*This article is compiled from IGN US and is authored by Daniel Robson and Joe Skrebels, unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
Minoru Nagoshi introduced us to Nagoshi Studios, his first company after sega and Like Dragon, and explained the future game production concept and the goals of the first project.
In an interview with IGN Japan, Nagoshi talked about the feeling of abandoning the "Like Dragon" series and joining NetEase:
"When my team and I decided to start a new studio, we knew it meant saying goodbye to our past work. However, I have a very positive mentality, and I have a lot of ideas that make me eager to try, and future games are even expected to surpass past works. After saying goodbye to previous series, I had the opportunity to try something new."
It's still at least a few years before the new game is completed, so Nagoshi didn't go into detail about the plot or gameplay of the new game, but he made it clear that they wanted to recreate the success of the "Like Dragon" series in the global market and would not relax their requirements for themselves.
"We were deeply influenced by the film and wanted to create a very dramatic game," Nagoshi explains, "which is where we find interesting." As before, I hope to create a game with this idea that reaches users around the world. We don't make mobile puzzle games or anything like that. Those games are also fun, but what we're good at, and what the world expects us to make, are games that are dramatic and move players. That's what we want to do, and that's what we're going to focus on in the future."
Asked how the new project would embody this idea, Nagoshi said, "As a game creator, I have several ideas I want to try. Especially with an idea, I now want to try to extend it. The idea is slowly taking shape, and the team members are offering a lot of advice."
Nagoshi said he wanted to continue using live-action motion capture, but did not say whether he would continue to use well-known actors (such as Takuya Kimura in "Eyes of Judgment"):
"When we started doing Dragons, the common practice was to design an original character and ask the voice actor to voice it, and the other practices were considered unimportant. And we broke that tradition and learned a lot. I think we still have room to improve, which can lead to more vocal performances, facial expressions and so on, so I am eager to keep improving. At the same time, I think it's very important to have a good relationship with the actors, whether you hire a particular actor or not."
When asked if the new game is set in the real modern era like the Dragon series, or in a near-future fantasy world like Binary Realm, Nagoshi said that the content and plot are more important than the background setting:
"Taking the sales of the 'Like Dragons' series as an example, I think the oriental background does make it more unique, but I don't think that alone can make its sales exceed the million mark. There are definitely more important reasons, such as the touching story, the balance between gameplay and plot, and the overall high quality. So, if you want your next game to be popular with players around the world, I don't think the setting is particularly important. If there is a good story, then the French can also be moved by Takeshi Kitano's films, and the Japanese can also enjoy Indian films. If the quality is high enough, then anyone, anywhere, can enjoy it. I want to go back to this pure entertainment."
The new studio currently has about 10 people, and while they're hiring new employees, Nagoshi says he doesn't plan to grow the team to more than 100 people. At the moment, the team is steadily evolving, and in order to avoid being greedy and chewy, they intend to focus on the first game:
"We haven't decided how many projects we want to do at the same time. However, the number of employees in the studio is not too large, and it is difficult to develop several games at the same time. So there will be some limitations. Maybe we'll be working on another project in the same period, but we'll focus on making our first game and trying to make a good and popular debut."
It's a secret when we'll see Nagoshi Studios' first game, but Nagoshi himself hopes the new game will be available as soon as possible: "I want to hear what players think of the game we've worked so hard to develop, and adjust the final goal based on feedback." Therefore, when the completion of the game is enough to be shared, it will be shown to everyone as soon as possible. We'll make sure that the games that come out by then are up to the point where people praise them. I don't want to drag on too long."
Minoru Nagoshi joined Sega as early as 1989 and participated in the development of series such as "VR Racing" and "Super Monkey Ball", and then founded dragons among people studios and created the "Like Dragons" series. He announced his departure from Sega last year and the establishment of Nagotsu Studios in January 2022.