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Speaking
specifically of the Grasshopper game, and other projects that might be in the
works. You were talking about bringing Western games into Japan. So are any of the projects that
you're working on global projects? Is Tsumuji
just primarily for the Japanese market?
RI: The launch in February is absolutely
Japanese. We're still discussing internally the global reach that this game can
have. I think we're taking the approach of strong launch in Japan; let's see
how it launches; let's see what the interest is, with respect to buzz outside
of Japan, and make a decision later on.
I think we'll make that decision by the end
of the year. I'm already actively in conversations with the executives in EA
about doing that; we just haven't made that commitment or that announcement
yet.
And
then, when it comes to other products that you're working with EA Japan, are
those global targeted, or primarily Japan targeted?
RI: Right. Great question. Well, if you
look at the Japanese games charts, maybe about 20 percent of the games that are
published here in Japan
-- you know, franchises that we all know: Final
Fantasy, etc. etc. -- have global reach. There's a lot of games that get
developed here that only stay here in Japan.
Clearly, with game budgets being what they
are, on next gen especially -- PS3, Xbox, even on Wii -- and frankly, in terms
of the ROI we expect on the development dollars? Our eye is certainly global.
We're not looking to develop niche products that from the get-go we're saying
"it only plays in Japan".
I've
been left with the impression, at least with the Grasshopper game, that that's
definitely a global reach title. Grasshopper's games definitely, I think,
particularly resound with western audiences. Maybe in some cases more than they
do with the Japanese audience.
RI: Yeah. I think they are quirky. I love
them, and I'm not sure if that's the Japanese gamer in me, or the American
gamer in me, that loves them. But, I mean, they resonate on both sides of the
pond. I'm excited because I'm going to ship it in Japan,
frankly. I love Suda-san, I love working with Mikami, and we're big believers
and supporters. The game absolutely is intended for global. The game, with Suda
at the helm, absolutely will appeal to the Japanese as well.
 Obviously,
EA has very strong marketing in the West, but I think maybe the people at EA's
organizations -- without being too overgeneralizing -- may not have the
familiarity with dealing with non-Western titles in Western markets. Do you
think that could potentially present a challenge for some of your stuff?
RI: I used to be with EA from '97 until
2001; I'm the one who brought in the Square/EA partnership. We did a pretty
good job of marketing the Square products where we moved millions of units,
so... I think great product speaks for itself.
Obviously, with a franchise like Final Fantasy, there's a built-in market
for it already. But I think great product will sell.
Great product targeted to
the Japanese market is going to be incredibly important, especially from
Japanese creators, and we have confidence that with the sensibilities that we
have as a global organization -- and as well the market muscle that we have in
Europe and North America -- that the right titles brought over from Japan to
North America and to Europe will sell well.
Are
you delivering feedback to your development teams about what you think will
make the games appeal to the West?
RI: Absolutely.
Do
you have a process for that?
RI: It's an organic process. It's a
challenge in both directions; it's a challenge to have too much influence from the
West on Taka's team, as they develop a game like Tsumuji.
And at the same time, I am incredibly respectful to all
the teams, and the executive producers that we work with -- on Dante's Inferno, Army of Two, and some
of the other key titles from the West that we expect to bring to Japan -- about
at what point do the changes make the game not the game that they want to
develop. And so I am incredibly respectful of that.
EA
has been so strong in the Western territories, but if you can do it right, you
could actually expand your market share a lot in Japan. Like you said, it's the second
biggest country territory in the world, so it seems like it's an obvious
target, but it seems like it's so culturally...
RI: Unique.
Yeah,
exactly.
RI: Yeah. My perspective on that is, and
the analogy I'll use, is: Fox Network, probably about five years ago, probably
about seven years ago, did a bunch of programming for Saturday morning
cartoons, of 'fake anime', if you will -- anime developed in the West. And they
were trying to ride the Pokémon wave, and some other things. And ultimately,
those shows ended up being pretty good vinyl, as opposed to real leather. In
the anime circles.
And I think, in the past, EA, with such a Western-centric
development engine, if you will, was always taking a very Western approach to
Japanese games development. And I think -- I know -- the company is willing to
-- case in point: Tsumuji -- make the
break and say, "Hey, you know, rather than send a great American chef, or
French chef to go cook great Japanese food in Japan, let's get the Japanese to
do it."
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I do think it's naive for Ishibashi-san to claim "there's no piracy in Japan." Of course there is. However, there are also various mitigating factors that are not in other markets or not as strong. However, perhaps he was specifically meaning "game piracy" or more specifically, "console game piracy." That's a bit different than simply "piracy" or "game piracy" (including, of course, PC gaming). Not to mention other media, which he does allude to a bit when talking about music.
Perhaps more importantly, I'm surprised that the PC gaming scene is largely ignored in the interview. That's one of the largest parts of the Japanese market, after all. CERO is certainly the ESRB of Japan now, but they are relatively new and do not cover PC gaming. If we're talking Akihabara, Comiket, etc, it's the PC gaming scene that has all the innovation in content and freedom to experiment through doujinsoft and other avenues.
I would also say that there is a cyclical nature to change.
Finally, I think the overall intent seems to miss the mark and will probably fail because it seems like the intent is still the old "exclude/include certain content, etc based on perceptions of what a specific market wants." NCSoft realized this is an outdated notion when the continued to add content and mechanics that cater to different markets in their new release, "Aion" (unfortunately making it pay to play excludes the majority of any market but that's another issue). Yes, different markets have different cultures internally or natively, but that's irrelevant when the global exchange of information is considered. If you really want to open a market, you have to offer what anyone, anyplace in the world, might want, and that means offering content, etc that is not necessarily the major draw in a specific locale at the specific time you are developing a product. Restricting what you offer is a perfect support for piracy as well as legitimate import companies in various locales. People have their own interests and preferences, and these are not dictated by their locale when they can gain information from almost anywhere in the world. Therefore, it's not surprising that there are game consumers in Japan, Korea, etc who are interested in and want Western content, mechanics, etc, nor is it surprising that there are consumers in Western markets who prefer Japanese content, etc. Attempting to cater to limited preferences only limits the potential market for any product. I guess as long as companies are willing to live with that, it's ok, but it certainly won't allow for maximum expansion or potential for any market product. I think there needs to be a better effort to think global, not local.