{"id":71930,"date":"2026-09-04T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=71930"},"modified":"2026-09-04T10:16:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T01:16:42","slug":"why-was-beloved-macross-rhythm-game-uta-macross-able-to-make-a-comeback-former-square-enix-producer-kei-hirono-talks-about-the-challenge-of-preserving-live-service-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/interviews\/why-was-beloved-macross-rhythm-game-uta-macross-able-to-make-a-comeback-former-square-enix-producer-kei-hirono-talks-about-the-challenge-of-preserving-live-service-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Why was beloved Macross rhythm game Uta Macross able to make a comeback? Former Square Enix producer Kei Hirono talks about the challenge of preserving live-service games"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AUGUST recently <a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/defunct-macross-rhythm-game-uta-macross-is-being-revived-as-an-offline-one-time-purchase-game-coming-to-steam-and-mobile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> the rhythm game <strong>Uta Macross<\/strong>, set to release for PC (<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/4508670\/UTA_MACROSS\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>), iOS, and Android. This upcoming title is an offline revival of &#8220;Uta Macross: Smartphone De-Culture.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Published by DeNA between 2017 and 2022, the original Uta Macross: Smartphone De-Culture was the first rhythm game in the legendary sci-fi Macross franchise, featuring 3D models of the anime&#8217;s various heroines singing and dancing as the player navigated rhythm gameplay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The game included tracks from titles ranging from The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, to Macross Plus, Macross 7, Macross Frontier, and Macross Delta. It was regarded highly for its live-performance scenes and polished 3D models, but to the disappointment of fans, it ended services in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u3010\u6b4c\u30de\u30af\u30ed\u30b9\u3011\u5fa9\u6d3b\u30d7\u30ed\u30b8\u30a7\u30af\u30c8 \u30c6\u30a3\u30b6\u30fcPV\uff5c\u30af\u30e9\u30a6\u30c9\u30d5\u30a1\u30f3\u30c7\u30a3\u30f3\u30b0\u5b9f\u65bd\u6c7a\u5b9a\uff01\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QxviZ-H0BOQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, this classic title is set to be revived as Uta Macross. The producer behind the project is Kei Hirono of AUGUST (hereafter Hirono), who previously worked as a game producer and executive officer at Square Enix. After spending approximately 12 years at the company, Hirono left Square Enix around summer 2025, but little was known about his activities since then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"veteran-producer-kei-hirono\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Veteran producer Kei Hirono<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500Could you introduce yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>My name is Kei Hirono, and I\u2019m the representative of AUGUST. I worked as a game producer at Bandai Namco for about 10 years, after which I joined Square Enix. I am currently independent and run my own company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500Could you tell us more about your career to date?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>Aspiring to work in the game industry, I joined Bandai right after graduating and was assigned to their video game division. From there, I basically spent my entire career working as a game producer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, Bandai was broadly divided into two teams: one that worked with publishers such as Shueisha and Shogakukan, and another that handled properties such as Gundam, Macross, and Evangelion. I was assigned to one of those teams as an assistant producer, where I was involved in all sorts of things, including development, promotion, sales, and even appearing on TV programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also produced Macross games back then. There was a title called Macross Ace Frontier that became a hit at the time. Thanks to that, the series expanded with new titles like Macross Ultimate Frontier and Macross Triangle Frontier. Eventually, that led to Macross 30: Voices Across the Galaxy, a title commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Macross franchise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500What titles did you work on at Square Enix?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>For starters, The Million Arthur series. I was heavily involved with the franchise. When I joined the company, the first production I worked on was Jitsuzai-Sei Million Arthur, a TV drama-variety series. I also supported and worked on various other titles behind the scenes, including projects involving expansion into the Chinese market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, I worked on Imperial SaGa, an all-star game that became the first PC browser game in the SaGa series, and I also launched Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My career at Square Enix was primarily built around free-to-play mobile games. I also produced War of the Visions: FFBE, a sister title to Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, handling everything from planning and development through to promotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500I believe you also served as an executive officer at Square Enix.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>Yes, as I progressed in my career, I gradually started looking at things from a broader perspective, and I suppose that eventually led to me becoming involved as an executive officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When my role became more management-heavy, I started handing over free-to-play mobile games to my colleagues, while simultaneously focusing considerable effort into another area \u2013 console games, or what you might call traditional, one-time-purchase games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My department also handled the management of certain Steam titles, and I was involved in launching the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series from the very beginning. That was also a hit, which made me very happy considering we had been extremely committed to preserving the spirit of the originals. During that time, I was quietly involved in the remaster of ActRaiser as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I feel like I was given the opportunity to take on all sorts of challenges, including indie-style projects like Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. After building up a diverse range of experience, I left Square Enix around summer 2025 and founded my own company AUGUST, and that&#8217;s where I am today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500I was a little surprised to learn that you&#8217;d left Square Enix so quietly.