Genki released Tokyo Xtreme Racer in Early Access on January 23, marking the long-running racing series’ first full-fledged comeback in 18 years. The game is available on Steam, with the Early Access version priced at $29.99.
Bringing back familiar features like the SP Battle system, the brand-new Tokyo Xtreme Racer lets players race along the meticulously recreated Tokyo Expressway in a good old, single-player fashion. At the time of writing, Tokyo Xtreme Racer has an Overwhelmingly Positive status on Steam, with 95% of 8,470 player reviews being positive.
Following on from the first part of the interview with Tokyo Xtreme Racer’s producer Noguchi Kentaro, Genki’s marketing rep Takatoshi Sato joins us to talk about how the game has been performing since launch and what has contributed to its success so far.
We got off to a flying start, but we can do even better
―Please introduce yourselves.
Kentaro Noguchi (hereafter Noguchi):
I’m Noguchi, the producer of Tokyo Xtreme Racer.
Takatoshi Sato (hereafter Sato):
I’m Sato, in charge of Tokyo Xtreme Racer’s marketing.
―TXR’s Early Access seems to have been very successful so far. I was quite blown away to see concurrent users peak at over 15k, despite the title coming after an 18-year break in the series. Do you consider it a hit?
Sato:
I’ll refrain from commenting on specific sales figures (laughs), but if you ask me whether I consider TXR a hit as Genki’s marketing rep, I’d say that it’s off to a great start. However, I do think there is still room for growth.
―I see you’re quite ambitious.
Everyone:
(laughs)
Sato:
It’s performing well now thanks to the franchise’s popularity, but I think it has potential to do even better. The reviews we’ve received from players so far have been very positive, so I think we can expect more growth in the future.
―Was the number of Wishlists prior to release indicative of a strong launch? What was the ratio of sales to Wishlist like?
Sato:
It turned out almost exactly as I’d calculated. It was a little higher than anticipated, but mostly within the expected range.
―With how hardcore the series’ fanbase is, were you confident that the game would do well even prior to release?
Sato:
I was half excited and half anxious. The 18-year gap added a big element of uncertainty, after all. When I think about it that way, honestly, I think I was actually more anxious than excited.
Noguchi:
We were especially worried about whether our target audience owned gaming PCs or not. The average age of the TXR series’ core playerbase has increased significantly over time, so whether these players have gaming PCs was something we discussed a lot internally.
Sato:
And then, in the midst of all that, we got comments from fans on X saying, “I went and bought a gaming PC, so there’s no going back now,” which really made us aware of the responsibility we held.
―You released Tokyo Xtreme Racer at an Early Access price of $29.99, which I found to be on the more expensive side compared to what I usually see on Steam. But on the flip side, I’ve seen passionate fans saying things like “it’s way too cheap!” too, which I found interesting. Can you tell me about how you decided on the game’s pricing?
Sato:
Opinions on this matter were polarized within Genki too. After all, $29.99 is considered quite expensive for an Early Access game. However, we thought that if we could offer Early Access players free updates until the full release, plus a lower price for the game compared to the full release, this would, to some extent, provide value for money. I do think we pushed the limit a bit. Another reason for the pricing was that we didn’t want to widen the gap between the Early Access version and the full game too much.
―They say price points around $19.99 and $24.99 tend to be the most marketable, but I see you decided to pursue your own policy.
Sato:
We announced the game’s price on X too, where on one hand, the Japanese price (3,960 yen) was even seen as affordable because it’s under 4,000 yen, but on the other hand, we got harsh reviews saying, “This isn’t worth $30!” (laughs). So, I’d say there were pros and cons to it.
Sales were strongest in Japan, but some other countries surprised us
―TXR’s popularity is obviously strong in Japan, but I feel like the hype is pretty big overseas too, based on all the non-Japanese language reviews on Steam. What does the language-based breakdown of sales look like?
Sato:
Sales in the Japanese language are number one. The ratio of sales in Japanese to other languages is about 4:6, so yeah, I’d say the game’s domestic popularity is overwhelmingly strong.
―Were there any regions outside of Japan that surprised you in terms of sales?
