HOSHINO

Do you play FLASH games?

ISHII

I do play FLASH games.

HOSHINO

Can you name the recent contents that you recommend or you like?
It's OK for not recent one.

ISHII

My recommend doesn't come to my mind immediately.

I didn't think that escaping games got such a popularity.

HOSHINO

Escaping games have been common after the release of "CRIMSON ROOM", haven't they?

ISHII

Yeah.

"What the heck of Takagi Toshimitsu created like this out now." (in a monotone voice & laughs)

HOSHINO

(laughs)

ISHII

Right after it was released, I thought the game itself was the same with the adventure game 20 years ago.
But it has gained a popularity as it established one category.

I wonder that I can develop an escaping game.(laughs)

HOSHINO

The category of escaping game was established by "CRIMSON ROOM",
but you seem to have frustrated about it somehow, don't you.(laughs)

ISHII

I don' like the category of escaping game, not "CRIMSON ROOM".(laughs)
It might limit a boundary.

I feel like, more varieties of adventure games could be developed.
Could be played in a larger place.
They are always enclosed.

HOSHINO

(laughs)
You mean, why they specify such a limited situation, and
the game could be an open adventure, not as a game limted to escaping.
I see. But we can't stop playing them, can we?
I also play the defensing game anyhow.
How about you? Do you play escaping games anyhow?

ISHII

I don't play escaping games very much.
Although, I can't stop buying them.
I actually bought "The escape from the locked room".(laughs)

HOSHINO

(laughs)
You are loving it as same with us, aren't you!
Have you completed it?

ISHII

Not yet.(laughs)
It's too difficult to complete.

HOSHINO

"Crimson room" will be also released for DS.
And there is mobile version, which I couldn't stop playing with registration.(laughs)
And the content was a little changed.
It was hard to press an enter button simultaneously with making a move for the cursor by the direction buttons.(laughs)

ISHII

It's like "Great Detective Sanma".(laughs)

HOSHINO

Oh, it's strange.
We should have talked about recommended webgames.(laughs)

ISHII

My recommend...

HOSHINO

How about your contents?
Including your business.

ISHII

I don't know why, but I don't feel like playing my games at all after releasing.

HOSHINO

They should have created for yourself at the beginning.(laughs)
How about your self-confident contents?

ISHII

Not any.

HOSHINO

You don't care after creating.(laughs)
Or, you feel satisfied by finishing your creations, don't you?
Don't you have an attachment to your creations?

ISHII

I have an attachment feeling but I don't want to see them which embarrass me.
Especially "HOSHI SAGA".
It's just embarrassing.

I feel that this is not cool.
It's not cool enough for their design, the pictures and some parts of the game structure.

HOSHINO

Really!
Do you think it could be better?

ISHII

I think it could be better and also embarrassing.

HOSHINO

You don't feel like fixing, do you?

ISHII

My energy won't stretch that far.

HOSHINO

(laughs)
I didn't think you got embarrassed by even "HOSHI SAGA"

ISHII

Especially "HOSHI SAGA" is embarrassing.

HOSHINO

Then, it must be torturous to choose your self-confident contents.(laughs)

ISHII

There are not much.
I say, just "xananeko".
Because I made that to meet my difficulty level and developed until I was fully satisfied.
That's why it became very difficult.
How far have you done for "xananeko"?

HOSHINO

How can I say how far.
I have climbed up pretty high, but I was caught between a rock and a hard place because of too much karma, and couldn't finish.

ISHII

Piled up karma makes you not letting in the lodging.

HOSHINO

Yeah, It shouldn't be.(laughs)
No way, or impossible.

ISHII

The beggining part is like a puzzle, you can't complete it if you missed even once.(laughs)
You need to consider the order to knock down.

HOSHINO

What? Do the enemies appear not randomly?

ISHII

They appear randomly.
They are random, but I have done too much adjustment for the balance...,
so it became difficult.(laughs)
It would be the game for selected players unless I made it gentle.

HOSHINO

But "xananeko" has richer walk-through pages.
Players who dare to do it play with effort.

ISHII

I made "xananeko2" very very easy.

HOSHINO

I should start from 2.(laughs)

Beside your favorite games, do you have favorite creators? Or, who draw your attention?

ISHII

...
No one. I am the best.(laughs)
It's not true. For example, Mr. Babara.
Everything he has created makes my points.

HOSHINO

Wow!
Those games like "my thick and long XXX" are wonderful.

ISHII

There is a shooting game like Star Force "uchuforce2" which Mr. Babara created.
It's incredable not so much for the game element as for the difficulty level.
Seems to be very easy.

Any other creators who develop games for free hardly lower the dfficulty level like this.

