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[Tiktaalik]

1up's James Mielke has posted his first in a series of interviews with Yukio Futatsugi, known for Panzer Dragoon, Phantom Dust, and being ex-Design Manager of Microsoft Japan. In this first interview Futatsugi talks about the current state of the industry.

Some parts I thought were interesting:

The way I view the market is that these days is that game players are more into portable machines than consoles. But from research we've done, we found that people aren't using their portable machines on the go. The time they spend using these portable machines the most is when they're at home. Back in the days we played games in front of the TV, we would commit to the game for hours and we'd play, but these days kids have a lot of things they want to do, they want to go on the Internet, they want to watch TV, do a lot of stuff, so they can't commit that much time in front of the TV, play their game a little bit, do something else, then maybe play later again. So the style of gaming has changed. But developers that make games these days are from the generation that grew up sitting in front of their TV, putting in hours to a game. So the developers mind and the player's mind might not by synchronized.

The only people who buy Xbox in Japan are people who like games. Hardcore gamers. If you ask them what their hobby is, they'll say "playing games."

With Xbox 360 if you look at the lineup of titles that the 360 has right now, it's pretty solid, and if we had this kind of lineup 5 years ago, we might have had half the market. But these days the way users play games has changed, so the question is do people even want to play games on a console any more? So that might be one of the reasons that 360 or other consoles might not be doing as well as they had before.

and now for the controversy maker:

YF: The people I work with who bought the Wii aren't playing it any more.

1UP: Then the novelty wears off?

YF: Yeah, we're still satisfied with it, the gaming experience and the Miis, we're pretty satisfied with it, but there's nothing to play any more so it just sits in the corner of your room. But whenever you talk with somebody else and they ask you if it was fun, it was fun, so a person who hears that goes out and buys the Wii, so the hardware keeps on selling and selling. But the software isn't selling that well, because people don't play it any more, so they don't buy new software any more. That's the current situation.

 

[KiticanaX]

But the software isn't selling that well,because people don't play it any more,[/B] so they don't buy new software any more. That's the current situation.[/B]

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

Wow.

Doesn't he know that Wii software sales have been increasing?

 

[Zeed]

Well what else is he supposed to say? "We're getting our asses handed to us by Nintendo?"

 

[titiklabingapat]

Summary: Wii software isn't selling.

 

[PolyGone]

I like how they didn't ask (or print) about anything related to Panzer Dragoon on the wii, or how Panzer Dragoon might work on the wii. Despite his sentiments about the wii, its the perfect place to put a new entry in the series... not that he'll have anything to do with it.

 

[john tv]

Well what else is he supposed to say? "We're getting our asses handed to us by Nintendo?"

He doesn't work for Microsoft anymore. These aren't PR-tainted opinions.

I agree with the guy, honestly. My Wii has only been on like 4 or 5 times this year.

 

[DreD]

You forgot that part:

1UP: Yeah, only hardcore people are buying Zelda. Everyone else gets it for Wii Sports or Wii Play and that's it. Eventually Nintendo is going to have to drum up some serious games before everyone else gets bored and goes off and concentrates on their 360s or PS3s, or something else.

YF: I think that Nintendo understands that. When the DS first was released, it wasn't that bright, it wasn't that cool. But after a year or so it started picking up and turned into a pretty awesome machine. So Nintendo is probably aware of that and thinking of something.

 

[Fio]

whining whining whining whining
A perfect former SEGA employee.

 

[ethelred]

Well what else is he supposed to say? "We're getting our asses handed to us by Nintendo?"

Read the part about how he was pretty disgusted by what he eventually ended up doing at Microsoft and so left.

Or read... any of it, actually, because it's a pretty honest, personal, and insightful interview. Stop trying to write off a very influential and knowledgable guy's opinions just because he's saying something you don't like or because you think you've found a way to pinpoint some deep innate bias.

He doesn't work for Microsoft anymore. These aren't PR-tainted opinions.

I agree with the guy, honestly. My Wii has only been on like 4 or 5 times this year.

I played Super Paper Mario earlier in the year, but aside from that... nothing but Virtual Console. There's certainly been a dearth of quality software releases overall, and Futatsugi's not wrong in saying most of the stuff that is out isn't selling too well in Japan aside from a handful of games.

