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It’s been a busy year already for HOLOSTARS English Vtuber Machina X Flayon, member of the Tempus unit. After participating in the Street Fighter 6 Sajam Slam and Holo Fes 2025, and following his second anniversary with Cover, Siliconera caught up with him again to talk about the event, streaming, performing, and singing.

Jenni Lada: Congrats on making it into the Street Fighter 6 International Championship! What led to you taking part, and how did you prepare for it?

Machina x Flayon: Yo! Machina X Flayon here, Ace Mecha Pilot of the R-TRUS for HOLOSTARS English. Thanks for having me! I actually got to take part in the championship because of the latest Sajam Slam held by Sajam himself! I’ve known about the Slam for a while and actually was trying to the previous one (the second to last slam) but couldn’t make it in time. So this time I was able to get in and it was a huge blast!

I would say that most of the preparation came from taking part in the Slam itself since I was a part of Team Nephew. I’ve always had trouble using Drive Rush in Street Fighter 6 before, but through coaching with Nephew I was able to understand the mechanic more and it made getting better at Street Fighter 6 a whooole lot easier. That and I would say being able to hold viewer-matches with my fans + anyone who stops by for my fighting game streams. I like leaving the streams open so anyone of all skill can come in, and when it’s public like that you’ll get lots of strong competitors to help toughen you up!

So you ended up going with Luke. What led you to picking him as your main?

Machina x Flayon: When I originally played Street Fighter back on the arcades, I think I mained Ken, but something didn’t click until I played Street Fighter 5 on stream around my first year! There was an abundance of characters by that point so I didn’t know exactly who to play and I just kept going through the list till I came across Luke. People would always have a reaction when he showed up on stream, so I got curious and playing the guy just felt great! He’s a Shoto-type character so he has tools for almost every situation, but none really too powerful. But, I think what really cemented it was going through his Arcade story in Street Fighter 5 and 6. 

Luke as a character was just essentially your average boy growing up with dreams, but never couldn’t really connect with his father until after his dad showed his true heroic colors trying to stop a terrorist attack. So when that happens, Luke’s childhood was kind of changed forever and it set him on the path where his character is today. I think that type of character doesn’t have a backstory that is too complex, but has enough substance that it just hits home!

What are your thoughts on your match with Frodan?

Machina x Flayon: My match with Frodan was a bit scary because the nerves come for you out of nowhere and I was against Frodan too! During the Slam, I could take some rounds off him, but he definitely did the same back and he adapts during the fight or pretty much every fight. It was definitely fun though since when you fight Frodan, you won’t be able to pull off the same thing twice in a row, he will adapt to it and instantly prepare counters for it for next time! I’d love to fight him again too because he messaged me after and could tell I was a bit nervous. That guy is honestly so much fun to fight but also such a sweet guy too! I WANNA RUN IT BACCKKK.

You also took part in Holo Expo 2025! How did the event go? What’s it like being part of the convention, and how did this year’s experience differ considering you’re now established within Cover? 

Machina x Flayon: It’s always fun to be on the big screen especially at the Holo Expo since you know our fans will be there! When you’re doing a streaming job everyday, it’s quite easy to get used to how everything goes and feel all that you’re getting. But at the same time, you’re only seeing it verbally most of the time, so when you get to go to any convention, you’ll feel the love more there because you can associate a face + voice with all that love too so it hits much harder.

This year’s experience went great and the more you do it ,the more confident you will be and it’s honestly fun to see where you can improve.

HoloExpo is held in Japan though, so I’d love to take some time off and improve my Japanese skills so I can speak in complete Japanese for the con itself! I know a lot of my Japanese fans are there and not everyone understands English and mine personally can be really hard to keep track of! So I want to adapt for them.

In addition to Street Fighter 6, you’ve streamed a lot of other fighting games like Tekken 8, Melty Blood, and Idol Showdown. What do you look for when you’re picking up a fighting game?

Machina x Flayon: Haha, to be honest? For some reason ever since Blazblue, I’m always looking for a Story Mode. Blazblue is a particular fighter where not only is it an awesome fighting game, but the story mode itself is usually in Visual Novel format with more detail than you’d think. 