HOSHINO

(laughs)
We can play it for a long time and enjoy a lot, can't we.
We can play it at ease.
I understand you notice the difficulty adjustment.

How about "karugaru quest"("karugaru" measn easy or effortless in Japanese)?
Even though it's not made by Mr. Babara.

ISHII

That one was also great.
I felt frustrated.

HOSHINO

What kind of things do you respect(laughs) without limiting to games or web-sites?

ISHII

I don't have respecting things now.
When I was using Director for a long time ago, I have respected for
Mr. Toshimitsu Takagi.
I imitated all his expression.

As for web games, I should keep developing to stay competitive with
Mr. Takahirou.
Don't you think he is the one who develops most in Japan?

HOSHINO

You mean it not only the quality but also the quantity, don't you.
I see.

I think your contents have not only good quality but also strong appeals from ideas,
so your contents have the most "wow" factor.

ISHII

I guess only you think so.(laughs)

HOSHINO

I know my preference tends to be maniac.(laughs)

But "HOSHI SAGA" has appealed with those charms.
Because it has such a "wow" surprise for every stage, it was played not just in Japan even though it has Japanese signage.
Besides, you put those stages into one title.
You had wanted to pack 100 stages at first, didn't you?

ISHII

At first, I had wondered to apply for OCN games & retro games Flash game contest
with 100 stages put together.

I had made 10 stages, but I couldn't make it in time at all.

HOSHINO

Wow, if you had applied, the winner would have been different.(laughs)
For me, it's too good for 35 stages.
Smaller number may deserve to release.
Like 10 titles with 10 stages each.

But it's no big deal for Mr. Ishii to bring them into one.

ISHII

I wanted to bring 10x10 at first, but it ended up with 6x6, though.
It's something great if you made 100. Don't you think so?
I personally feel it's great.

HOSHINO

It's a big deal.

ISHII

I don't care about the quality.
I say that it's great to create 100.(laughs)

HOSHINO

(laughs)
I think the number of 36 made us feel comfortable to play with,
so you have done a right decision to split those stages though.
I think trilogy worked out as a result.

ISHII

I wanted to create 100 for "HOSHI SAGA",
but I could hardly come up ideas more than 40.
Even though I didn't want to leave them aside,
I released 6x6 stages as the number was nice round.

Then, it had an unexpectedly good reputation after releasing,
so I developed "HOSHI SAGA 2" in a rush.
"HOSHI SAGA 2" was developed in a short time with my spirit uplifted.

HOSHINO

You have come up 40 ideas for "HOSHI SAGA", which means only 5 or 6 ideas were left when you started for "HOSHI SAGA 2".
So about 30 ideas were brought after that. Right?
How come you flashed those ideas after once you ran out?

ISHII

Thd God of "HOSHI SAGA" descended to me.

HOSHINO

(laughs)

ISHII

Ideas has come like a fountain.

HOSHINO

I guess it was delivered from the joy that the game were played by everyone.

ISHII

Maybe so.
It was finished at once after I started developing.

HOSHINO

How do you think about "HOSHI SAGA 3"? (laughs)

ISHII

I am just losing my sprit for "HOSHI SAGA 3". (laughs)

HOSHINO

It's alright still. You have 3 months until July. (laughs)

ISHII

I can't make it in 3 months.
I had released "HOSHI SAGA 2" in September, and I had a plan to develop next one in 3 months till December,
but I haven't done anything.

HOSHINO

That's because you actually did nothing. (laughs)

ISHII

No, I had a picture in my mind.
I thought it's a good picture. (laughs)
But I didn't feel like developing after finishing it up in my mind.

HOSHINO

As one player, I will wait until you feel like developing
It's OK for Christmas, not for Tanabata.
Even next year's Christmas is OK.

I am expecting to have a content packed with full of "wow" factors.
I hope you can offer such experiences for users from now on.
Well then, thank you for your time today.

(Interviewer: 0stage, HOSHINO Ken'ichi)

Links
- FASCO-CS "CRIMSON ROOM"
- "crimson room" for DS
- "crimson room" for mobile
- "The escape from the locked room"
- Wikipedia "Great Detective Sanma"
- "OCN x retro games & Flash game contest"
- TAKAGISM
- SKT
- BABARAGEO
- BABARAGEO "my thick and long XXX"
- BABARAGEO "uchu force 2"
- shiftup net "karugaru quest"
- NEKOGAMES : "HOSHI SAGA"
- NEKOGAMES : "HOSHI SAGA 2"
- NEKOGAMES : "xananeko"
- NEKOGAMES : "xananeko 2"
- I'm spare "xananeko easy walk-through"
- NEKOGAMES
- NEKOGAMES.COM

Buy at Amazon
- DS "crimson room"
- novel "crimson room"
- PSP "The escape from locked room"