GungHo president feels Japanese developers “need to go back to basics”

By Stephany Nunneley

GungHo Online Entertainment president Kazuki Morishita feels Japanese developers “need to go back to basics” and remember why they “make games in the first place.”

Speaking in an interview with Gamasutra (via Gamespot), Morishita feels such renewed attitude towards making games would help boost confidence and give Japanese developers more attention in the west.

“Let’s say that Japanese games are in their darkest times right now, there’s no way to go but up, if that’s the case,” he said. “In terms of making games, I think Japanese developers need to go back to basics about why they make games in the first place, which is to make good games. At GungHo, that’s what we do.

“We think about games and come up with good ideas and do our best to make it as best as possible, and all we’ll do is keep doing that. Sooner or later, that’ll pay off.

“We also take on outsourcing as well, and awhile back we worked on a Nintendo title, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Which as you know sold 10 million worldwide, and it was a big hit. When we were able to work with Nintendo, that’s when we realized what Nintendo does best is make good games as well, and that’s something we’d like to do as well, with GungHo’s titles.”

GungHO recently purchased Suda 51’s Grasshopper Manufacture, which the developer said will allow him to focus more on the creative side of development, granting him “complete creative freedom.”

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