Because I’m already having a lot of fun with the gameplay and the general grind when it comes to learning fighting game characters, I’d love to associate a story or character with that same emotion!

For gameplay mechanics though, I love air grabs, general mobility, mix up options and just a lot of defensive utility!

You’ve really been representing when it comes to visual novels and Type-Moon games. Will we get to see a Fate/stay Night or Witch on the Holy Night run from you? Or, I mean, if permissions don’t allow, want to just let us all know your thoughts on one or both of them?

Machina x Flayon: I’d love to do those and thank you so much! It’s been a bit since I’ve played one on stream, but it’s mainly because I’ve been busy dealing with lots of stuff in the background. Plus, when I play a VN and even stream one I end up going for 3+ hours and honestly an average of 6 hours per stream or even longer. That’s with also voice acting almost every character or dialogue/narration I come across which can be really hefty! There is also, of course, the fact that not everyone is into visual novels so streaming wise you’ll always have that in the back of your mind. BUT even with that it’s an absolute joy to stream visual novels because I’m completely in my element! I don’t need to act a certain way or say something, I can just go with confidence and talk about what I love and it will translate for me.

But Fate/stay Night and Witch on the Holy Night? Definitely! I’ll just finish Arcueid’s route in Tsukihime first! ^ A ^ Then I’ll do those one after another and it’s not fully visual novel but I’d also love to touch Fate/Extra! My heart will always go to Tsukihime first and foremost though; that’s my beloved.

I saw you picked up the Code Geass HD Gawain model kit! What made you decide to go with a build from that series?

Machina x Flayon: Code Geass in general is just an extremely enjoyable series to watch and it has lots of appeal and honestly quite easy to pick up. It has some anime brand appeal so it can grab the attention of people more than your average mecha.

I went with that for the same reason I do with visual novels! I know the series extremely well and have watched it at the very least of 15 times so I know the characters and can yap about them at the slightest mention. I also use these yapping sessions to try to get people to watch Code Geass too and then I can talk about it with people and share my love/ion for the things I enjoy with everyone!

If I am able to do more model kit builds in the future also, I would want to watch the entirety of the series of it first! So if I were to build a modelkit from Gundam SEED, I would go rewatch/refresh my memory/watch the whole thing just so I can talk about it with people that know the series!

You’ve got a fair number of covers under your belt and also sang on songs like “Dead World” and “Flex.” Do you have plans for any more covers or original songs coming up?

Machina x Flayon: I do have more plans and actually I’ve been dealing with a lot of that in the background! An original song is on my to-do list, but for the very first one I think it has to be very specific and I would like to have a certain appeal or message. Theme even! After I iron that out though I’d love to do more originals more often!

I have some songs I want to cover too that I’m getting done and already have a lot recorded! Now it’s just waiting time for everything else to come altogether. After I’ve covered like 4-5 more though I’d love to just focus on originals or short form covers for YouTube Shorts. 

Now that you’ve been with Cover for two years, what kinds of goals do you have for 2025?

Machina x Flayon: My goal just centers around doing what I want to do or rather focusing on my dreams and ambitions for my stay here! But also taking a good look at that and seeing which of that is feasible with my current array of skills and what I’d need to do to match that. 

So it’s a lot of projects being moved around and honestly even streaming less here and there just so I can take the pressure off and really just focus on improving where I want to!
Streaming is super fun but also it is always socializing and it’s hard for me to focus on that while also focusing on myself!

So goal wise? Just take a step back and plan more for things that I want! I can plan usually pretty well, but some events might need months worth of planning and I can’t put unneeded pressure on myself.

Machina X Flayon is part of HOLOSTARS English Tempus and streams on YouTube, and you can follow him on social media.

The post Interview: HOLOSTARS Vtuber Machina X Flayon on Street Fighter 6 and Streaming appeared first on Siliconera.

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is coming back, giving us a chance to once again start a new life in Zephyr town and balance farming and selling. It’s been quite some time since it debuted on the DS as Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar, and already a number of changes like new romance options and a glider appear. Siliconera spoke with Story of Seasons Manager Hikaru Nakano to learn more about what went into preparing this latest remake.

Jenni Lada: What Made you decide to return to Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar? 

Hikaru Nakano: Out of all of the titles in the Story of Seasons series, Grand Bazaar is one that is particularly characteristic or unique in the content that it has in the game. It’s also one that we think is quite easy to play as well. So it’s easy to pick up and enjoy for players. Those are the reasons that we decided to choose this title. 

But, looking at it from a wider lens, from the perspective of the player walking through the town and [by] the townsfolk, understanding their environment, and also interacting with animals, this was a title that we thought was good in those aspects in particular. So in our goal to make an easy to play and enjoyable experience for players that they can enjoy for a long time, we decided to go with Grand Bazaar.

Given this entry originally appeared on the Nintendo DS as Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar, what challenges did you encounter when preparing Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar for new platforms like the Switch and PC? 

Nakano: Yes, we did face various difficulties when bringing the title from the DS to these modern Switch and PC platforms as well. In particular, all of the art and graphics on the DS were in 2D, so we actually recreated everything from the ground up for this title. It was completely remade graphically. 

One example to dive into there is not just the art, but even animations for the various, like their eyes, their mouths, and that type of thing. The ways and styles of doing that back in the DS era were a lot, let’s say simpler, than they are in the modern area just because of the limitations of the time. Now we have the ability to create a lot more detail in those kinds of animations and expressions. So we took great efforts into making sure that the expressions of characters were more detailed and filled with feelings so that we could create a more immersive experience for the player in the modern era.

What kind of quality-of-life adjustments did you come up with when creating this new version of Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar for modern platforms?

Nakano: There really are so many improvements that we have made that it is difficult to talk about all of them, but maybe one example that I can bring up as a representative is the way that we handle animals now. So first, I want to talk about maybe the graphical improvements with some of the animals and the gameplay as well. 

We wanted to make the player feel closer to their animals as they raise them and help build relationships between them. We put a lot of effort into the way that the animals, the livestock and pets, will react to you when you interact with them. Whether it’s like petting them, brushing them, or milking them. There are a lot of animations and interactions between the player and the animals in that way. 

But specifically with quality-of-life stuff, an example that I can give is in the original Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, you had to push them or corral them yourself to get them to go outside for the day. But now you can employ your pets, your dogs and your cats, to herd the livestock, the cows and the chickens, outside so that they’ll go graze in the pasture on their own. 

There are many examples like that [where] we endeavored to decrease the stress for the player and improve the gameplay experience. 

There’s one more related to animals that I thought of that I wanted to share as well. You may recall from that older era of Story of Seasons games that oftentimes you would need to, in other titles, put only the amount of feed that the animal would eat in the feeder each day. So you would have to put the feed out for them every single day. In the original Grand Bazaar, one thing that we thought was very good and was a quality-of-life [feature] at the time too was that that you could put feed in for multiple days at once so you didn’t have to add the feed for the animal every day. So in that way, there are also things that we kept from the original title that we think were good for the time too.

I noticed one of those gameplay elements that you kept is that there is still no shipping bin in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar. What made you decide to maintain that decision and not bring the shipping bin box. 

Nakano: I mentioned at the beginning of our talk that Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is, among other things, quite unique and characteristic in some ways. Building on that, all of the titles you play as this farmer and you raise your cows and your chickens, you harvest your milk and your eggs, or perhaps you go to the field and you harvest your vegetables, or you go to your tree and you harvest your fruit. That is something that is shared, but what is unique about this title is that once per week you gather up all the things that you have produced and you bring them to the bazaar and then you interact with your customer directly to sell them and turn all of your hard work into your earnings that you can then use going forward. 

We did actually consider adding the shipping box during development to this title as well, but we decided instead, that it would be best to maximize  what is the unique point of this title. You know, we put a lot of work into making the bazaar very fun for our players, and we definitely want them to experience that aspect of the game to the fullest. Because of that, we decided not to add this.

In the original Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar, you were able to experience cooperative multiplayer with other players and they could see your farm, so is it still possible to have that online or multiplayer experience in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar?

Nakano: There is no multiplayer in this version of Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar.

Is multiplayer something that you would perhaps explore in future Story of Seasons games?

Nakano: Essentially, yes, I would like to consider that kind of multiplayer again in the future, but with the caveat that we do want to make sure that it is chosen for the correct game and implemented in the right way so that it is a good and fun experience for the players. 

There are certain games that are fun as single-player games, and certain games that are more fun as multiplayer games. We would like to consider the possibility of multiplayer on a title-by-title basis. It might be a little more complicated with the caveats that I just mentioned, but in essence yes. I would like to consider it for the future and would love to see how we can make that happen. 

When it comes to romance and marriage elements, in the demo it seemed like there were no restrictions. So no matter what kind of character you play, you can romance everybody in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar?

Nakano: Yes, that is correct. That is something that we have implemented in our past few titles, like [Story of Seasons: Pioneers of] Olive Town. The way it works is that no matter the players’ characters’ gender, they are free to choose [whichever] marriage candidate that they would like. We don’t want our players to have to worry about that kind of thing when they are enjoying the romance in our games. 

Arata is one of the new romance options in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar. How did you come up with his personality and what made you decide to make a connection between him and Samir? 

Nakano: From the planning stages [when] creating this game, we knew that we wanted to add new marriage candidates. The way that we looked at it was looking at the current cast, as well as the setting of Zephyr Town. What kinds of characters would increase the overall appeal of the cast, as well as fit in well and exemplify the world of Zephyr Town. You know, with the connection with Samir, he is a student studying from abroad. So we knew that we wanted to create some kind of connection there to further build out the world of Zephyr town and make it feel more robust and alive. 

As far as the kind of characterization that Arata has, he’s got, compared to the other characters, more of like a wild side. When I say wild side, I don’t mean crazy. I mean like outdoorsy. We also added like a mountain area in this game as well. So we thought Arata’s outdoorsy side would fit with that kind of setting too. 

Overall, we look at the whole picture and think of what will further exemplify the world and what will make the whole cast shine.

Likewise, when creating Diana, what was the inspiration for her and how did you decide to make her tied to the Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar bazaar?

Nakano: To explain her case, I actually need to talk a little bit about the original Grand Bazaar game. So in that game, just as in this one, the bazaar starts very small and it’s run down. You work to make it bigger and prosper, and grow the bazaar. However, in that older game there really isn’t a reason or explanation for that. There are no cutscenes. There’s basically not a real story surrounding it, and that’s something that we wanted to add and improve upon in this title as well. 

So we knew that we wanted to create the story around the bazaar, and one way that we’re doing that is improving upon Felix’s character and his motivations too, drawing out his emotions as well. He has motivations to [build] the bazaar too, but we couldn’t do it with just him. We also needed to have this other organization that would be pushing the story along too, so it wasn’t just Felix as well. Putting [in] a character that could be like the face of that committee makes it more relatable.

We thought that it would be great to add a marriage candidate as the person that was involved with that committee so that we could better tell the story, then tell the story of the marriage candidate within that committee as well.

In the original Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar, you were only able to have one child, and the child had a default look to them. In Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, will it be possible to have more than one child? Will they be able to look like you and your partner? 

Nakano: I believe that it is only one child in this title as well. However, the appearance is affected both by the appearance of the player character’s avatar, as well as the partner. That’s something that we’ve been doing in [Story of Seasons: Pioneers of] Olive Town and A Wonderful Life as well. We try to take in some elements of both of the parents.

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar will come to the Nintendo Switch and PC on August 27, 2025. 

The post Interview: Preparing Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar appeared first on Siliconera.

It’s been a while since there’s been a Rune Factory spin-off game, but Marvelous is bringing that idea back with Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma. This installment features a new setting, new gameplay elements, and a whole new region that feels inspired by Asian cultures. To learn more about what to expect from this installment, Siliconera spoke to Producer Fujii Hisashi about Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, its development, its world, its characters, and what it’s like to romance a love interest and have children.

So when did development on Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma begin? 

Hisashi Fujii: Development started in September 2021.

How did the different regions and cultures in Japan help shape depictions of the regions in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma? 

Fujii: Specific examples aren’t coming to mind, but there are, of course, areas in the game that were inspired by specific areas in Japan. And, I’m sorry, just to help clarify, while there’s undoubtedly influence from Japan, it’s not intended to be Japan. It has a lot of Asian influences. It isn’t meant to be one-to-one with Japan. 

In the case of the monsters, how did you ensure that the new ones would fit in with the new region while still blending in with existing Rune Factory monsters from past games that make an appearance here? 

Fujii: Regarding the monsters that are new to the game, many of them were inspired by classic yokai from Japanese folklore, such as the kappa and the karasu tengu, the crow tengu. And so that’s kind of where the inspiration for the new monsters came from. 

Are there any regional variants of returning monsters? Like, is there a new version of the Buffamoo based on the new locations in the game and the new seasons? Or is there just one type of Buffamoo, one type of Wooly, and that kind of thing.

Fujii: It’s a mixture of both. There are monsters in the game, such as the Woolys, that are, essentially, globally the same between Azuma and the world of the previous Rune Factory games, and then there are some monsters that have slight variations based on being in Azuma, such as color variations or slight appearance variations.  

In Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, there’s a really big city management and building element. How did you come up with that idea? What kinds of challenges did you face when implementing that and keeping it balanced with all the other farming and fighting elements? 

Fujii: Regarding the village building elements in the game, a core theme in the Rune Factory series is the idea of the Earthmate using their power to restore the Earth. And a big part of that, and part of the reason why we created this feature, is because we wanted a part of that to be not just restoring the Earth, but restoring the villages that the characters live in. Also to give players the ability to restore them as they see fit or to customzie them to their liking. So that was the impetus for creating the feature.

A number of the bachelors and bachelorettes of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma are gods and goddesses. How did mythology shape their specific designs, abilities, and personalities? 

Fujii: There are marriage candidates who were inspired by existing Japanese myths and gods, but that’s really not all there is to it. There’s really a lot of influence in various elements of their design. To give one specific example, the god of summer Matsuri. Her outfits are inspired by traditional Okinawan outfits, and her motif is the Okinawan hibiscus flower.

In the Rune Factory series, there are always a lot of romance options and opportunities to have relationship events when you’re starting to get together, when you’re dating, and when you’re married. Is that going to happen with Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma where there will be romance events continuing to happen even after you make a commitment? 

Fujii: Pre-dating and post-dating, the scenarios are clearly divided. Before you start dating, you have the events to build your bonds with various characters. And the way of building these bonds is different from after you confess and actually start dating. And once you start dating, you’ll have date events. So that’s clearly demarcated within the scheme. And then also, of course after you get married, there are events around having a child. But there’s not a specific post-marriage scenario outside of just living together, having a child, and sort of the daily interactions.

Speaking of having a child, considering how you can assign people to work in town, can you put your child to work when they grow up and come of age in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma? Since you can have multiple people with you going into dungeons now, can your child become one of your allies? Can it be like a whole family trip?

Fujii: You can have up to two children in the game. The children can’t be put to work in town. You can’t assign them tasks, but you can bring them on adventures with you as party . And as with the other major NPCs in the game, you can raise your bond level with your children and through interactions and gifts. And also, bringing them with you will raise their bond level. As their bond level goes up, there will be certain skills that are unlocked that they can use in battle. And that’s true of all the NPCs you can bring with you.

I noticed when you have your allies in battle, there can be party banter. Are there going to be romantic rivals for the player in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma if there are characters who seem like they kind of get along like in older Story of Seasons games’ rival marriage?

Fujii: There is no rival marriage in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, but as you noticed, there are many different variations on battle dialogue that can play depending on which characters are accompanying you into battle. If a character has a good relationship with another character within the game setting, then there may be a very specific dialogue that will play between them in battle. So we think that really players of the game can enjoy experiencing just how many kinds of variations on these battle dialogues there are. 

Also, which characters are friends with other characters is something that’s set within the game. It’s not something that the player can necessarily influence. 

How did Rune Factory 5 shape Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma? 

Fujii: As the development team, we took the we received from s on Rune Factory 5 very seriously and made our best effort to improve some elements in Guardians of Azuma. 

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma will come to the Nintendo Switch and PC on May 30, 2025. 

The post Interview: Developing Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma appeared first on Siliconera.

It will soon be five years since Vtuber Mori Calliope debuted with Cover’s hololive English Myth as one of the founding of the company’s overseas branch. Since then, she’s ed over 2.5 million subscribers on YouTube, released two full albums, and participated in both solo concerts and ones with fellow Vtubers at the company. Most recently, she worked alongside Persona composer Shoji Meguro and Persona 3 singer Lotus Juice on “Seeing Stars.” Siliconera got to ask her a few questions after her solo concert “Grimoire” and ahead of hololive Super Expo 2025 and hololive 6th fes to talk about composing music, singing, and streaming.

Jenni Lada: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. First of all, how are you feeling about Monster Hunter Wilds, given you played both World and Rise on stream?

Calliope Mori: Thanks for asking! I actually won’t be streaming it this time around, mostly due to the fact I’m too busy, my friends have it covered, and I just prefer other games! Every time I play MH, I have a good time, but it’s not something I really feel like continuing. I’m a fan of darker games personally (I wish I could stop being so edgy for just 2 seconds, but hey can’t be helped).

What game are you most looking forward to playing on stream in 2025 so far?

Mori Calliope: So far it’s Night Reign from FromSoft! I know it’s not a traditional Souls game, but I adore the world of Elden Ring so much and trust From’s vision, since everything they touch is gold. If only we could get some Armored Core 6 DLC… On the more indie side, I’m praying we get Everhood 2 sometime this year, but next year might be more likely.

You had a new song drop just after your 2nd Solo Concert “Grimoire.” What does the timeline look like for preparing and releasing a new track like that?

Mori Calliope: Considering the producer we asked is someone I’ve ired for over 15 years, the song itself had to be perfect. So I really wanted to take my time on it. I asked Lotus Juice to in and of course the guy is just cool as hell, and he made time to be a part of it. There was a lot of back and forth and revisions with Meguro-san because I was building a very specific atmosphere based on his original idea. There was a lot of talk about details, like “maybe the melody should sound like this” or “I want to add an intro.” The intro to the song is actually something I came up with myself and just added in without direction… it felt very collaborative! Me and Lotus threw back demos for a while, writing lyrics as we went. 

Meguro-san would update the track while we worked on lyrics, and eventually the recording day came. I was pretty hard on myself, and did a lot of re-takes which I think surprised Meguro-san. These days I’m a lot stricter with my singing, and if I don’t push the limit of what I can do, I feel defeated. That said, I still have only made a few songs I’m 100% proud of and fulfilled by. All I can say is I did my best to sing to the best of my limits, and am looking forward to being even better next time. But for now, the atmosphere is there and I’m happy I got to make a song with people I look up to so much and have idolized for years. They’re such professionals and were a joy to work with.

What kinds of challenges did you face preparing this new song while also preparing for Grimoire and the launch of the Hololive pop-up store?

Mori Calliope: I’m really hard on myself these days. I thought it’d be a good idea to take to heart to improve as an artist and performer, but it’s made the creation process much more intense than I’m used to. I used to be pretty laid back in the studio, but these days I leave pretty mentally exhausted, just listening to the demos we made over and over again, unsatisfied with what I did. I’m trying to accept my limits as a musician these days, and that I can never be perfect, but it’s hard. Combine that with the many days of rehearsal preparation we had, plus other promotions and then my streaming schedule. It’s been tough. You need to either be a very laid back person, or have really good mental fortitude for this job.

Speaking of Grimoire, it’s a major concert for you. How much control did you have over things like songs you’ll be performing and other elements of the performance?

Mori Calliope: I chose the setlist and name, as well as theme. There were a lot of smaller decisions I made here and there, but the team put everything together wonderfully. My setlist was based on the assumption I’d have guests, though. “SNEAKING Revenge” was something I only wanted to do together with Lotus Juice, but the team said I had to choose between a live band and guests since we didn’t have enough resources with this being the first solo show in America. And, I couldn’t change the setlist by that time. So I made the best out of it, and the live band elevated that song so well that it ended up being a super fun time. 

