{"id":36601,"date":"2024-09-06T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=36601"},"modified":"2024-09-06T10:32:28","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T01:32:28","slug":"like-a-dragon-infinite-wealths-sicko-snap-was-created-to-solve-a-very-real-problem-during-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/interviews\/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealths-sicko-snap-was-created-to-solve-a-very-real-problem-during-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth\u2019s Sicko Snap was created to solve a very real problem during development. Series director and lead planner talk about the behind-the-scenes of Yakuza content-making\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth<\/strong>, the latest entry to Sega\u2019s Like a Dragon series, sold over one million units worldwide within a week of its release, breaking the franchise\u2019s past records. But the grander the scale of a title, the easier it is for the individual efforts behind it to go unnoticed. That\u2019s why we collaborated with SEGA to interview members of each section of RGG Studio and find out all there is to know about their meticulous work on the Like a Dragon franchise.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this edition, we speak to Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth\u2019s director Ryosuke Horii and lead planner\/game design supervisor Hirotaka Chiba. In Part Two, we talk to them about the specific content they created, such as the Sicko Snap minigame and the Party Chats full of middle-aged guys\u2019 banter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ryosuke
Ryosuke Horii\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Hirotaka
Hirotaka Chiba\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite how much we limited ourselves, Dondoko Island\u2019s volume turned out tremendous<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2015I feel like Infinite Wealth took a different turn from past Like a Dragon titles in that it focuses on a lesser number of elaborate, large-scale minigames, rather than numerous small minigames. What was the reason for this change?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryosuke Horii (hereafter Horii):<\/strong>\u00a0
The Hawaii area itself is quite large, so if we were to implement an abundance of minigames, it\u2019s highly possible that players would unwittingly miss out on them. That\u2019s why we decided to focus on making several large-scale mini games and making them as high-quality as possible, so that they would appeal to many players.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015So, rather than having a predetermined quota for minigames, you decide things based on each game\u2019s setting and themes?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
That\u2019s right. Also, whether it\u2019s the budget or the number of available staff, our team\u2019s resources are limited. We consider all of these factors when deciding whether to go for a large number of smaller minigames or to limit ourselves to a couple of large-scale, fun ideas. Infinite Wealth\u2019s features, such as Dondoko Island, were clearly the kind that would grow exponentially more entertaining the more we added to them. Thus, we decided to focus on building them up into something that would deliver more of a punch than multiple, small minigames would.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015So, the planners\u2019 job is to judge the potential of a piece of side content and adjust the scale of development accordingly.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
Exactly, it\u2019s all about finding the right balance.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015RGG Studio\u2019s Yokoyama and Sakamoto have made comments about Dondoko Island growing more and more content-packed \u201cbefore you knew it\u201d in past interviews, but did you not have any limitations?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
On the contrary, even after limiting ourselves, it still ended up like that<\/em> (laughs). We could have made the island larger, and there were all kinds of proposals for new things to include, but after taking various factors into account, we settled on Dondoko Island\u2019s current form.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, we had a simpler game in mind for Dondoko Island at first. We initially imagined it as being about collecting resources, doing a bit of crafting and that being it, but we felt that it lacked the bizarre and unpredictable nature that is typical of the Like a Dragon series. Also, at the time, there was not enough to do during a whole day on the island. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Casual island building games are usually designed to allow players to create what they want and play at a leisurely pace. However, if you just tell players to enjoy themselves freely, there is a risk that some people won\u2019t really know what to do. Besides, with the Palekana being in trouble, they wouldn\u2019t be up for casual island life either (laughs). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ichiban<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Everyone:<\/strong>\u00a0
(laughs)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
Thus, we began to see that making the game busy would better suit Like a Dragon\u2019s players. From there, we began tackling issues one by one, and ultimately, our solution was to introduce simulation game-like gameplay such as battles, handling customers, and earning money. This kind of light simulator-style gameplay has been well received by our players in the past and it is something they are familiar with, having played the hostess club and business management minigames. I felt that if we added simulation game elements to Dondoko Island, it would be more in the spirit of the series and different from a simple island-building game. That’s how Dondoko Island became what it is today.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015So, Dondoko Island kind of replaced, or rather, built upon the past management minigames?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
