{"id":69161,"date":"2026-07-03T15:49:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T06:49:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=69161"},"modified":"2026-07-03T16:20:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T07:20:43","slug":"suda51-and-ueda-fumito-discuss-their-game-design-philosophies-the-inherent-violence-of-action-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/interviews\/suda51-and-ueda-fumito-discuss-their-game-design-philosophies-the-inherent-violence-of-action-games\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cMy target audience is myself.\u201d Suda51 and Fumito Ueda discuss their game design philosophies, the inherent violence of action games, and what it takes to be a director\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Grasshopper Manufacture released its brand-new IP, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN,<\/strong> on February 10 across PC (Steam\/Windows), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the story of protagonist Romeo Stargazer \u2013 who becomes the FBI Space-Time Special Agent “Dead Man” \u2013 the game is a third-person action adventure set in a universe where space-time has been fractured following a mysterious incident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Brought back from the brink of death by sporting a \u201csuper rad\u201d mask known as the Dead Gear, Romeo hunts down space-time’s most wanted fugitives across the fractured universe, all while facing the sudden disappearance of his girlfriend, Juliet. With its wild blend of themes, Romeo Is a Dead Man launched to high praise from players, boasting a “Very Positive” rating on Steam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what kind of philosophy went into creating this game? AUTOMATON recently hosted a roundtable discussion between Grasshopper Manufacture CEO and game director Goichi Suda (Suda51), and his close friend and fellow game designer Fumito Ueda to find out. We got to hear some great stories, from Suda’s behind-the-scenes from Romeo Is a Dead Man\u2019s development, to Ueda’s thoughts on his past work, as well as how both creators approach making games. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What follows is a condensed version of a hefty discussion that spanned over two hours at an izakaya. We recorded this on a rainy evening in late spring, so we hope you enjoy reading it with that atmosphere in mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Romeo is a Dead Man is full of \u201cSuda-ness\u201d <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Before we dive in, could both of you please introduce yourselves?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fumito Ueda (hereafter Ueda):<\/strong> 
I\u2019m game designer Fumito Ueda. My main works include ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Goichi Suda (hereafter Suda):<\/strong> 
I\u2019m Goichi Suda from Grasshopper Manufacture. Since you offered to do an interview to celebrate the release of Romeo Is a Dead Man, I invited Ueda to join us as a guest. For Romeo Is a Dead Man, I worked as the producer, director, and writer, and I also handled quality assurance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u2014Suda, you even did QA yourself?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
I did. I got pretty heavily involved in making adjustments right at the end of development. We do have a QA team, of course… but I might have put in just as much work as them, if not more! (laughs) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Suda:<\/strong> 
I found a ton of bugs and really fine-tuned the visuals and animations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Does a game creator’s unique flair come through even during the QA process?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
The fine details of a game \u2013 for example, the timing of transitions between scenes or mechanics \u2013 really come down to individual sensibilities. Whether it’s in the action or the cutscenes, adding or subtracting just a few frames can create a significant difference. In Suda’s case, it sounds like he expertly fine-tuned these intuitive aspects, focusing on what feels good from a gamer’s perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
To use a film analogy, I put a lot of effort into what you\u2019d call the final editing phase. I also tried to play the game with a fresh set of eyes every single time, tweaking things by considering where a first-time player might stumble. That’s something that gets harder for the dev staff and QA team to spot once they get used to the game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I deliberately looked at the game through the most narrow-minded, petty lens possible and relentlessly pointed things out. I think those minor adjustments, like reducing enemy placements or making the map easier to navigate, really accumulated and paid off over time, like a series of body blows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
Did you spend more time on QA than on your previous titles? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
It was already in pretty good shape to begin with, but it seemed like we had time to bump up the quality even more, so I really poured time into it. I was still making fixes a week before the master build was due, though, so the production team was really mad at me. But I just kept going, figuring, “If it improves the quality, who cares?” I definitely feel like I gave it my all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The ultimate target audience is yourself <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Ueda, how would you describe Romeo Is a Dead Man?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
