Think twice before saying your favorite manga is One Piece. CyberConnect2 CEO on how Japanese game company interviews work 

“The Game Industry Guidebook” (unofficial translation), written by CyberConnect2 president Hiroshi Matsuyama and published by Kadokawa, is set to release on February 16. Featuring a collection of Matsuyama’s personal insights and data based on surveys of around 40 domestic game companies, the book provides advice to aspiring game developers and those already working in the industry. CyberConnect2 is known for developing the .hack series, the Fuga: Melodies of Steel trilogy, and several titles in the Dragon Ball, Naruto and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure franchises.

Given that Japan’s hiring rate for aspiring game dev applicants is currently quite low at about 1.9%, Matsuyama hopes that his book will help prepare future generations of developers. An excerpt published by Famitsu goes into some of the common interview questions at Japanese game companies and the intentions behind them. 

After interviewing several game companies, Matsuyama found that most of them ask a similar set of questions when interviewing applicants. One of the most important questions requires an applicant to list down all of the titles developed/published by the company that they have played. Those who haven’t played many of the company’s games will very likely be rejected, cutting down the number of applicants. Another set of questions delves into the technical abilities of the applicant and their commitment to the job, further shortening the waiting list. 

However, Matsuyama also found one game company which, like his own, always asks applicants about their personal favorite piece of media, be it a manga, anime, game or movie. Using the topic of One Piece as an example, Matsuyama goes into why this is a great interview question and what kind of answer the interviewer is looking for.   

When asked what it is about One Piece that you love, a superficial answer such as “I love how the protagonist Luffy teams up with his friends and goes on adventures,” would get you rejected, he says. This is because the answer doesn’t delve into specifics, reflecting the applicant’s inability to, in a future hypothetical scenario, explain the company’s products/services appealingly, should they be hired. 

An applicant’s delivery is also taken into consideration. If they are overexcited to talk about the details of why they love the series to the point of becoming incoherent, then there is a high chance they will be rejected. On the other hand, if they manage to deliver a compelling explanation while retaining a certain amount of enthusiasm, that shows they can communicate effectively. 

Matsuyama notes that answering a question about favorite media with something as popular as One Piece is a very risky move. Since interviewers are likely to be familiar with it, they will expect the applicant to deliver a unique analysis, so it essentially means raising the bar for the responder. This does not mean that providing an obscure piece of media as an answer is the solution though, as the company that asks these questions admits that it’s not about the popularity of the media that matters, only that the applicant can express their passion for it in an articulate and engaging way. 

“It’s fine, even if it’s a work we don’t know. If we hear the explanation and think, ‘We’ve never heard of that, but it sounds interesting!’ then the candidate passes. After all, the ability to convey your passion for a work to a complete stranger in an engaging way is essential in this industry.” 

That said, these questions are more common in game publishing roles, such as for producers, marketing, and sales positions, rather than development positions. Since the goal is to gauge an applicant’s ability to convey the appeal of something, applicants for behind-the-scenes roles such as programmers and game designers are less likely find these questions in their interviews. It should be noted that CyberConnect2 applications uses similar questions as well, so keep that in mind in case you’re looking to apply 

The Game Industry Guidebook is set to release on February 16 and costs 2,200 JPY (roughly $14 USD). There are currently no plans for an English translation. 

Related: “Game designers who ask for ideas, programmers who don’t know C++.” CyberConnect2 CEO on the top reasons why aspiring game devs fail to enter game companies 

Danganronpa creator became a game dev because of an argument he had while working part-time that made him think “What am I doing with my life”