That’s right. We had originally envisioned Dondoko Island as content that would be very beneficial to game progression, like business management in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Although all the details were not set, we had already decided on the amount of money the player could obtain if they built the island successfully.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015You mentioned earlier that you put the brakes on Dondoko Island\u2019s expansion, but was this decided due to the schedule? Man-hours? Or was it due to some other factor?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
Obviously, it was due to schedule-related constraints too, but the most important factor was the overall balance of the game. The larger we made Dondoko Island, the more likely we were to end up with players who don\u2019t clear the game or don\u2019t return to the main storyline. Since Dondoko Island is ultimately just side content, we were mindful of making it feel satisfying but not too difficult, making sure to reward players with a sense of accomplishment. From there, we cut down on all elements that seemed redundant to the game design.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, we raced against the schedule to add as many features as possible that we thought would make players happy \u2013 including various placeable items, like the Kamurocho gate, and other features like allowing players to place roads.  In other words, the overall scale of Dondoko Island itself did not grow that much from the initial conception, but we spent a lot of time filling it up with items and features to make the experience as satisfying as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Like<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2015This is just to satisfy my personal curiosity, but why did you go for harpooning rather than regular fishing? I feel like fishing is a kind of a staple activity for the genre.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0
Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
Originally, it was supposed to be regular fishing, but I felt that using a fishing rod just didn\u2019t fit with everything (laughs). With fishing, you have to wait for a long time before you get a bite. But Dondoko Island is a busy game in which the sun goes down before you know it, so we decided to go with a harpoon to let players catch fish instantly. This approach also felt more in line with the Yakuza series.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015I see, so you considered both the tempo of the game and aesthetics.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Sicko Snap was a necessity for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2015What did the process of creating the substories look like?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hirotaka Chiba (hereafter Chiba):<\/strong>\u00a0
Usually, we decide on the total number of substories within a game at an early stage. From there, we consider how much to expand the volume of each substory within the determined framework.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
That\u2019s right, we decided on about 30 substories while in the early stages of the project. Then, we gathered various ideas and decided which to adopt. Finally, we moved on to working on their quality.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, we had predetermined slots within that framework \u2013 for example, how many Hawaii substories to include, how many emotional substories to include and the like. We also adjusted this as needed \u2013 for example, by adding 5 extra emotional substories when there were too many comical ones. By the way, some substories take a lot of time and effort to create, while others not so much \u2013 it\u2019s very varied. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ryosuke<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
The \u201cdensity\u201d of a substory\u2019s content makes all the difference in terms of how much work is needed for development.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
With the scenario members at the helm, the whole planning team comes up with ideas, and we then create scenarios based on all of the adopted pitches. However, if something feels boring, there is basically no chance of it being included in the game, so if a scenario for an approved idea doesn\u2019t turn out right, we go through numerous revisions until we\u2019re satisfied. This means that a single story can go through eight or nine drafts.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
If a scenario doesn\u2019t feel right, we often try to think of something anew or or cut stories that are going \u201castray.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015I was surprised that the stealth-based mini-game Anaconda Escape in the Anaconda Shopping Mall substory was a one-time-only game. I expected that you would want to use a system like that multiple times after going through the effort of making it.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
No way! For a tiring game like that, I think once is quite enough (laughs).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone:<\/strong>\u00a0
(laughs)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
We boldly made Anaconda Escape a one-time thing thinking that would better emphasize its beauty. It was actually quite challenging to make, and we\u2019re kind of reflecting on how much time and effort it cost us in terms of adjusting the area of exploration, thinking of the quizzes and passwords, and balancing out the volume of small details. Infinite Wealth also used special controls like dodging cars, so we tried to make those as low-cost as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015By the way, it was you who proposed Sicko Snap, right? (to Horii)<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