In August 2024, PHANTOMIME made it into the Billboard top 10 albums outside of Japan. What was that like for you, and how did you notice your career and presence change after that?

Mori Calliope: I’d been aiming for that spot for a long time. There is a lot of pressure when a label takes you on and offers you their and access to big dreams, you don’t want to let them down. We’d been praying for growth and finally got it. I breathed such a big sigh of relief. It made me think “I can do what I love for a while longer. I can keep looking out UM’s office window at the Tokyo skyline and feel lucky I get to do what I do.” Dramatic, isn’t it? Lol. I really love making music. So I thought then, “could I go further if I tried…?”

My presence hasn’t changed though, haha. With Universal, I’m an up and coming virtual musician who mixes Western and Eastern culture, but with Hololive I’m just an old EN grandma at this point, just really here to help the new people. Streaming numbers are usually on the low side for me, regardless of whether my music has been successful. But my music does comparatively well and that’s always my main focus. Plus, not every song can be a hit and that’s just the reality of being a musician. It’s hard for me to perceive the hard data my label has, but since offers and tie-ups are always coming in, I assume I did a good job? That’s what the label tells me! So I try not to worry over it so much and leave those logistics to them.

Now that you’ve been on the cover of Rolling Stone Japan, gotten into the top spots of the Billboard charts, and had “Go-Getters” be featured as a theme song for Suicide Squad Isekai. What kinds of new goals did you set for yourself after hitting these new sales and popularity milestones?

Mori Calliope: I really just want to make better music. There’s a bunch of dreams left, like touring America, more anime songs, doing a t tour with a friend or an ired artist, collaborating with Gorillaz, performing at Madison Square Garden…those wait at the end of a very long road. Music is competitive as hell and luck is a big factor, but skill increases those chances significantly. If I don’t improve, I’ll never be able to see those dreams come true regardless, so I’m meeting with a lot of different artists I respect and learning so many lessons from them. I’m also learning bass and composing my own works here and there, so there is much left to do…in of popularity, it’s something I avoid thinking too much about but I’d love to see if we can fly up the artist charts again for the next release and beat the #72 we got after PHANTOMIME’s release… gotta grow first to get there, though!!

As someone who’s been listening to your songs since you debuted with hololive, a lot of your music sounds like it has major crossover appeal. How would you feel about your songs being on FM or SiriusXM and is that something we could see happen in the future?

Mori Calliope: Thanks! I don’t know if I’d want anything I made before 2024 (“Wanted, Wasted,” excluded) to play on mainstream radio, but my newer works are slowly becoming a bit more mainstream friendly bit by bit. It’s not something I do consciously, I don’t really care if the mainstream wants to listen to my works. I make what I want and what fulfills me. But as I started paying more attention to whether “this song would sound good to ears that aren’t my own,” there was a shift. I also began to enjoy different types of music outside of my usual alternative J-rap bubble, and it gave me a different perspective on composing and what to pay attention to when writing for myself but also expanding into a new audience. So maybe someday! Maybe give it a few years, or choose like the 3 songs I’ve released so far that are mostly English and have less rap in them (J-rap is just too different in contents and flow than English rap, I don’t think overseas mainstream will ever warm up to it). I think j-rap done by native Japanese people could find a fairly large and accepting fan base amongst fans of anime, but it’s certainly not a foreigner who is going to popularize it. I still just do it because I like it, though I’ve been phasing it out as my interest in other genres has grown. 

I think also that mainstream isn’t ready to accept Japanese lyrics yet. Spanish has only just barely made it into being acceptable for “mainstream American ears” so there is definitely hope. Japanese lyrics will probably still be dismissed as “weird anime stuff” for a while longer though, so I’ll just work on my own sound and composition skills in the meantime and see where we end up.

We’ve seen situations where Hatsune Miku performed on The Late Show with David Letterman. How would you feel about getting to perform on late night TV or being the musical guest on a show like Saturday Night Live?