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>The reason I didn&#8217;t make a big public announcement about leaving Square Enix was that I didn&#8217;t want to have any undue impact on ongoing live-service titles. I had already properly handed over my responsibilities to the respective teams, so I felt it wouldn&#8217;t be good if my departure were interpreted negatively. Since I can&#8217;t control what people think, I decided not to reveal things immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For me personally, it wasn&#8217;t like I had meticulously laid out my future before leaving. I think I&#8217;d reached a point where I thought, \u201cMaybe this is the right time to draw a line.\u201d So, if anything, it was more a matter of leaving the company first and then preparing various things afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also felt that it would be strange to put out information about my company alone without any actual content ready to be released. That&#8217;s why I&#8217;m very happy that, thanks to various opportunities, we were finally able to announce the Uta Macross revival project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500So the time had finally come to make the announcement. I imagine many people have been curious about what a well-known game producer like yourself has been doing. What have you been up to since leaving Square Enix?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>Since leaving Square Enix, I&#8217;ve been assisting various companies. Right now, the Uta Macross project is by far the biggest thing I&#8217;m working on, so I&#8217;m focusing on that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"why-was-uta-macross-able-to-make-a-comeback\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why was Uta Macross able to make a comeback?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1635\" height=\"910\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1635px) 100vw, 1635px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-71932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-001.jpg 1635w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-001-380x211.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-001-768x427.jpg 768w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-001-1536x855.jpg 1536w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500To start with, what kind of game is Uta Macross?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>Uta Macross is what you&#8217;d call a rhythm game. The basic gameplay involves tapping or pressing buttons in rhythm with the music as &#8220;notes&#8221; flow across the screen, which builds up your score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the biggest selling points of the game is the meticulous attention to detail in the live performance scenes. The staff who created them are incredibly knowledgeable about Macross and are full of love for the franchise and its characters. All of that passion was poured into creating the live scenes, and I think it&#8217;s one of the most beloved aspects of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back when the game was originally being developed and published, DeNA essentially ran it as a free-to-play mobile game. This time, as a revival project, we&#8217;re taking it offline and self-publishing it. We&#8217;re carefully preserving what was good about the original while streamlining the game into a simple, one-time-purchase offline title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since it was originally developed as a live-service game, Uta Macross had an enormous number of mechanics, including progression systems and various events designed to keep players coming back over a long period of time. The game was operated for nearly five years, so the amount of content that accumulated over that period is truly immense. Obviously, we couldn&#8217;t include everything this time around, so we&#8217;ve designed the game by carefully selecting which content to retain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500What prompted you to bring Uta Macross back as an offline game?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>Having been involved with free-to-play games and personally in charge of live operations for a long time, I\u2019ve been aware of the issue that nothing remains in the players&#8217; hands after services end. I&#8217;ve spent a lot of time thinking about how we can preserve games and ensure they remain with players even after they&#8217;re discontinued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the initiatives I conceived while at Square Enix was an app called FFBE Digital Ultimania, which encompasses the entire world of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Originally, I actually wanted to make it into a book, but the amount of material would have been equivalent to about three tomes&#8217; worth of Ultimania guidebooks. We also thought an app would be a better fit for a live-service title, so that&#8217;s the direction we ended up taking. In that sense, I&#8217;ve wanted for a long time to find ways to leave free-to-play mobile games in players&#8217; hands even after their services end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The design of a free-to-play game is completely different from that of a premium console title, so you have to think very carefully about things like the gameplay and game loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a live-service RPG, you&#8217;d basically have to rebuild the entire thing from scratch. But with Uta Macross, the rhythm-game portion was already a complete experience, with progression and other elements layered on top of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s why I thought that if we separated those two aspects, the rhythm-game portion could stand on its own as an enjoyable experience, while the huge amount of additional content could be turned into collection-based gameplay, creating an effective game loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1636\" height=\"913\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1636px) 100vw, 1636px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-002.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-71933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-002.jpg 1636w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-002-380x212.