Gigglepoo said:
I've never sprinkled flour on a pen before.
You've probably never had a pen that had anything engraved on it either.
Anyways, here is my rough translation of the interview from Nintendo Online Magazine. My Japanese isn't strong and I know for sure it's not perfect, but since no one else is translating, beggars can't be choosers. I admit that some stuff doesn't make sense but I didn't want to omit anything. I'll translate the rest later.
NOM: Its called an adventure game, but I dont believe this game can be summed up in just those words. What kinds of themes does Hotel Dusk: Room 215 hold?
Miyagawa: First off, its an adventure game with a story that doesnt deal with scandals, murder, and the like. To sum it up, its something that I think I wanted adults to really enjoy. Its something that I think I wanted the player to have feelings for when they play. With that, and a theme of Whoever has a wish, is the game which in which I had considered.
Suzuki: Whenever were creating a game we always strongly hold on to our policy or making a game which touch peoples innermost souls. I think that everyone, upon playing a game they seek/look for various things. For example, the feeling you get from beating an opponent, the satisfactory sensation received from solving a puzzle, and so on. Though adventure games have easily gained the tradition of providing a personal experience of stirred emotions, I believe rather its the genre that freely conveys (such feelings). I think Hotel Dusk: Room 215 partly lifts the mask off such beliefs.
Kanezaki: I love movies so, from the outset, there is a 1980s West German movie called Bagdad Café, which is a grand movie. This movie creates a great atmosphere, so before Susuki considered the idea of the story, our original idea differed from touching peoples innermost souls. Instead we had the idea of developing a game which has a players leave their imaginations in a room kind of taste.
NOM: How did you come up with the games title - Wish Room: Angels Memories (note this is the JP title)?
Miyagawa: Well, first off, we created a game with a hotel as the games setting. In that hotel it is said that theres a miraculous room which grants wishes. We wanted to convey the theme of it is said that the wishes can be granted to anyone. With a phrase that resounds in the heart -wish, and the hotel as the setting and combining it with room, the title was acceptable, so we somewhat quickly came to a decision. At the beginning, during the development phase it was only the project name, but it remained as the games title.
NOM: So mysteries are often about murder cases?
Miyagawa: Yes, isnt that the case? Im not really sure as to why mysteries are often associated with murder. I imagine what it would be like where there in no murder in the (mystery) game. With the original thought of wanting to present something different from the perceived image of a mystery game, I believe the actual game, when played did turn out to be quite different.
Suzuki: