Time for more interview!
4Gamer:
Ahh, I see.
Tabata:
However, during the final stages of development like now, it is time now that we have to polish up all the assets that we have created so far. To finalize the lighting in each and every location and make adjustments to shadows, we require someone who is a specialist in this field. So from thereon, the quality artists becomes the leaders and the rest of the team is reformed to output and support them.
Harada:
So a person who was just mass producing mock-up models during the early stages, could be in a position leading the team in the latter half.
Tabata:
Yes, that's right. Having said that, this is a sudden change of positions and it isn't something that you can do just because you told to. FFXV has been in development for 3 and a half years, but for the people who would become leaders in the latter half were given proper adequate training during that time. We aim to create a organization structure where people are able to fluidly withstand changes in team compositions by providing various experiences.
4Gamer:
So there are no changes to the staff that comprises the team.
Tabata:
The development team grows bigger as we head towards mass development, but disregarding that, we make the most optimal changes in composition in specific points during development. The relation between co-workers also has a big influence, so we also often make changes to the office itself.
Harada:
So is that your way of doing things that you Tabata-san yourself learned through observation? Or did you anticipate all of this and had it planned from the start?
Tabata:
Yes, I had anticipated everything from the start. It's because during my time in SE, I have seen many cases where people gave up as a result of rigid team compositions. If it comes to this, it becomes impossible to make any progress.
Harada:
Ah, it's because you had experienced the failures of others that you are able to do it. But, the fluidity that you speak of is bound to happen to some extent when a project becomes this big of a scale. Though to say that you intentionally aimed to set it up is another topic. I see... ... then the next time I have a interview, I think I will say 'All according to plan'. *laughs*
Harada:
Well on a more serious note, it's amazing that you can anticipate this. Honestly I never even thought about things like that. Like for example with my projects, there is a stage called 'visual debugging' in the latter half of development and the designer team works to find any inconsistencies. But usually it's like 'Oi, from today you're the debugger', it's always situations like this. Then they're like 'I don't know what to do!'. Although what had to be done should have been anticipated.
Tabata:
That's because, situations like 'Hey everyone, let's make good use of our free time from now and relax' isn't happening right?
Harada:
Right, regardless of what has to be done, during the debugging period we are told to play and relax during lunch break and there is a forced obligation to do so.
Tabata:
If you don't touch on this from the very start, there will be staff who are clueless of the current state of development and start raising questions, say idle complaints and say unfathomable things. When it comes to this - and I have said it once before in an interview - I always say this, 'Is this problem that has to be solved, or is this a idle complaint? Figure that out precisely right now'.
By setting this mentality, one can confirm the problem by oneself and without making irresponsible judgements about divisions outside of his own, they are able to think for themselves. As a result, the fluidity is greatly increased as a whole.
Harada:
Thank you very much for your excellent insight. Then from tomorrow I will sure to say to my team 'Is this a problem that has to be solved? Or is this just your personal problem?
Ah, but once this interview is published, I will be exposed of my crimes though. *laughs*
Tabata:
Oh you *laughs* But even you Harada-san, you are also already doing something similar right?
Harada:
Perhaps. If I go back, I think there were times that I worked towards producing results. But unlike you who planned everything from the start, it's embarrassing for me to say this, but I can say with certainty that I never did. I see... I can sorta see now, the reason why I cannot be.a leader of FF *laughs*
Tabata:
Even for myself, before I came to FFXV, there were often times I worked by ideals. But at the least this time round, I thought that if I don't plan ahead to an extent, we cannot gain victory.
Harada:
I would also like to ask you another question in regards to vehicles and mechanical designs that appear in FFXV. They have a very unique other-worldly presence that fascinates me, but even the inner details and how things would fly in a fictional world has been considered and carefully planned out right? You may not be able see it from the outside, but you still spent a lot of time developing right?
Pics of car:
http://www.4gamer.net/games/075/G007535/20160422129/TN/021.jpg
Tabata:
It's not like every mechanical design is planned out. But we focus on the key points.
Harada:
Looking at that, it makes me feel very ashamed... Like a few years ago, I thought of a new character for Tekken (Alisa) and when I presented the idea to my team, the designer asked me 'So how does this girl fly?'. Even though it was me who came up with the idea, at that time I said 'She flies because I want her to fly! What else!'. *laughs*
Tabata:
That's the same for us too though. *laughs*
Harada:
So what are your intentions in creating details like that? To create a stronger believable immersion?
Tabata:
I have mentioned this earlier, 'Don't close off and limit the technology inside the console', this is just one step to our objective. For the game, we research the limits and boundaries of open-world environments. For example, regarding graphics, we don't just stop at the tech currently available, but for each pre-render and real-time tech we aim to acquire the latest cutting-edge technology and apply them. It's the same for concept art, we don't just make the minimum, but we also consider the construction layouts and we aim to create designs that could be used in academic areas.
Harada:
In other words, you are creating something that is beyond a game.
Tabata:
That is correct. We are intentionally creating the game in such a way. ... ... However, having said this, I can now no longer say 'It is fine! She just flies!'. *laughs*
Harada:
So that's what you want to say too huh. *laughs*
Tabata:
Of course. To judge how far we need to go to create something, I always make last minute judgements. Like for example, 'Eh~ This car has 2 engines~I see~(it's not needed, but I guess it's okay)'.
Japan as how the World sees and the determination towards a global launch.
Harada:
This is not just limited to FF, but it's a common trait with Japanese games these days. When a title has a massive budget, the game is no longer just published in Japan. It's not just to recoup the development costs, it's also considering the future continuation of the series that we have no choice to release it the world. This is very important right?