Sato:
Personally, I was surprised to see how strong sales were in the UK, as we didn’t do a great deal of promotion in Europe. Our overseas marketing strategy was mainly focused on the US, so growth in that region didn’t come as a surprise, but the response in the UK was unexpected. We also saw growth in the Asian region that was beyond our expectations, although I think this was largely due to the influence of VTubers. Thanks to VTubers, we’ve seen TXR’s popularity increase little by little, especially in China and Taiwan, which we’re very grateful for.
―I was surprised to see so many content creators streaming the game. Genki kind of has a reputation for being a hardened, veteran developer of high-quality games, but the marketing for TXR felt quite modern and proactive. Were these your strategies, Sato-san?
Sato:
Yes, in fact, Noguchi and I kept fighting about marketing strategies.
―(laughs)
Noguchi:
I didn’t have faith in modern ways.
Sato:
I joined Genki mid-career after switching jobs, and I was very focused on selling the product and thinking up optimal ways to do so. I guess you could say I was considering things in a kind of pragmatic and clear-cut way. Of course, I do believe that the game itself holds 100% of the power when it comes to attracting players, but I also felt like we had to come up with some ways of bringing in new demographics.
So, when I thought about how to attract younger players, I arrived at the idea of using social media, YouTube and VTubers. However, one amazing thing that happened with TXR was that VTubers picked it up and played it of their own volition, thanks to the franchise’s reputation. I believe many of them also said so in their videos, but none of the VTubers playing TXR were doing paid promotion.
―Really? There were so many people streaming the game, I was sure at least some of them were doing paid promotion.
Sato:
Yes, we’re super grateful for it. I feel like we’ve really had a lucky streak.
―So, before you could even implement some of your marketing strategies, the game itself attracted content creators and spread by word of mouth.
Sato:
That’s how I see it, yes. The name “Tokyo Xtreme Racer” did the work on its own. It really made me realize how significant the strength of a well-known IP is. We even saw people with no prior knowledge of the series become interested in the buzz surrounding TXR. Then they’d look up the game, realize it’s about racing and get hyped. We were so grateful to see that.
―What do you think helped you achieve such a strong start with TXR?
Sato:
Like I mentioned before, it’s the power of the IP itself and the power of VTubers, I really think it all comes down to these two things. And honestly, I think luck was a factor too (laughs).
Noguchi:
We went to pray at a shrine before the release too.
Sato:
I went to our CEO personally and told him, “We’ve done everything that can be done marketing-wise. We also have limited funds, so please give us one last little bit of money!” He asked me what I planned to do with it, and I said, “We’re going to go pray at a shrine and make an offering!” And so, the executives, producers and I actually went and prayed at a shrine (laughs).
―(laughs)
Noguchi:
On a more serious note, I think a big reason for TXR’s success is that so many fans were waiting for it this whole time. The die-hard fans, plus, as Sato mentioned – the power of the IP itself and the influence of VTubers – were what got us this far.
Also, Sato carefully planned scheduled posts for the X account and worked with the designers to make sure we had videos coming out regularly. I think these efforts really helped us reach our fans.
―The way you’ve been running (the Japanese) X account feels kind of “premium” – d you’re communicating with fans, but keeping things firm, or should I say, reflecting the feel of the IP and game.
Sato:
Thank you. When it comes to the official account of Genki as a company, we have a rather free policy, letting the account manager make statements about various topics and activities of the company to give the account a sense of personality.
On the other hand, the official Tokyo Xtreme Racer account is meant to introduce the product, so our goal was to create the impression that it’s being run seriously. However, this marketing approach is not really effective in the US, so we do things very casually on that side (laughs).
By the way, our designers worked really hard on the videos we’ve been posting. We had some close calls where we’d finish a video only 30 minutes before it’s due to be posted, which took some years off my life (laughs).
Noguchi:
Like those videos from January detailing car parts. Those were last-minute.
Sato:
Yeah, we barely made it in time with those.
This one review made me laugh my head off
―There have been so many reviews and reactions to TXR since its Early Access Launch, but have you come across any that were particularly interesting or memorable?