But at the same time, I think that's pretty normal for any console in its start -- they all take a while to shake out and find the software they need to thrive. And that's exactly what Yukio said, too.

 

[Sviatoslav]

Please make another Phantom Dust!!!

 

[sprsk]

This thread is gonna be shitty, isn't it :\

 

[USD]

Very glad he's getting back to development. Be it Phantom Dust 2 or whatever, I needs it. We needs it.

This thread is gonna be shitty, isn't it :\

Anything that doesn't read, "I, for one, welcome our new overlords" will.

 

[GhostSeed]

Yukio Futatsugi: These days the kind of games that are selling well are things like Brain Training [Brain Age] and simple games -- not the action titles -- it's a little bit of a pity that those kinds of games are what's selling. I didn't join the game industry to develop those kinds of games. I'm here to make real games,

I thought this part was funny and probably true of a lot of developers.

 

[Kadey]

whining whining whining whining
A perfect former SEGA employee.

Who is responsible for the greatest game barely anyone played.

 

[KiticanaX]

like or because you think you've found a way to pinpoint some deep innate bias.



I played Super Paper Mario earlier in the year, but aside from that... nothing but Virtual Console. There's certainly been a dearth of quality software releases overall, and Futatsugi's not wrong in saying most of the stuff that is out isn't selling too well in Japan aside from a handful of games.

But at the same time, I think that's pretty normal for any console in its start -- they all take a while to shake out and find the software they need to thrive. And that's exactly what Yukio said, too.

Correct.

The Wii had almost ZERO third party support when it first came out. Then it sold well and then you saw Zack and Wiki, Kings Story, New VanillaWare, That SEGA Dungeon Crawler, Tales of Symphonia 2, Nitrobike, Trauma Center: New Blood, etc.

The developers just started to make games on it a month or two after it came out and that isn't including developers that had to wait LONGER to see if the "traditional" or "core" games would sell such as Sonic and the Secret Rings and Resident Evil 4 Wii. Luckly those sold above expectations.

 

[kirbybreezy]

I usually don't read anything game related if it has the word "mielke" in it, but that was a damn fine interview.

Futatsugi dropped some pearls.

 

[mrpogi23]

The only people who buy Xbox in Japan are people who like games. Hardcore gamers. If you ask them what their hobby is, they'll say "playing games."

NO..... stupidiest thing i ever heard.

 

[goldenpp72]

Kinda depressing sounding interview, sucks that microsoft doesn't like to do internal work.

 

[PolyGone]

whining whining whining whining
A perfect former SEGA employee.

and the creator of the best railshooter series ever born
and the creator of the best railshooter ever, Panzer Dragoon Zwei
and the creator of one of the best RPGs ever, Panzer Dragoon Saga

show some goddamn respect

 

[schuelma]

I played Super Paper Mario earlier in the year, but aside from that... nothing but Virtual Console. There's certainly been a dearth of quality software releases overall, and Futatsugi's not wrong in saying most of the stuff that is out isn't selling too well in Japan aside from a handful of games.

But at the same time, I think that's pretty normal for any console in its start -- they all take a while to shake out and find the software they need to thrive. And that's exactly what Yukio said, too.

You know better than me, but my impression was that Wii software was selling very well in comparison to the PS2 at its same point, not to mention its current gen rivals.

 

[A Link to the Past]

I've been playing Wii Play (Tank alone is worth the $10.00) and Metroid Prime 3 besides all the VC games I'm hooked on. Only reason I haven't played quite as much of it is... Phoenix Wright 3. <3

Also, I can't do online much with this faulty router o' mine.

 

[Fio]

Who is responsible for the greatest game barely anyone played.

He isn't Tim Schafer.

 

[Koren]

You know better than me, but my impression was that Wii software was selling very well in comparison to the PS2 at its same point, not to mention its current gen rivals.

It's also the case in Europe... I'm not sure it's true, but rather wishful thinking.

 

[KiticanaX]

and the creator of the best railshooter series ever born
and the creator of the best railshooter ever, Panzer Dragoon Zwei
and the creator of one of the best RPGs ever, Panzer Dragoon Saga

show some goddamn respect

I'm sorry I can't respect a dick. However he did explain that the Wii situation may change. Actually speaking of dicks.

