@ gamasutra
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20050802/sheffield_01.shtml
Different guy that GAF is interviewing.
Pretty interesting read.
some tidbits:
Gamasutra: What is your staff size?
Niida: We are a small company. We do have freelancers, mainly for game testers. We have a lot of game testers that freelance part time. So in terms of full time employees, we have a total of five.
Gamasutra: Will Nippon Ichi be making games for next gen?
Niida: We are seriously thinking of working to Xbox 360 and also Revolution.
Gamasutra: Have you had any trouble getting SCEA to approve 2D games?
Niida: Sony's been very helpful, actually. We've been able to bring over all the titles that we submitted, and they seem to like the titles we brought over.
Gamasutra: Why do you think they're so receptive, when other companies complain of the difficulty of bringing out 2D titles on Sony consoles?
Niida: That's actually a surprise to me. We carefully select the games we want to bring over, making sure they're titles that we have a good chance of getting approved. We don't a long shot title that is a waste of time. In the end it comes down to the way you present it to Sony, it's fairly easy to convince them. They're actually really great guys to work for. We've built a mutual relationship and we're able to work together. They love 2D anime just as much as we do.
Gamasutra: Are they more willing to approve a 2D title if it's more of a budget price, or is that a factor?
Niida: I don't think it really matters, because with games like Atelier Iris, we just show the game, talk about it, convince them, and get approval. They didn't really mention the 2D part. We actually emphasize the 2D aspect of the game, saying there's 3D everywhere and there's still that niche 2D market out there, and Sony was willing to take the chance to try it.
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20050802/sheffield_01.shtml
Different guy that GAF is interviewing.
Pretty interesting read.
some tidbits:
Gamasutra: What is your staff size?
Niida: We are a small company. We do have freelancers, mainly for game testers. We have a lot of game testers that freelance part time. So in terms of full time employees, we have a total of five.
Gamasutra: Will Nippon Ichi be making games for next gen?
Niida: We are seriously thinking of working to Xbox 360 and also Revolution.
Gamasutra: Have you had any trouble getting SCEA to approve 2D games?
Niida: Sony's been very helpful, actually. We've been able to bring over all the titles that we submitted, and they seem to like the titles we brought over.
Gamasutra: Why do you think they're so receptive, when other companies complain of the difficulty of bringing out 2D titles on Sony consoles?
Niida: That's actually a surprise to me. We carefully select the games we want to bring over, making sure they're titles that we have a good chance of getting approved. We don't a long shot title that is a waste of time. In the end it comes down to the way you present it to Sony, it's fairly easy to convince them. They're actually really great guys to work for. We've built a mutual relationship and we're able to work together. They love 2D anime just as much as we do.
Gamasutra: Are they more willing to approve a 2D title if it's more of a budget price, or is that a factor?
Niida: I don't think it really matters, because with games like Atelier Iris, we just show the game, talk about it, convince them, and get approval. They didn't really mention the 2D part. We actually emphasize the 2D aspect of the game, saying there's 3D everywhere and there's still that niche 2D market out there, and Sony was willing to take the chance to try it.