Noguchi:
Back in the day, there weren’t really spaces where people could show off their own takes on things, were there? In the TXR series, we purposely leave out the characters’ faces, showing only their silhouettes to encourage people to use their imaginations. But nowadays, fans can go a step further by posting what they’ve imagined, so we get to see various drawings of Polaris and the other characters. I found this really fascinating, and it made me very happy.
Sato:
I came across this one positive review that made me laugh my head off. It just went like this:
Gameplay: Tokyo Xtreme Racer
Music: Tokyo Xtreme Race
Controls: Tokyo Xtreme Racer
Overall: Tokyo Xtreme Racer
―(laughs)
Sato:
We released the new Tokyo Xtreme Racer with the intent of delivering the real deal. The developers worked hard to make sure fans got exactly what they were waiting for all this time. I like to compare it to going to a ramen joint, ordering ramen and getting served good old, classic ramen.
So that funny review that described everything as “Tokyo Xtreme Racer” was actually exactly the kind of reaction we were going for. That’s part of why I liked it so much (laughs). Of course, I’ve been reading all of the reviews and feeling immensely grateful for each one of them.
―By the way, there’s been some amusing phenomena going on in the game, like cars stacking on top of each other and players grinding money by doing “Saudi drifting.” Players are afraid their discoveries will get patched out, but what is your stance on these unintended yet entertaining bugs?
Noguchi:
…I’m torn (laughs). I want to leave in the fun stuff, but without upsetting anyone. If we don’t handle it well, we could end up disappointing the players.
Sato:
We will, of course, continue to make various updates to the game, and we would like to strike a good balance, making fixes in cases that can’t be overlooked but without affecting players too much.
―Just the fact that you’re torn tells me you’re thinking about things from the player’s perspective too, which I’m personally happy to hear as a player.
Sato:
As much as time permits, I keep track of the various trends among players, the praise, and the criticism. We released Tokyo Xtreme Racer in Early Access, and we want to keep refining it by working as closely as possible with players. When the full game is released, I want it to fulfill its potential, meet everyone’s expectations, and lead the way for new developments in the future.
―By the way, are you thinking about releasing the game on consoles?
Noguchi:
…No comment!
Sato:
Please support us so we can make it happen (laughs).
―I’m guessing that means it will depend on how well the game does. Lastly, do you have a message for people interested in picking up Tokyo Xtreme Racer?
Noguchi:
Tokyo Xtreme Racer is a game that can be described as “Overall: Tokyo Xtreme Racer” (laughs). I think people often imagine a high entry bar when it comes to racing games, but TXR is above all an entertaining game that lets you enjoy things in a casual way – and with a unique cultural flavor to boot. By all means, try it out!
Sato:
Tokyo Xtreme Racer is a game that just pulls you in – before you know it, you’ve spent hours playing. I want people to just give it a try, without thinking about it as a racing game.
―Try out the “Tokyo Xtreme Race genre”?
Sato:
Exactly. It’s not a racing game, it’s the Tokyo Xtreme Racer genre. Just try it. Steam even allows refunds, so you have nothing to lose (laughs).
Noguchi:
You won’t know how fun it is until you play it yourself.
Sato:
Yeah, even when I’m playing in the dev environment, I just find myself circling the loop line over and over.
Noguchi:
It’s like going on a drive.
Sato:
Exactly like going on a drive! Also, with racing games, you often have to take care not to stray from the course and stress about shaving seconds off your time, but TXR has walls along the sides of the course and you can have a blast even if you’re not a very good driver. That’s why I’d like to encourage even gamers who aren’t experienced in racing games to pick up Tokyo Xtreme Racer.
Thank you for your time!
Tokyo Xtreme Racer is in Early Access for PC (Steam).
Don’t forget to check out the first part of this interview, where Tokyo Xtreme Racer’s producer Kentaro Noguchi talks about what led to the series reboot after 18 years.
[Writer, editor: Koutaro Sato]
[Interviewer, editor: Hideaki Fujiwara]
[Interviewer, editor: Ayuo Kawase]