You can tell that Romeo Is a Dead Man isn’t a product of just going through the motions, yet in a way, it’s also a game that completely defies imagination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
Even I couldn’t have imagined a Scha Dara Parr song playing in it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
Was that track written specifically for the game? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
It was, actually. It was kind of the result of a happy accident. When I was writing the script for a scene where the protagonist is driving, I wanted to include the song he was listening to in the stage directions. The track that popped into my head right then was “Summer Jam ’95” by Scha Dara Parr. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
So you originally wanted to use “Summer Jam ’95”? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
Yeah. I wrote down “Summer Jam ’95” fully expecting it to be impossible. Later on, when we were breaking the script down into tasks, one of our staff members mentioned they knew Scha Dara Parr’s manager, so I asked them to reach out just in case. They actually replied, “Licensing makes ‘Summer Jam ’95’ difficult, but we’d be happy to write a new track for you.” I was really moved when they visited the studio and we met for the first time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014You really have a knack for making things happen! Ueda, what were your impressions after playing Romeo Is a Dead Man?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
The vibe and atmosphere didn’t feel drastically different from his past titles, but the art direction was completely to my taste. The overall color palette, the live-action tokusatsu (special effects) style… I think the novelty and diversity of the visual expression is where the game evolved the most. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Suda:<\/strong> 
That is exactly what we were conscious of this time around. There were a lot of twists and turns, but thankfully, things fell into place quite nicely. After we decided to change direction, we had to carefully examine our existing assets and find clever ways to cut things down just to scrape together the limited resources we had. Through all of that, I feel like we managed to find the right answer this time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014There must have been a lot of compromises, yet I feel like it came together very well as a cohesive project.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
Thank you. We really gave it everything we had right up to the very end. The whole team worked incredibly hard, too. For instance, we took things we originally intended to do as 3D cutscenes and turned them into comic book panels or pixel art instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
When it comes to the resources needed for game development, a massive chunk of the budget often goes into creating cutscene assets. And on top of that, if you ask whether players actually want them, the answer isn’t necessarily yes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
Exactly. And the length of cutscenes can cause all sorts of other issues, too. I’m sure you’re the same way, Ueda, but if I start a game and have to wait five or ten minutes before I can even control my character and finally experience the game, I’m already over it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
It\u2019s important to ask yourself, “What if I were the player?” We’re very similar in that regard, too. We think, “As a game designer, I\u2019d do this, but as a player, I\u2019d prefer this.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
That’s right. We often look at the games we’ve made through a totally different lens and even a different personality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
It\u2019s essential to do so. When making a game, you need to be able to imagine, “What would a person like this think?” I think game planners need a high degree of accuracy when running these  \u201csimulations.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
If you’re too accepting from a developer’s standpoint, you stop being a reliable baseline for tuning the game. So, when I play from a player’s perspective, I intentionally try to be as petty as possible, like I mentioned earlier. I don’t just blindly accept everything as fun; I actively turn myself into a petty guy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
Yeah, I call that being mean towards the game. If you’re too soft on your own work, you’ll end up going “That works!\u201d for everything. Though, obviously, there are times when you do need to be lenient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
Every time, I’m reminded of how crucial it is to strike the right balance between those extremes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014If so, isn’t it difficult for you to pin down a target player in an era where the gaming audience is so broad?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
Ultimately, I am my own target audience. I create what I think is good based on my own sensibilities, and if that stops resonating with anyone, then it probably means it’s time for me to change what I’m doing. I feel that leaving that judgment in the hands of others wouldn’t be honest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Suda:<\/strong> 