 

[legend166]

Saying that only non-games sell on the DS is such a retarded view, it's hard to take anything else he says seriously.

 

[AniHawk]

and the creator of the best railshooter series ever born
and the creator of the best railshooter ever, Panzer Dragoon Zwei
and the creator of one of the best RPGs ever, Panzer Dragoon Saga

Who?

 

[shuri]

Wii Fit.

 

[Kuroyume]

This guy is great. It's a fucking shame Phantom Dust bombed everywhere.

 

[USD]

Saying that only non-games sell on the DS is such a retarded view, it's hard to take anything else he says seriously.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7745820&postcount=7

This guy is great. It's a fucking shame Phantom Dust bombed everywhere.

Fucking shame that MGS Japan dropped it like that. Thank god for Majesco publishing it.

 

[A Link to the Past]

His comment about non-games being the only thing that sells DOES make him sound like an idiot. Don't we say that about everyone else who makes such an absurd claim?

Phantom Hourglass sells, New Super Mario Bros. sells, Pokémon DP sells, DQ Monsters Joker sells, Layton sells, Yoshi's Island DS sells, Crystal Chronicles RoF sells, MKDS sells, etc.

And the fact that all of these games are DS matters for shit - besides the non-games, that's all that sells consistently. If he can't make a good selling action game, it's his fault - I don't see the directors of any of the above games having ANY trouble at all making popular traditional games (PH will end up as the best-selling Zelda in the past two generations, New SMB is the second best-selling Mario game in Japan, Pokémon DP is bound to outpace RuSa, DQMJ did way better than DQM3, Layton was huge and a very cool logic game, YIDS is a sequel to a popular platformer and did very well, CCRoF is on its way to outselling the first, and MKDS just might manage to outperform all MK games combined in the last two generations if it goes at this rate).

Oh, and I forgot to mention how Gyakuten Saiban 4 is the best-selling Ace Attorney game ever made in Japan, meaning that average sales for the series went UP after non-games became more popular.

 

[AniHawk]

The comment about nongames being the only thing that sell on the DS makes me angry. I'm seriously considering sending him an email about it right now. Maybe then he'll think twice about saying something so blatantly stupid in the future. I mean good fucking god. This shit is serious.

 

[GhaleonQ]

I usually don't read anything game related if it has the word "mielke" in it, but that was a damn fine interview.

Futatsugi dropped some pearls.

Oh, come, now. I despise (again, for emphasis: DESPISE) every facet of Mielke's personality, but his interview work, especially when it comes to probing for gameplay information, is totally seasoned every time.

 

[ethelred]

Saying that only non-games sell on the DS is such a retarded view, it's hard to take anything else he says seriously.

Then I guess it's a good thing he didn't say that, isn't it?

Man, nuance really kills this forum, doesn't it?

 

[A Link to the Past]

The comment about nongames being the only thing that sell on the DS makes me angry. I'm seriously considering sending him an email about it right now. Maybe then he'll think twice about saying something so blatantly stupid in the future. I mean good fucking god. This shit is serious.

Damn straight.

Mention me in the email?

 

[the year 20XX]

His comment about non-games being the only thing that sells DOES make him sound like an idiot. Don't we say that about everyone else who makes such an absurd claim?

Phantom Hourglass sells, New Super Mario Bros. sells, Pokémon DP sells, DQ Monsters Joker sells, Layton sells, Yoshi's Island DS sells, Crystal Chronicles RoF sells, MKDS sells, etc.

And the fact that all of these games are DS matters for shit - besides the non-games, that's all that sells consistently. If he can't make a good selling action game, it's his fault - I don't see the directors of any of the above games having ANY trouble at all making popular traditional games (PH will end up as the best-selling Zelda in the past two generations, New SMB is the second best-selling Mario game in Japan, Pokémon DP is bound to outpace RuSa, DQMJ did way better than DQM3, Layton was huge and a very cool logic game, YIDS is a sequel to a popular platformer and did very well, CCRoF is on its way to outselling the first, and MKDS just might manage to outperform all MK games combined in the last two generations if it goes at this rate).

