Putting an end to long hiatus, CyberConnect2 recently announced .hack//Z.E.R.O., a brand-new, fully self-published entry in the action RPG series. Positioned as a reset for the .hack franchise, the title will introduce a new protagonist and new storyline, while maintaining its fictional MMORPG setting (called “The World” in-game). But as is customary for any .hack-related news, the announcement has prompted comparisons to Sword Art Online, (the other major Japanese franchise about a fictional MMORPG), as well as annoyed rebuttals to said comparisons.
As fans argue about who copied whom and which came first, now might be a great moment to look back on what the creators of both franchises had to say about this very topic (because yes, they’ve been very aware of the comparisons for a long time). Back in 2016, Dengeki Online hosted a three-way discussion between Reki Kawahara, the author of the original Sword Art Online light novel series, Yosuke Futami, producer of the SAO game series at Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Hiroshi Matsuyama, CEO of .hack developer CyberConnect2.
Addressing the topic, Matsuyama said, “For the past ten-plus years, I’ve been very conscious of SAO… I mean, I’ve naturally known about the series and enjoyed it. SAO and .hack actually debuted at almost the same time (around 2002). I think that’s why, whenever .hack did something, people would say it was copying SAO, and whenever SAO did somehting, people would say it was copying .hack (laughs).” While he admitted to feeling some “lingering frustration” about this situation at one point, he said the air got completely cleared when he talked to Kawahara privately for the first time. The two agreed that it was likely SAO and .hack’s close release date that led audiences to view them as similar.
But when it comes to actual thematic similarities, Matsuyama called them superficial at best. “On the surface, there are similarities, like the players being unable to log out of the game. But in terms of the nature of the works, the drama depicted, and the themes, they’re completely different. Anyone familiar with both won’t confuse them, and I believe they’ll understand each work’s strengths. SAO is SAO, and .hack is .hack.”
Additionally, he mentioned that with, once again, both series being created at roughly the same time, they likely both drew influence from the major online games of the time. Matsuyama named Ultima Online, Ragnarok Online, Lineage and FFXI and Diablo as some of the inspirations behind .hack, while Kawahara confirmed that he likewise drew from Ultima Online and Ragnarok Online when creating SAO.
On the other hand, when it comes to the SAO game series, there was clear inspiration taken from .hack, as confirmed by Yosuke Futami. The producer commented, “I actually loved the first .hack and its sequel .hack//G.U., so when creating the SAO games, I was heavily inspired by them. (…) Every time we released a game, someone somewhere would say, ‘It’s copying .hack.’ I never felt we were copying it, but since I love the series, I figured there must have been some influence in there. (…) When you play .hack, it really makes you want to try an actual online game, because it faithfully captures what makes online games appealing. When creating the SAO games, I hoped players might feel the same way I once did.”
.hack//Z.E.R.O is currently in development by CyberConnect2. The release date and compatible platforms are TBA, but Matsuyama has confirmed that it will be a full-priced console game, not an F2P title.