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-002-768x429.jpg 768w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-002-1536x857.jpg 1536w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500I see, if the progression elements had been integrated into the core game mechanics, it would have been difficult to extract them, but that wasn\u2019t the case with Uta Macross.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>Exactly. With rhythm games, the desire to tap accurately, get a &#8220;Perfect&#8221; note, or achieve a high score ultimately comes down to player skill, meaning it&#8217;s a battle against oneself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, in RPGs, it&#8217;s less about competing against yourself and more like a battle between you and the creators within the framework of the content itself. In that regard, I think rhythm games make it easier to sit down and play by yourself at your own pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were more than 1,000 illustrations in Uta Macross that were originally there as part of the progression system, and just collecting them was a game in itself. What&#8217;s more, these illustrations were created exclusively for this game, which means that, in a sense, they became inaccessible after services ended. Not to mention that there hasn&#8217;t been much merchandise of the game produced either. They&#8217;re all really wonderful illustrations, so I think fans will be happy to see them come back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500How have you translated the fun and sense of \u201cmotivation\u201d that came from progression in the live-service game into an offline format?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>Rather than making the game about overcoming something or making choices to unlock the next thing, we&#8217;ve made it a game where you can freely enjoy your favorite songs, characters, outfits, and illustrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back during the days of the original Uta Macross, players would apparently often share gameplay videos with each other to show off what their game looked like. I feel that customizing things according to your own preferences and then playing the game that way is part of the fun in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500I imagine reviving a once terminated live-service game from another company must require a tremendous amount of effort. What made you want to take on this project in the first place?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>It all started when I was talking with Big West, who owns the rights to the Macross franchise, and the topic of Uta Macross came up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Uta Macross was an excellent game, and I think we all felt a lingering sense of loss over it disappearing, along with a desire to play it again one day. I think fans in particular kept feeling that something needed to be done about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I myself had worked on Macross games in the past, but when Uta Macross ended services, I was simply disappointed as a fan. But the passion of the Uta Macross player base was incredible. For example, the number of views on Uta Macross videos on YouTube had continued to grow, and we consistently saw people on social media calling for the game to return. Amid all this, a group of volunteers with connections to Uta Macross came together to explore the possibility of bringing the game back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, with me taking the helm, we decided to launch the Uta Macross revival project together with development members of the original game, as well as people who had simply enjoyed it as fans. From there, with Big West&#8217;s cooperation, we began fleshing out the project into something concrete. Thanks to DeNA\u2019s strong support and cooperation, we reached a point where we were ready to make an announcement and are now heading towards launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"UTA MACROSS SUPER DIMENSION 3D LIVE TOUR 2021 #AIR MACROSS F \/ \u6b4c\u30de\u30af\u30ed\u30b9 \u8d85\u6642\u7a7a 3D LIVE TOUR 2021 #\u30a8\u30a2\u30de\u30af\u30ed\u30b9F\u200b\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ltcd1B8WyTM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Uta Macross&#8217;s performances continue to enjoy enduring popularity<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500I understand the original live-service Uta Macross was developed by xeen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>Yes, we&#8217;ve asked xeen to handle development of this new offline version as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"gaining-supporters-through-crowdfunding\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gaining supporters through crowdfunding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500What platforms will Uta Macross be available on?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>We&#8217;re planning to release it on three platforms: PC (Steam), as well as iOS and Android, where the original game was available. We&#8217;re also planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign before release. While it will depend on the level of support we receive through crowdfunding, we&#8217;d like to expand the number of platforms as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500Are you optimizing the game for PC?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>Yes, that&#8217;s something we&#8217;ve been paying close attention to during development. The game will properly run at Full HD resolution, so I think you&#8217;ll be able to enjoy it. We ran some tests, and the quality holds up well even when connected to a 50-inch 4K TV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A major factor is that the original game was very well made to begin with. The quality of the models is also quite high. They were made with a great deal of care and attention to detail, so I think they still hold up in today&#8217;s environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;re also working on keyboard support for PC. Naturally, we&#8217;ve customized the controls so that things that were originally played by tapping can also be controlled with buttons. For example, the original game had &#8220;tap-and-slide&#8221; notes. On PC, we&#8217;ve basically removed that mechanic and changed it to &#8220;press-and-release&#8221;-style notes. That said, since the game will also be played in conjunction with a mouse, I think it would be difficult to make it completely keyboard-only at the initial stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1631\" height=\"913\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1631px) 100vw, 1631px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-003.