HOSHINO

Ishii-san, what did you think when you heard someone wanted to make a retail version of Cursor*10.

ISHII

I was like "oh wow." (laugh)

HOSHINO

What feeling is in that "oh wow"? (laugh)

ISHII

I was simply surprised to hear that and also I was a bit worried.

HOSHINO

Why were you worried?

ISHII

I didn't spend much time to develop Cursor*10. It was like a side job, so I was like "are you really sure? Is it worth it?"

HOSHINO

Wow, but Cursor*10 never seems like a side job.

WATANABE

That's right. It seems well-calculated.

HOSHINO

Yes, Cursor*10 was a perfect "new year greeting." (* Cursor*10 was released as a new year greeting game.) Ishii-san told me in the other interview that he was changing and adding ideas into the game all the time until he actually finished development. So, if you say making a game based on fixed ideas is a proper way of development, Ishii-san's way can be described as a side job.

ISHII

I don't have any special feelings toward Cursor*10.

HOSHINO

Didn't you think you made a good game even after you finished development?

ISHII

Not really. I just thought "good, I made it just in time." The game traces how you move the cursor and you cooperate with those traces. It's not such a brilliant idea.

HOSHINO

I remember you said that before. Yugo Nakamura-san had that idea too.

ISHII

To make the game more interesting, I placed Triangles in the levels and assigned some points to them.

HOSHINO

It was for replayability value, isn't it? Players first try to clear the game, and then they work hard to gain higher points for their record. They have to move the cursors differently to get all the Triangles. I've read many reviews saying that the idea was brilliant, but I guess Ishii-san does not care about it very much.

WATANABE

Ishii-san has many ideas and creates many games. He does not mind about what to do with each idea.

HOSHINO

Ishii-san, when you heard Watanabe-san wanted to make a retail version of Cursor*10, were you open to having him lead development?

ISHII

Yes. I was like "you'll be the director? Go ahead." It would be a different story though if someone asks me to work as a director.

HOSHINO

Do you have any title which you would not like someone else to work as a director?

ISHII

It's "Hoshisaga." Hoshisaga is my game. I would not let anyone else remake Hoshisaga unless I can get the position of the director.

HOSHINO

I see... Let me make it clear. Cursor*10's main element is the ideas and the rules. On the other hand, while Hoshisaga also has some interesting rules, it has stories and atomosphere in addition. Ishii-san, you think those stories and atomospheres are more important to you than ideas and rules, right?

ISHII

Ah...yes, maybe? I'm not sure, I've never thought like that. (laugh)

HOSHINO

I'm sorry if I'm misunderstanding, but it makes sense to me. I was excited by learning the idea and the game rules of Cursor*10 and so do the reviewers. The point is to add some meanings to such rules. If you say Curosor*10 is focusing on the game rules, then I can understand why Watanabe-san said it is a "cluster of posibilities." By the way, do you have any requests for Onore no Shinzuru Michi wo Yuke?

ISHII

Well...I don't have any particular requests, but I do look forward to seeing how it turns out as a retail game. I hope this game will reach as many people as possible. You know, this is a game, and games are there to entertain people.

(Interviewer: 0stage, HOSHINO Ken'ichi)

links
- NEKOGAMES
- NEKOGAMES : Cursor*10
- NEKOGAMES : Hoshisaga
- FromSoftware
- FromSoftware : Onore No Shinzuru Michi wo Yuke
- Silicon Studio
- okama
- 0stage interview : vol.1 ISHII Yoshio