Yes, that would be me… Sicko Snap was not something we initially planned to include. Since trolleys are a common sight in Hawaii, we decided to include them in the game as a means of transportation. But, as the trolleys are quite slow and there\u2019s no battles or anything happening along the way, the rides felt kind of boring. That\u2019s why I decided to think of something the player could do while they ride.\u00a0 Eventually, I arrived at the idea of taking pictures, but this raised a question \u2013 what the heck should the pictures be of? Initially, we thought of going for dogs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Like<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
A very inoffensive subject.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
But then we were like, dogs are kind of…meh.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015What\u2019s wrong with dogs? (laughs)<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
There\u2019s nothing wrong with dogs, but we weren\u2019t sure if it was the right choice for Infinite Wealth.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
There was the issue of regular dogs on the map being indistinguishable from dogs placed for the purpose of the minigame, but also, it felt kind of ordinary. There\u2019s no good reason one would take pictures of dogs either. We needed something a little more \u201cout there,\u201d something that would make the player exclaim, \u2018Woah! Found one!\u2019 This ultimately led us to introducing the sickos (laughs). When we tried putting in sickos wearing nothing but a pair of panties, they really stood out against the background nicely, and I knew we had found our answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015You also found Sickos to be the right answer? (to Chiba)<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
Yes. I think Sicko Snap is the most logically-sound minigame.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
It is indeed logical. In terms of drawing out the maximum potential of the trolleys, that was the best solution.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Like<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2015And that\u2019s how Sicko Snap came to be implemented.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
Actually, the first prototype version of Sicko Snap was a bit simpler, but as we worked on it, the team came up with a lot of ideas, such as zooming and panning the camera. In the end, it became a proper game of its own. It really ended up expanding from the initial idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
Everyone kind of ran with the idea while simultaneously asking themselves \u201cWhat is this\u201d and thinking \u201cThis could actually work out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
We just had a vague conviction that it would turn out great.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
The team kept increasing the number of Sickos too…\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Now that you mention it, the catalogue of Sickos is quite varied, isn\u2019t it?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
We made full use of various existing motions and assets. A guy named Koinuma (Akira Koinuma, planner of Infinite Wealth\u2019s adventure elements) was in charge of the project, and he really gave it his all.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
He made sure the Sickos came in all kinds of varieties, even with their own little stories.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sicko
In-game screenshot of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth\u2019s Sicko Snap minigame<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
It turned out to be such a good minigame, and I\u2019m really happy with it. Although, when I first presented it to the producers, they were like \u201cWhat the hell is this?\u201d (laughs).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
I remember that well (laughs).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
As I mentioned earlier, Sicko Snap was not originally planned, as opposed to minigames like Crazy Delivery and Dondoko Island, which were a part of the original proposal. Sicko Snap was the result of our attempts to solve a problem that arose during development.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
It was like a by-product. Even the term \u201cSicko Snap\u201d didn\u2019t exist anywhere before that.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015I feel like it\u2019s the kind of content you get when the development team working \u201con the field\u201d takes the initiative (as opposed to the producers\u2019 side).<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
We were confident it would succeed if implemented, and we knew we had sound reasoning for it, which is why we made the decision among ourselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
And it kept escalating from there…\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015From our conversation so far, I get the impression that a lot of stuff gets decided on the spot, but do you ever encounter disapproval the producers?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
For Infinite Wealth, there was almost no disapproval. I have been working with Yokoyama and Sakamoto for a long time, and we have similar tastes and are wary about the same things. In addition, I tend to think about the games from the producer’s point of view myself, so we\u2019re on the same page most of the time. If I am not sure about something or if it depends on intuition, I feel free to consult directly with the producers. I think we have a very good relationship because they put a lot of trust in us and leave me with a lot of leeway to direct the games.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Were there any changes made to the game based on opinions that came from outside of the development team?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