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-71934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-003.jpg 1631w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-003-380x213.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-003-768x430.jpg 768w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260904-71930-003-1536x860.jpg 1536w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500Could you tell us what you&#8217;d like to accomplish through the crowdfunding campaign, as well as the target amount?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>Since \u201crevival\u201d is the main theme of this project, we&#8217;ve set a goal of 30 million yen (approximately $190k) as the first step toward properly communicating that goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With this crowdfunding campaign, we&#8217;ll be providing rewards, including merchandise, depending on the support tier. For players who enjoyed Uta Macross in the past and wished they could get merch, we&#8217;d like them to take this opportunity to get their hands on some. Also, we will not be cancelling this release if we happen to not reach the 30 million yen target. That said, I do believe we&#8217;ll receive plenty of support from fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500Will you be adding stretch goals for extra features such as additional language support or new songs?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>Yes, we do plan on setting up stretch goals. We&#8217;d like to prepare goals that allow us to upgrade various aspects of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500On that note, you&#8217;ve mentioned that you&#8217;re eyeing a global release. What language will be supported?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>At launch, the game will support Japanese and English. We&#8217;d like to add other languages as well, but that will depend on the results of the crowdfunding campaign. For now, the initial release will only be in Japan. However, I imagine there will be people in Japan who want to play the game in English, so we&#8217;d like to increase the number of supported languages with that in mind as well. Eventually, we hope to make the game playable across various languages and platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500I imagine the Macross series also has many fans in the Chinese-speaking world. Are you considering a Simplified Chinese localization at this point?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>We really want to add support for Simplified Chinese, and we&#8217;ve already gotten a rough idea of what the costs would entail. We can&#8217;t say anything definitive at this point because it will also depend on the crowdfunding campaign, but if people support us, I think that would help push forward a Simplified Chinese localization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"licensing-circumstances-and-deciding-what-content-makes-it-into-the-new-release\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Licensing circumstances and deciding what content makes it into the new release<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500The new Uta Macross will come with 50 songs, while the original game offered more than 140 songs, including arranged versions. Why has the number of songs been reduced?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>If we were to include all of the songs exactly as they were when the original game ended services, the retail price would have to be quite high because of the rights associated with the songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s why, while the initial number of songs will be smaller than what was available in the original Uta Macross, we want to make this an accessibly priced entry point that allows people to experience Macross for the first time while also looking ahead to various future possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s why we&#8217;ve decided to offer the game as a main package supplemented with additional DLC. The base game is planned to include around 50 songs. We determined this number by looking at examples from other companies and aiming for a volume that feels substantial enough to stand on its own as a complete rhythm game. As for the rest of the songs that were available in the live-service version, we&#8217;ll offer them as additional DLC. If you collect all of the DLC, you&#8217;ll be able to play almost all of the songs that were available in the original game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;re also planning to release some of the outfits and plates as DLC. When it comes to outfits, you&#8217;ll be able to enjoy all of the costumes that were available at the time of Uta Macross\u2019s end-of-services through the base game and DLC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500Finally, could you give a message to global users who are looking forward to the return of Uta Macross?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hirono:<\/strong><br>We aren&#8217;t able to launch Uta Macross simultaneously worldwide this time, but we&#8217;re very aware that there are passionate Macross fans all around the world, and we&#8217;d also like to ask for their support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To help us bring Uta Macross to people around the world, we&#8217;d really appreciate it if you could help spread the word, even if it&#8217;s simply by sharing information about the project. Your support would mean a great deal to us. Thank you so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2500I look forward to the release. Thank you for your time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uta.macross.site\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Uta Macross<\/a>\u00a0is scheduled to launch in Spring 2027 for PC (<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/4508670\/?utm_source=automaton-media.com_en&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=article-71827\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>), iOS and Android. The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/camp-fire.jp\/projects\/951391\/view\">crowdfunding campaign<\/a>\u00a0will begin on September 10 at 20:00 JST.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Interview with AUGUST representative and Uta Macross producer Kei Hirono.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":71931,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[],"autoblue_post_url":"","autoblue_publish_document":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":7}},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why was beloved Macross rhythm game Uta Macross able to make a comeback? 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