Tabata:
Yes, that's right. In order to meet demands, means there will be a considerable cost and the company has no choice to make decisions on whether or not they can recoup the costs. And just as you said, in this time and age, to make profit in Japan alone is now impossible.
Harada:
For example, Tekken, Japans arcade market is the core of the arcade version. But for the home console version, out of the 44 million units sold, the majority of that is in the West and especially Europe. Because of this, there are often times we release information about our new titles in the West and now there is a need to listen to feedback from the world over and not just from Japan.
Tabata:
FF isn't as big as Tekken, but I guess the priority is Japan first, Europe second and North America third.
Harada:
But if we favor the west, gamers in Japan will say 'Why are you announcing a Japanese game in the west?' and 'Listen to the feedback of Japanese fans more!'. Voices like this are bound to come up. It's the same for FFXV isn't it?
Tabata:
You are certainly right. *bitter smile* Certainly, there is no way to communicate these circumstances for players to understand.
Harada:
It may be easy to say it's okay for it to sell a million units nationally, but in this age that is no longer the case. Of course we are Japanese and we hold the demands from Japan as number one in our hearts, but if we look at it from a marketing objective, Japan is just 'one of many countries'. This is the reality.
So in that sense, I want to ask how FFXV is handling the feedback and what you think about it's current state.
Tabata:
The way that I consider the market and the way I interact with fans, I make a clear line. Because in regards to FFXV, there are those who have been waiting for a long time, so I wanted to make sure I continued to communicate with fans until release. It's not just to gain feedback, but it's to communicate to the fans that we are serious and diligently making the game.
4Gamer:
Does the feedback from fans actually provide reference to work for?
Tabata:
Most certainly. However, I want this or I want that, ephemeral feedback like these at this point in development, to tell you the truth, hardly has any meaning. As it is impossible to answer every single demand.
However, the reason why we wish for feedback is to find the sweet spot between the vision that we are trying to create and the vision the fans have. Also people who have a clear way of expressing their concerns provide healthier feedback.
Harada:
That is a different stance to what Tekken (a fighting game) has. In regards to fighting games, the main character is always the player, it is essential that we take in feedback regarding competitive topics as fast as possible. Perhaps this is the fundamental difference between a game like FF where you essentially play many hours as you build the world up around you.
4Gamer:
What sort of differences are there to a game being developed for the international market and a game being targeted domestically?
Harada:
For a game like Tekken that is internationally successful and has a high sales ratio in the west, there should be considerable differences. In regards to Tekken, character designs are an example. If we create characters based on certain locations and communities and base the designs on their specific tastes, the sales noticeably change. Even effective marketing is dependent on the country. If we go there, FFXV has character designs that has no nationalities, so how does FF handle that area?
Tabata:
In FFXV, during the transition from Versus XIII, it was decided that we had to absolutely preserve the characters. So we didn't make any big changes there. It wasn't something of bias preferences, but it was decided that as the development team it was our responsibility to do so. That why in all honesty, I had no affection to the characters at all. Rather from there, rather than the looks, we focused on developing the characters from the inside.
Harada:
Be that so for the main characters, but what about the supporting characters? For example, I think the hero's father is very good. If viewed from the international perspective, that direction might be more inclined to be charming. The art direction reflects that and you are attempting difficult technical aspects right?
Tabata:
The technological hurdle may be more difficult to create a more human like old person than the main characters. And speaking of realistic-designs, the main characters are the most over the top. In a way, you could say it's a symbol.
Harada:
I could definitely see it when people say that the characters are a little out of place. So that's why I am wondering why you didn't change that aspect?
Tabata:
If we removed that, FFXV would lose it's identity and meaning. It is our mission to release a FF game where the main characters go through an adventure and have the users who have purchased the game to feel satisfied. For this reason, we have continued to develop the characters to the point where we were able to love the characters ourselves.
Harada:
Ahh, that is something that fans would be delighted to hear. I guess you saying, relax we got this.
4Gamer:
By the way, what was it like when you were working on FF Type 0?
Tabata:
With Type 0, I was involved with the project from the early plot development and character designs, so it was a little bit more easier to empathize with.
4Gamer:
When it was the planning stage for Type 0, it was originally intended for domestic release right?
Tabata:
That was completely targeted for the domestic market only. On the other hand, FFXV was intended as a global launch from the very start. Like we talked about how the Japanese gaming market is small right? Although that is the reality right now, but I felt that I did not want it to end there. This is actually one of the reasons that we are fixated on a global launch.
4Gamer:
Eh? What exactly do you mean?
Tabata:
By simultaneously promoting the game domestically and internationally, Japanese people who think 'This game might actually be good' will increase from the the immense popularity and reactions from Western gamers. In other words, it becomes a tailwind for the Japanese market.
Harada:
Ahh, it's just like you said. The whole idea of a AAA title is exactly that. The influential hype that returns to Japan - in short if we think of it as 'The Return of a Crowned King' (I could not come up with anything else for this specific Japanese saying, lit. Install the Golden Foil), it would be much better to increase the hype overseas more. Of course this is considering that there is a successful track record as a base.
4Gamer:
So, it's sort of the same as when Japanese Directors and Performers get Academy awards, then back in Japan it becomes the burning top topic.
Tabata:
Yes, exactly the same. Of course Japanese people will be delighted to hear a 'made in Japan' product be praised abroad. And though I am the same, Japanese people are not very good at saying 'This is my favorite! I love this!' and there is a habit of simply taking in everything that is praised abroad.