We sometimes give mid-development ROMs to people outside of the development team, such as Sega’s internal QA team (a quality assurance team that evaluates entertainment value and other aspects), the overseas teams, and marketing teams to get their opinions and feedback. Of course, we do not incorporate all of their feedback as is, but we do adopt the opinions that resonate with us.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Was there anything in Infinite Wealth that you changed based on this external feedback?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
The biggest thing was increasing the number of taxis.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
Oh yeah, I remember receiving passionate feedback about how important mobility is nowadays.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Part
Part of Infinite Wealth\u2019s Hawaii area map displaying several Taxis, which are used for fast travel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
I have to admit that, from a developer\u2019s point of view, there are negative aspects to increasing the number of taxis. It shortens the life of the game and makes it harder to get people to play what the city has to offer. However, we were told that if we don\u2019t let players go to various locations by taxi, it could negatively affect reviews and all that (laughs).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone:<\/strong>\u00a0
(laughs)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
The QA team in particular has a good grasp on these kinds of trends, so when we receive feedback from them, we take it seriously. If it’s something we agree with, we adopt it. However, we don\u2019t make changes that don\u2019t align with our philosophy. We always collect a wide range of opinions, but the final call remains ours alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miss Match and Bar Chat \u2013 the minigames that had the team at a loss <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Was there any minigame or piece of content you\u2019ve developed so far that was particularly challenging for you as planners? In terms of both Infinite Wealth and the Like a Dragon series as a whole.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
In terms of Infinite Wealth, it would be Miss Match.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
Oh, definitely…\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Oh, that\u2019s another minigame that\u2019s become representative of Infinite Wealth.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>
We had planned from the very beginning of the project to create Miss Match, a minigame that reflected all the well-known pitfalls of dating apps. However, when I was actually faced with making a game that felt like a dating app, it was a lot more difficult than I had imagined. The initial game design was very different from what the game looks like today.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
There were all kinds of ideas at the time \u2013 from having the player roll dice, to swapping out Ichiban and making the game about Adachi seeking a partner to marry.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
For a time, we were quite lost. But then, we arrived at the idea of having only 3 out of 10 possible matches be \u201cthe real thing,\u201d while the rest of the girls turn out to be catfishers. This is when I knew we were on to something.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Miss<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
Looking at the whole series, Yakuza 6\u2019s Bar Chat minigame was quite the challenge for me. The game consists of Kiryu visiting a small-town bar and gradually becoming friends with its regulars. But when you think about it, the concept of this minigame is extremely vague. Like, what does it mean to gradually befriend someone?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015It does feel kind of vague, now that you mention it.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
What does it mean to fit in at a bar? I remember having a lot of trouble figuring out what the player is supposed to do to make friends with the locals. I consulted with Horii, who was the main planner at the time, and we decided to portray Kiryu getting along with the people through conversations and minigames. However, the minigames were also difficult to decide on. Ultimately, we held a team meeting to ponder the future of the bar, where we thought of having Kiryu connect with people by replying with the correct dialogue options, and that’s the approach we went for in the end.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Looking back on it, do you feel like you should have refined the base concept of Bar Chat more before starting development?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
At first, I did think the concept was too vague, but afterwards, I realized that this also meant I had a lot of freedom. While thinking of a solution to this open question, I arrived at a way to make the game more entertaining using Kiryu\u2019s character. This contributed to the game\u2019s value and resulted in a fun piece of content, which I was very happy about. I think Bar Chat made me grow as a creator.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bar
Bar Chat minigame in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

RGG Studio has an expert for writing \u201cpointless chit-chat\u201d <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2015I understand that Chiba wrote much of the text for Infinite Wealth\u2019s Party Chats. How do you split work between the scenario team and the rest of the planning team?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
In principle, we leave the main story to the scenario team, while the rest is done mostly by the planning team.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
Who\u2019s in charge is basically decided depending on whether it\u2019s related to the main story or not. Everything outside of the main story is written by the planners and me. Sometimes, the director will directly add to the substories when something from the main story needs to be supplemented.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
