Back in November last year, Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack, the definitive edition of the Secret Trilogy of Gust’s flagship anime-styled RPG series, was released for PC (Steam), PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. Around the same time, AUTOMATON got the opportunity to ask Atelier series producer Junzo Hosoi about recent shifts in Gust’s organizational structure, and how they’ve impacted the studio’s overall workflow and output. Apparently, Gust decided to step away from its traditional, top-down structure, in favor of a decentralized, “republic-like” one, as Hosoi puts it.
“As our members work on acquiring various knowledge, we’re trying to shift the team structure to match our development scope. Up until now, it was usually the producer who took charge of development, but now we’re partially distributing those responsibilities among members of the development team themselves. We’ve selected various members, including junior staff, and formed different divisions to cover each aspect of game development.”
As Hosoi explains, past Gust projects were usually produced under a top-down hierarchy, with the producer leading the development process. However, the studio now functions “more like a republic,” he says. “The director and I share our vision, but the younger staff members also voice their opinions. It’s turned into an environment where everyone is given the chance to present and push for their own opinion.” Instead of just “listening to orders,” after a general framework of what’s being developed has been established, each member is expected to take responsibility for their own parts of the process. This has left a positive impact on the development cycle so far, increasing both motivation and product quality, Hosoi notes.
While a top-down hierarchy allows the producer and director to have more creative authority and help unite the development team under the same goal, Hosoi believes that the consensus-led, “republic system” has recently been showing more benefits than drawbacks. “When you think about it, we created the Atelier series back in the day by having everyone come together, brainstorm ideas, and debate over them. But after Gust became a part of Koei Tecmo, our division grew much bigger in size, and I thought a more centralized style of organization would help consolidate the team. Thanks to that, individual members gained more experience, and development lines increased in number, which made me think – Maybe it’s better to carry on with development by discussing things as a team again.”
Hosoi acknowledges that “there is no single correct answer for the Atelier series,” stating that the producer and director’s opinion “is not an absolute truth.” This is why he wants to encourage other members of the team to present their own opinions and discuss them on a more equal footing. “Just like when Atelier Ryza started, our team has just stepped into a brand-new phase.”
Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack is available for PC (Steam), PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
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