Oh, and I forgot to mention how Gyakuten Saiban 4 is the best-selling Ace Attorney game ever made in Japan, meaning that average sales for the series went UP after non-games became more popular.

The moral is: only make DS sequels to popular franchises.

 

[schuelma]

Then I guess it's a good thing he didn't say that, isn't it?

Man, nuance really kills this forum, doesn't it?

In his partial defense, the opening statement kind of gives that impression:


"These days the kind of games that are selling well are things like Brain Training [Brain Age] and simple games -- not the action titles -- it's a little bit of a pity that those kinds of games are what's selling. I didn't join the game industry to develop those kinds of games. I'm here to make real games, but from a business standpoint, these are the titles that are making money, so I understand that. However, with games like Monster Hunter, which sold over a million in Japan, so there are still hardcore games like that, so it's not like there aren't any game users out there. There are still kids in elementary and high school who are into games, but it comes down to the concept that game developers make, and the kind of games that users are wanting have to match. With titles like Monster Hunter, everything matched, so because of that I still have faith in the market. "

 

[Ryudo]

Yukio Futatsugi: These days the kind of games that are selling well are things like Brain Training [Brain Age] and simple games -- not the action titles -- it's a little bit of a pity that those kinds of games are what's selling. I didn't join the game industry to develop those kinds of games. I'm here to make real games

and most of us are thankfull for it, i think ?

 

[A Link to the Past]

The moral is: only make DS sequels to popular franchises.

Layton was never a series before Mysterious Village.

Although one could argue that it's a brain teasing game more than a "real" game (they'd be wrong, but they could still argue it).

But yeah, I'm just showing that in most cases, the only thing simple/brain games can be credited for is increasing these franchises' popularity (not saying that they did, but the only other effect they could have had on them is nothing at all).

 

[pj]

Man, nintendo fans need to chill the f out


Good interview

 

[Zeed]

Read the part about how he was pretty disgusted by what he eventually ended up doing at Microsoft and so left.

Or read... any of it, actually, because it's a pretty honest, personal, and insightful interview. Stop trying to write off a very influential and knowledgable guy's opinions just because he's saying something you don't like or because you think you've found a way to pinpoint some deep innate bias.

The irony in this is delicious.

 

[ethelred]

The irony in this is delicious.

Enlighten me.

 

[PG2G]

I like how they didn't ask (or print) about anything related to Panzer Dragoon on the wii, or how Panzer Dragoon might work on the wii. Despite his sentiments about the wii, its the perfect place to put a new entry in the series... not that he'll have anything to do with it.

Why would anyone want a Panzer Dragoon that doesn't look any better than Orta?

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Why would anyone want a Panzer Dragoon that doesn't look any better than Orta?

Yeah, Orta looked like god damned shit.

 

[AniHawk]

Why would anyone want a Panzer Dragoon that doesn't look any better than Orta?

So I can play Panzer Dragoon Saga for once god fucking dammit.

 

[pj]

The irony in this is delicious.

He thinks you think you found his deep innate bias

 

[a Master Ninja]

I'm sorry I can't respect a dick. However he did explain that the Wii situation may change. Actually speaking of dicks.

 

[KiticanaX]

I say that because to me it seems that he's always scared of competitors amongst the genres in the games he works with so he usually gives them the bad mouth.

I mean it wouldn't bother me if they were worse then his games.

But when they're equal *Devil May Cry* or even superior *Tekken (proven to be more balanced and polished* then it becomes a problem.

 

[a Master Ninja]

I think if anyone's a bitch it would be himself since he's always scared of competitors amongst the genres in the games he works with and he ends up trying to make them look bad so eyes still stay focus on him.

WOW

 

[Mohonky]

I think if anyone's a bitch it would be himself since he's always scared of competitors amongst the genres in the games he works with and he ends up trying to make them look bad so eyes still stay focus on him.

SDF?

 

[Zeed]

He thinks you think you found his deep innate bias

ethelred is psychic. He can zero right in on that hidden bias that makes you slander his beautiful, intelligent heroes, and when he does he'll call you out on it.

I think if anyone's a bitch it would be himself since he's always scared of competitors amongst the genres in the games he works with and he ends up trying to make them look bad so eyes still stay focus on him.

You were doing so well for a while too.