We have a pretty good division of labor in that sense. After all, the scenario team is the best at setting up the story, so we leave it to them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Drink Links (character-specific events that occur when your Bond Level with a character other than Ichiban or Kiryu rises) are often deeply connected with the character\u2019s identities, so do you work on these together with the scenario writers?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
Since Drink Links are closely related to the character settings, we often give the scenario team an overall idea of what kind of conversation we want to depict and have them take charge from there. Many of the Drink Links dig deep into the character\u2019s past, so if we show something that contradicts the original setting, it can cause problems later on. That\u2019s why we have detailed discussions to solidify each story. On the other hand, for things like Party Chats and Table Talks, we don\u2019t get the scenario team involved. These light conversations are handled by Chiba and his team.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015With the introduction of Party Chats, Table Talks and all that, I got the impression that the amount of text in the games from Yakuza: Like a Dragon onwards increased compared to Yakuza 6, but is it really so?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii and Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
It has increased immensely.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
Not only is there loads of texts, but there are multiple party members whose voice lines need to be recorded, whereas before we only had to worry about the single protagonist.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Party
Party Chat log after clearing Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Even after a fairly completionist run, you\u2019re likely to be missing quite a few.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
With 10 party members having their own respective fully voiced conversations, the sheer volume is incredible.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015By the way, are there more Party Chats or Table Talks?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>
I think that in total, Party Chats overwhelmingly outnumber Table Talks.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
About a hundred, perhaps?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
In terms of Infinite Wealth, if we include Walk & Talks, there should be a little bit over 200…These are not normal numbers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015And most of these are written by you? (to Chiba)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
In principle, yes. I also look over any proposals submitted by other members and adjust them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
We needed a good number of Party Chats and Table Talks as a means to \u201cfill up\u201d the city, so we asked everyone on the team to participate in coming up with ideas. From there, we selected the best ones and had Chiba edit them or use them as is, while also creating new stories from scratch to make up for what was missing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015From what I\u2019ve seen, players seem to be quite happy with Party Chats, but what are your thoughts on them?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
I think the system did a very good job of conveying details about the characters, such as their interests and quirks, that can\u2019t be conveyed through the main story alone. I think this made players genuinely feel closer to the characters. Also, although most of the chit-chat is basically inconsequential to the game, when you look at real life, it\u2019s not only through big and dramatic events that people become close to each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015That\u2019s true.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
I think that having people become close and develop bonds simply by chatting in the city actually made the main story feel more convincing, in terms of scenes where the characters fight together while protecting and supporting each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015It does help show another side to the characters.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
Yes, I think this helped us portray characters like Seonhee in an interesting way. Also, we were able to bring out Joongi Han\u2019s goofier side. I think the details we added to his character showed a surprisingly funny side of him, which made him even more lovable.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Did you used to study scenario writing? (to Chiba)<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
No, not at all. About the Bar Chat minigame I mentioned earlier \u2013 the content basically revolved around completely trivial conversations between middle-aged guys, and I think that\u2019s what helped me realize that I might have a knack for writing pointless chit-chat.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
Chiba is a total genius for pointless conversations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone:<\/strong>\u00a0
(laughs)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
I\u2019m hoping you mean that in a good way (laughs). That said, I have been creating substories for a long time now, so I\u2019ve kind of trained myself in terms of how to make conversations flow and how to construct a story, and I think this ability meshed well with Yakuza: Like a Dragon\u2019s shift to the RPG genre.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Hirotaka<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2015How well you portray the characters becomes key, after all.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
That’s right. With the game becoming an RPG, the number of allies you make has increased, and it\u2019s a much more character-driven experience than before. However, there are a lot of details related to the characters\u2019 personalities that you can\u2019t depict in the main story, which is why I\u2019m pleased we found a way to give the player a deeper insight into the characters just through walking around the city.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015The Party Chats and substories have a kind of \u201cmiddle-aged guy flavor\u201d to them, but what demographic did you have in mind while working on them?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