I also rely on my own senses to make decisions, but I do ask the staff for their opinions to gain a broader perspective. For example, in Romeo is a Dead Man, the staff implemented something akin to the “Bonfires” in FromSoftware games. It’s a system where enemies reset every time you save. Personally, it felt out of place to me. But when I asked the planning team if it bothered them, they all said it made sense. I figured, “Well, if they like it, the players will too,” and ultimately accepted it. I suppose that’s another way of looking at things from the player’s perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The differing cultural directions of Suda and Ueda\u2019s work <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2014When I heard that the two of you were friends, I was actually surprised, given how different your styles are. How did you meet in the first place?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
We first met at a drinking get-together for creators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
That’s right. And shortly after that, we did a joint presentation overseas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
Ever since that first encounter, we get together a few times a year and catch up over drinks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014How do you feel about each other’s games?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
My games never shut up. They’re loud and they verbalize everything, so there’s a ton of text. But your games, Ueda, are totally textless \u2013 everything is expressed through the visuals, and I really admire that. I always look at them and think, “Wow, that’s incredible and beautiful.” The execution is so elegant, and your whole approach to making games is just cool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
…Is it, really? (laughs) Making a game without text is actually very tough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Ueda:<\/strong> 
Something that could easily be explained in a single word instead has to be conveyed through gestures, graphics, 3D models, lighting, spatial design, and the level design itself. While I’m making these games, I’m always thinking, “The cost-effectiveness of this is terrible…” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
I imagine it\u2019s a design philosophy that inherently makes the development process much harder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
That being said, the game I’m working on right now actually has quite a bit of text in it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ueda’s new game, gen ATLAS 
genDESIGN’s official website<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
So you’ve broken free from that curse a bit? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
Of course, there are certain types of expression that can only be achieved without text. However, trying to convey all information to the player solely through in-game presentation is incredibly costly. Guidance or explanations that would take just a single line of text have to be entirely replaced by level design and staging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
That’s definitely true, especially when you’re trying to get a message across to a wide audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
I don’t intend to change the direction of my current game drastically. But this time around, I am incorporating more information conveyed through words than I have in the past. That said, my fundamental philosophy hasn’t changed. I\u2019d say it\u2019s really just a natural evolution of what I’ve been doing all along. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Ueda, what are your impressions of Suda’s games?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
Even though the direction of our games is totally different, I think we\u2019re aiming for similar things. Rather than falling back on standard tropes or conventions, we both have this urge to explore new forms of expression and possibilities. I think we’re alike in that sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
Maybe both your games and mine aim to broaden the audience of people who play video games. I\u2019d say we definitely share that desire to expand the possibilities of what video games can be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
I think so. Rather than drawing ideas solely from within the realm of games, I want to pull in elements from music, film, and other visual media, even things like music videos and fashion, to deliver something people haven’t seen before. I’m always looking around while thinking to myself, “I don\u2019t want to do predictable, cookie-cutter stuff. Aren’t there any newer ways to express this, or possibilities we haven’t tried?” You and I might be facing different directions, but we’re very alike in how we create through constant experimentation and searching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
Because you create on the same wavelength as artists of various mediums all over the world, I think you’re able to make games that resonate far beyond the standard gaming demographic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ueda:<\/strong> 
But isn’t that true for you as well? You also design your products hoping they’ll be recognized as a distinct part of culture, not just something to be covered in gaming magazines, but maybe even culture magazines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suda:<\/strong> 
That might be so, but even if our goals are the same, your games end up getting featured in cool magazines like BRUTUS and SWITCH, while mine probably end up in BUBKA or Jitsuwa Knuckles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Suda:<\/strong> 
I do like that in its own right, but the cultural direction is just a bit different. Still, I’ve always hoped that my games would reach non-gamer audiences. That’s why I was genuinely happy when Romeo Is a Dead Man got featured in an article in The New York Times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

https:\/\/t.co\/EIHTWgX77F<\/a><\/p>— SUDA51\/\u9808\u7530\u525b\u4e00 (@suda_51) February 20, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>