{"id":64203,"date":"2026-03-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=64203"},"modified":"2026-03-30T10:25:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T01:25:17","slug":"former-nippon-ichi-software-president-says-the-salaryman-ification-of-japans-game-industry-is-why-there-are-fewer-individual-creators-like-hideo-kojima-and","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/former-nippon-ichi-software-president-says-the-salaryman-ification-of-japans-game-industry-is-why-there-are-fewer-individual-creators-like-hideo-kojima-and\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Nippon Ichi Software president says the \u201csalaryman-ification\u201d of Japan\u2019s game industry is why there are fewer \u201cindividual creators\u201d like Hideo Kojima and Suda51"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Japanese game studio SuperNiche, headed by former president of Nippon Ichi Software Sohei Niikawa, just released their new \u201csushi lane musical action adventure\u201d Etrange Overlord<\/strong> for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC (Steam). In celebration of the release, Niikawa participated in an interview with Game*Spark<\/a>, where he discussed the details of his new title, while also sharing his opinions on the current state of the game industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked how he feels about there being less prolific \u201cauteur\u201d developers in the scene, like Hideo Kojima, Suda51, SWERY, and Kenji Eno, Niikawa suggests that this might be due to the \u201ccorporate\u201d nature of the video game industry. \u201cThat\u2019s a bit unfortunate, to be honest. To put it in my own words, I feel like the salaryman-ification of creators keeps progressing,\u201d he says. For context, a \u201csalaryman\u201d in Japan refers to white-collar workers, employed at large corporations, who stereotypically prioritize work over anything else and are subservient to their organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compared to the production of films, anime, manga and music, Niikawa explains that the video game industry has a much tighter corporate framework for tackling projects, relying on staff who work as full-time company employees. To illustrate, he notes that, for example, manga artists are not \u201cworking under\u201d a publisher, and they compete on a project-by-project basis. This means that even if the project ends up failing, they can easily move on to the next thing while still pursuing what they truly believe is \u201cthe right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On the other hand, when you\u2019re a developer who works for a company, various other factors, like company policies and decision-making, as well as profitability, come into play, making it more difficult for \u201cindividuality\u201d to come through. \u201cThe fact that AAA titles all tend to take a similar creative direction, and the fact that we keep getting more and more sequels might not be completely unrelated to this, I believe. So, if you\u2019re looking to take on a bolder challenge, going indie or establishing your own company probably allows for a much higher degree of freedom after all,\u201d Niikawa adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, with triple As and indies being two extremes, Niikawa believes that the way mid-sized companies approach creating new titles will be a crucial point for the future of Japan\u2019s game industry. \u201cOf course, I understand that there are business circumstances and conditions due to which [businesses] have no choice but to play it safe. But if they play it too safe, there is a high chance that they will eventually decline.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Mentioning how the global scene has got more competitive, especially with studios outside of Japan showing rapid improvement in technical capabilities, Niikawa believes that this is the time for domestic developers to start getting more proactive. \u201cJapan has the fertile ground to create more new content, and I think it\u2019s a bit of a shame that the game industry is leaning towards playing it safe. So my honest opinion is: why don\u2019t we just go all out and play the offense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course, I\u2019m not trying to say that the \u2018salaryman-ification\u2019 is a bad thing. It\u2019s extremely important to be able to work in a stable environment and also take care of your personal life and family. However, speaking purely from the perspective of \u2018creating things,\u2019 balancing the two is not easy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Etrange Overlord is available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC (Steam<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related articles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe trend became to churn out cheap sequels.\u201d Sakura Wars creator on why Japan\u2019s game industry stalled in the 21st century 
<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m still angry at the game industry\u201d CyberConnect2 CEO\u2019s efforts to shake up Japanese entertainment\u2019s stick-in-the-mud approach are driven by his love for Shonen Jump manga
<\/a><\/strong>

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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