- A lot of people will probably compare Tomodachi Life to the Animal Crossing series, but the game is actually very different. Can you tell us some big differences between these two games?
Mr Sakamoto: Were often told that the gameplay of the Animal Crossing series and Tomodachi Life are similar, but I think they are different. In fact we intentionally differentiated the gameplay of Tomodachi Life so that it wont be similar to that of Animal Crossing.
We wanted to make a game where users would communicate about the game outside of its gameplay, as triggered by its gameplay (inside). So the games offer different surprises, different game styles, and ultimately different entertainment.
I want consumers to understand that these two games are completely different, can you help me to deliver this message to your audience?
- Tomodachi Collection: New Life has a lot of content that was aimed at the Japanese people. Did you change a lot of things for the western release of the game (as Tomodachi Life) and can you give us a couple of examples of how you've tried to adapt it to the western market?
Mr Takahashi: We made a range of changes for Europe: the way the Tomodachi [KL1] speak, so not only the voice synthesiser, but we changed the dialogue and phrases used; we changed the animations and gestures, so Tomodachi act like Europeans when they walk and move; the types of songs available in the concert hall; the seasonal events on the island; the currency is also changed to either Euros, British Pound Sterling or Australian Dollars depending on the country setting in each console; and we also adjusted the price of items, food, clothes and interiors so that they matched each market.
All this is because we want players to form a deep relationship with their alter-ego Tomodachi who are Europeans, so we needed the Mii to act like Europeans.
- Aside from clothes and interiors, it looks like food will be an important aspect in the game. Could you explain to us what was the reasoning behind that?
Mr Sakamoto: One of the fun things you can do in the game is to pick food that the real-life person, who the Tomodachi are based on, would like. In this manner, it creates another topic to communicate (outside of the game) if their preferences happen to match. It is also amusing to hold favourite food in front of Tomodachi and see their reactions. Once players know their Tomodachis favourite food, they can also show their funny reactions to anyone anywhere. We also added over 60 food items specific to the European market in Tomodachi Life.
- Will Tomodachi Life make use of StreetPass? If so, what kind of functions or benefits will we get when encountering other people by StreetPass?
Mr Sakamoto and Mr Takahashi: Yes, Tomodachi Life will make use of StreetPass.
We may have mentioned that your alter-egos can fall in love, but on top of that in Tomodachi Life, they can get married and have children.
In the game, just like in real-life, child Tomodachi grow up and leave home
So depending on the players choice, he can let the grown-up child of two Tomodachi be independent and go travelling to other Tomodachi Life players islands via StreetPass. On occasion children write letters home with stories of their adventures and even temporarily come home with souvenirs for the player.
- There's also SpotPass for the Nintendo 3DS. Will you make use of that function too? It looks like a great way to distribute small kinds of DLC?
Mr Takahashi: SpotPass will be used in Tomodachi Life to distribute two costumes (or hats) each month. There is no other DLC or AOC in Tomodachi Life.
- Are there any specific goals in this game? Is there any kind of end goal at all?
Mr Sakamoto: As the game does not dictate a clear gameplay objective to begin with, there is no goal in the game. But this doesnt mean there is nothing to do in the game.
The basic objective for the player is to interact and take care of Mii characters (Tomodachi) and make them happy, and in doing so make yourself happy.
For the completionist player, there is a lot to collect such as clothing, treasure and food. For some players, even though Tomodachi act with their own free will, they like to somehow try to bring certain Tomodachi together and try to make them fall in love. Another goal might be to figure out which food is a Tomodachis favourite.
Effectively, the player finds his own goal in the many things you can do in Tomodachi Life.
- Earlier this year Mr Eguchi told us that there were a lot of women involved in the development of Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Was that also the case for Tomodachi Life? How did the involvement of women change particular aspects of the game?
Mr Sakamoto: About a quarter of the development team for Tomodachi Life consisted of female staff. We also found it helpful to have ideas coming from a womans perspective, such as for the unique humour, to make Tomodachi Life more colourful and likable. We also appreciated their input on the fashion for the Tomodachi, as we wanted it to be as appealing as real clothing.
- Finally I have a question for Mr Sakamoto as we all know you've been the great mind behind the Metroid and WarioWare franchises. Will we see any kind of Metroid/WarioWare hints in Tomodachi Life?
Mr Sakamoto: There are Nintendo surprises in Tomodachi Life, such as past hardware from Nintendo and also there are some interiors for apartments that are Nintendo-themed.
In terms of game design, it is difficult to find common points among the franchises youve mentioned, as they are all very different types of game. However, I would be grateful if players would find our game philosophy as a common element in all our games, which is that anyone who comes into contact with our the games enjoy it to the full.
[KL1]Please note that Mr Sakamoto and Mr Takahashi have been referring to the Mii in Tomodachi Life as "Tomodachi" as they have a voice and personality, to different them from Mii avatar system.
We have used this word throughout this interview for clarity.