Ah well… we are middle-aged guys ourselves…so I guess that\u2019s the kind of target audience we\u2019re going for, probably.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone:<\/strong>\u00a0
(laughs)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
The characters having the conversations are mostly middle-aged guys too, so we don\u2019t really end up with dialogue that brims with youthfulness.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
But I think that this is precisely one of Like a Dragon\u2019s selling points. In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, everything starts with three unemployed middle-aged guys being like \u201cLet\u2019s go to Hello Work.\u201d They have a different air about them than a group of young heroes would, complaining about back pain and the like. But this \u201chumanity\u201d you feel from their age is what gives the game originality. When we go to a drinking party with our younger team members, we get exhausted, but we have no trouble chilling out with other older guys in a bar. I think something similar to that can be felt in the games.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
I think so too (laughs). The same can be said about the topics we choose. For example, there\u2019s a conversation where Adachi is conflicted about whether he should drink beer or not because he\u2019s worried about his uric acid level. We\u2019re making the hearty talks of middle-aged dudes our identity, rather than youthfulness.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Table<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
The characters are flesh-and-blood human beings much like our players are, so their problems are relatable. That’s why it’s easy to really get into the game and feel like you’re listening to conversations between ordinary people. There isn\u2019t any typical \u201cgame-like” language like “where is the treasure chest?” Perhaps it’s better to just talk about things like your uric acid level without getting riled up.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015I personally really enjoyed reading the Party Chats, but now I realize that they probably reverberated with me because I\u2019m a middle-aged guy myself, I\u2019m not sure how to feel.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone:<\/strong>\u00a0
(laughs)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
In Infinite Wealth, Chitose appears as a younger character, so I had a lot of fun writing the \u201cchemical reactions\u201d that happen to Adachi whenever she gets involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Hirotaka<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong> 
Chitose doesn\u2019t care about uric acid levels, after all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
Yeah, that\u2019s why she brings something new to the conversation, with her ice-cold responses.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Now that you mention it, there were definitely some Party Chats that just ended with Chitose being completely disgusted.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
Yes, the ones that just kind of end abruptly (laughs). I had fun writing those as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like a Dragon will stay true to its uric acid level banter\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2015When visiting recent Like a Dragon events, I\u2019ve noticed the series has gained quite a lot of female fans. Did you consciously aim to attract women to the series in some way?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii and Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
Not at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
I\u2019m very grateful that women find it enjoyable, but also surprised.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
I don\u2019t understand how they can enjoy it, with the talk of uric acid levels and all.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone:<\/strong>\u00a0
(laughs)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
On a serious note, we have had a large increase in new fans, including women, which we\u2019re truly happy and grateful for. However, we don\u2019t plan to do anything like deliberately changing conversation topics in order to cater to new fans. That would make us unable to keep talking about uric acid levels…(laughs)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ryosuke<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chiba:<\/strong>\u00a0
Yes, we don\u2019t plan to cater on purpose. There’s a Party Chat where Seonhee and Saeko\u2019s girl talk gets hijacked by Nanba and ends up turning into guy talk. I think situations like these will keep happening.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015So, Like a Dragon will stay true to its original flavor.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horii:<\/strong>\u00a0
Yes, our policy as creators has not changed. We are very grateful for the recognition we have received from overseas fans and new, younger players, but we will not change our policy of creating games based on our personal ideas of what\u2019s fun.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Thank you for your time!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is available for the PC (Steam), PS4\/PS5 and Xbox One\/Xbox Series X|S. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Writer, editor: Koutaro Sato]\u00a0
[Interviewer, editor: Ayuo Kawase]\u00a0
[Support: Nobuaki Shibuya]
[Translator: Amber V]\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Like a Dragon series director and lead planner talk about the creation of Sicko Snap and other “middle aged guy” content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth\u2019s Sicko Snap was created to solve a very real problem during development. 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