Support NeoGAF

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

LINK

GI: Just to clear things up, is it just Sakaguchi-san who will be working with Microsoft Game Studios or will it be Mistwalker as a whole?



PM: Well the publishing will be done by Microsoft Game Studios. This is a classic first party publishing deal, if you will. The development funding will be done by us, as well. Mistwalker is a company that Sakaguchi-san founded after he left Square Enix. And it is, if you will, a “joint venture,” and I’ll put quotes around that because we’re not making any sort of financial investment in Mistwalker but is instead bringing Microsoft and Mistwalker together in the Tokyo marketplace and creating and developing both of these newly announced role playing games.

GI: As you said, it’s pretty well known that the Xbox is a non-factor in Japan. We’ve been to game stores in Akihabara and seen Dreamcast and Neo-Geo Pocket displays more prominent than those for the Xbox. But, signing up Sakaguchi-san is a step in the right direction. What else do you think you’ll need to do to break a Western console into that market?



PM: I’ll tell you: Japanese content. And, that includes industrial design, content that’s more palatable to the Japanese consumer. It’s a different branding exercise compared to our initial attempts which, quite frankly, were very American. But one thing that we’ve very good at doing at Microsoft is learning from our mistakes and not being afraid to invest in the future. And this is a long term investment in brand-new intellectual property that we intend to leverage for many, many years and will probably take awhile to gain some traction and capture the imaginations of the gamers. But as experience tells me, once you get an RPG that gets a loyal following, you at least have the recipe for success for your console. Without that, it’s very difficult, very difficult to break into the Japanese market.

GI: Do you think breaking into the Japanese market and finding success will be the key to Microsoft winning the next generation console race?



PM: I wouldn’t categorize it as “the key,” but I would say that it’s very important to the overall mix of the strategy that we become a very strong competitor in the Japanese market. The Japanese market, while having struggled in terms of sales for the past five years now, is still very important to us from a strategic point of view. It’s the home of some of the most creative and vital parts of our industry. It’s the cradle of video games, obviously. And from the point of view of the partners that we know work with from Japan, whether it’s Konami or Sega or Capcom or Namco or Bandai, there are still so many more powerful developers and publishers in that marketplace who have now set their horizons to be global players and are having success with the Xbox around the world.



But, they still like to walk out their front doors and walk into Akihabara and see the console that they’re developing for in their own backyard. We haven’t delivered that for them yet, but actions such as today’s announcement and more that you’ll be hearing in the coming months I think will change that. It won’t change it today and it won’t change it tomorrow, and it might not even change next year. But over the long term, and we’ve very committed to the long term, it will gradually feel like the Xbox and the next generations of the Xbox are more woven in to the Japanese video game marketplace as a legitimate system and not as an outside tapping on the window and hoping to be let in.

And so forth.

Angry basement dwellers, set your phasers to hate and go fucking shit balls nuts.

 

[Ryudo]

He is pretty level headed here. I actually agree with most of it.

 

[android]

So it's a joint production between Mistwalker and MGS Japan. I wonder who will control the license for any sequels

 

[android]

Nooooooo. Double Post :lol

 

[Mama Smurf]

I asked in one of the other threads, though I don't think it was answered: is that just like how DQ8 (and possibly the others) are made?

 

[doncale]

He is pretty level headed here. I actually agree with most of it.

that's pretty much the feeling I got from reading the interview. compared to the nonsense spewed by Trip Hawkins, and SCEI's Ken K., (sorry Pana!) it's pretty reasonable.

 

[john tv]

Didn't know they were in Hawaii. I assumed they were Japan, so I figured Peter Moore was saying MGS Japan. Anyway.

I don't know this for certain, either. But I'd imagine they have offices in Hawaii and Tokyo, since Sakaguchi has been living in Hawaii for a few years now...

 

[krypt0nian]

It will be very interesting if the creator's name pulls any weight in Japan, or if the franchise of Final Fantasy is bigger than Mistwalker.

 

[speedpop]

I asked in one of the other threads, though I don't think it was answered: is that just like how DQ8 (and possibly the others) are made?

I think it might be similar, whereas Level 5 did most of the programming work for Enix with the head guys (Hori, Sugiyama, Toriyama etc) fulfilling the more important obligations. Although with Mistwalker/MGS, it'd be role-reversed with Mistwalker providing the head honcho's and MGS doing the programming. Possibly anyway. Moore seems to not explain it fully still so take it as you will.

 

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

Although with Mistwalker/MGS, it'd be role-reversed with Mistwalker providing the head honcho's and MGS doing the programming. Possibly anyway.

That's not the way I interpret it. From what I've gathered from this interview and others is that MS will be covering Mistwalker's development costs and publishing it for them. I don't think MGS will be involved in too much (if any) actual programing.

 

[Agent Icebeezy]

If this is any indication of the effort Microsoft is going to use in the next generation, They'll make a lot of noise

 

[Nerevar]

YES SPIKY HAIRED ANGSTY FEMININE TEENS AND ANNOYINGLY BORING INTROSPECTIVE STORIES, JUST WHAT I WANT ON XBOX 2 / 360 / WHATEVER




ugh.

 

[speedpop]

That's not the way I interpret it. From what I've gathered from this interview and others is that MS will be covering Mistwalker's development costs and publishing it for them. I don't think MGS will be involved in too much (if any) actual programing.

I was thinking that way too.. but why pitter patter about and not fully explain that Mistwalker ARE developing games solely for the next Microsoft console rather than just give scant details here and there?

i.e.

but is instead bringing Microsoft and Mistwalker together in the Tokyo marketplace and creating and developing both of these newly announced role playing games.

It just doesn't seem scream to me that Mistwalker are fully involved in it.. rather it seems quite like the development partnership of Nintendo & Retro with Metroid Prime - of course without the fact that Microsoft have bought Mistwalker.

edit: I'm sorry but this just has to be said.. painful memories of Sudeki begin filling my mind.

 

[android]

Some other info from Quiter

- MistWalker does script, music and art/design, MS develops it and publishes the games
- Famous game producer is working on it ...like guess who
- 150 ppl working on each game (or both? damn webtranslators)
- online technology will be used, whatever that means

I wonder where the three hundred employee's will be? I bet most will be outsources to India.

 

[Mama Smurf]

I think it might be similar, whereas Level 5 did most of the programming work for Enix with the head guys (Hori, Sugiyama, Toriyama etc) fulfilling the more important obligations. Although with Mistwalker/MGS, it'd be role-reversed with Mistwalker providing the head honcho's and MGS doing the programming. Possibly anyway. Moore seems to not explain it fully still so take it as you will.

Well...that's kind of the same way. MGS/Level 5 = programmers, Mistwalker/Enix = designers.

Only differences between the two would be who publishes it. Unless I'm misunderstanding something.

Though I do see what you're saying.