Jester meant, so he could only nod his head: Yes, yes, I did this together with them.

After hearing Fu Zan's answer, Jester suddenly laughed.

You all like to read Jin Yong's novels, right?

Suddenly, Jester asked, and Fu Zan still nodded. Although he didn't understand why Jester asked, he felt that there was nothing wrong with liking Jin Yong's novels. After all, heroes and martial arts, It's something similar. Reading Jin Yong's novels will also help you understand the artistic conception of this game and make it easier to understand.

After receiving a positive reply from Fu Zan, Jester continued to smile.

That's right. In this document, you understand the concept of heroes from the Spring and Autumn Period that I mentioned as the concept of martial arts that was distorted by Jin Yong. This is what I wanted you to explain at the beginning. The concept of heroic heroes is really the opposite.

Jester directly stated why he was dissatisfied before: Heroes are not martial arts, you have to understand this... Have you read the game biography? There is a sentence in it, which is actually very good... Let me think about it …”

As he said that, Jester was silent for a while, probably recalling the contents of The Biography of the Knight Rider.

It is said in Tai Shigong's book that words must be deeded, deeds must be fruitful, and one's promises must be true. He does not love his body, goes to the hardships of a scholar, and recites righteousness thousands of miles away. It is also said that he must establish a strong spirit and exert authority. Fu, to make personal friends, to establish a strong person in the world. This actually makes it very clear. The hero I want is a hero with such a spirit. In today's terms, it is a kind of chivalrous spirit, that is, The Wei Qi Ren Xia mentioned in the Historical Records is a heroic hero who relies on his will and force to do whatever he wants.

Do you understand this?

After Jester finished speaking, Fu Zan's expression became a little dull. He had not been this far before.

Because he felt that the way of chivalry described in Jin Yong's novels was very close to his heart, so he used it directly. Unexpectedly, he completely misunderstood Jester's meaning.

After seeing Fu Zan's expression, Jester also knew the result.

But he wasn't that angry either.

He just sighed and continued: Forget it, I will do this myself. What you will do next is to work with the historical experts I invited in China to complete the settings of some costumes, buildings, etc. for our game. Let’s talk about the details above.” (To be continued...)