Mori Calliope: I’d love to! I need to work a little harder to develop my sound though. Maybe in a year or so. I think there is potential but there’s some stuff I need to figure out first. For the record, I’m not silly enough to say no to that kind of offer. Just my own musings, I guess! 

Once the Switch 2 launches, will we get to see you streaming its games?

Mori Calliope: If the games are good, I’m there. It really depends on the games! Nintendo’s titles tend to air on the brighter side that my horrible edge-lord self never finds much interest in (lol) but I’ll try anything once if it’s good. It’s nice to have a little color in your life here and there!

The post Interview: Hololive Vtuber Mori Calliope Talks About Her Music and Streams appeared first on Siliconera.

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land marks a major shift for the Koei Tecmo and Gust JRPG series. With a drastic change into pure action combat and base-building, we sat down with Junzo Hosoi, Producer for Atelier Yumia and Head of Gust to discuss the development process, characters, and surprising inspirations during our hands-on preview of the game.

Cody Perez, Siliconera: Is there any particular idea or theme that the team decided to base Atelier Yumia around when starting development?

Junzo Hosoi, Gust: Before I started working on Atelier Ryza, in 2018 or 2017, I was thinking about how I could make a three-part series, and how I could step up as a system. I was thinking about what kind of system and game I would like to make when I get a big chance in the next series. As a result, I've been getting from the s every time I released a game, and I've been making adjustments, so I've already decided what kind of game I would like to make. 

As for the design of the story, I've been getting a lot of reference from Atelier Ryza 3 and the current story trend. First of all, we reinterpreted the complex parts of the story, and reconstructed the overall system. We wanted to make sure that the story was well-received by players alongside the battle system.

The area that was well-received during Atelier Ryza, in the battle system especially, has been utilized within Atelier Yumia as well. And also, these days, action RPG is actually a popular genre right now. So that is why he mixed and merged those areas to create the battle system.

Also, as for the synthesis system, it could get difficult to understand all those areas. We actually received those comments from the survey and social media. So that is why the synthesis system has been redesigned. Also, during Ryza 3, we received comments saying there are no villains. So that is why, since there is a villain in this Atelier Yumia, the motivation on continuing the story and worldview might be more engaging this time.

Speaking of villains, what can you say about the villains and their role in the story?

Hosoi: The villain that comes out in Atelier Yumia is actually because of alchemy. The villains’ lives actually changed because of alchemy. Yumia actually believes in alchemy. However, the villains actually have a lot of stuff that has changed their lives, good and bad, because of alchemy. So, they are actually against each other. 

You [the player] might actually think that Yumia's way of thinking of alchemy is similar to how you feel. Or, you might say, “I feel the same way as the villains.” It might depend on the player once you play through and that might be an area to check out once you play out.

How did the protagonist Yumia’s creation come about? What can you say about Yumia as a character in of her design and backstory?

Hosoi: In the past Atelier games, there were more volumes in the silhouettes and a lot of decoration within the costumes. However, for the Yumia, we wanted to turn down the silhouettes and volumes. So the reason why is, for example, if you have a coat running around, it's actually a bit bothersome. There is also much verticality in the field this time, so that's why we wanted to add some decoration of gadgets on her shoes. I think that's why she has bullets that are similar to the gun design in her outfit design. 

And also, as for Yumia’s personality, she is self-confident. Her inner core is really strong and she believes in herself. As for the backstory, in past games, it actually took 3 or 4 hours to get to the core of the adventure. However, it has been changed for this title, as you can actually start off quite quickly in comparison. And that is why the villain shows up early as well. Yumia herself uses alchemy, but that is forbidden in her world. 

Her mother was actually an alchemist as well, so she wanted to find the reason why her mother was an alchemist, even though it's forbidden. She has a love for her mother, so that is why she goes on a journey to find out more about alchemy.

Regarding the other party besides Yumia, who would you say is your favorite and why?

Hosoi: My favorite character is Yumia but in of second favorite, it would be Rutger. There are two sides of Rutger. The one we’ve already announced and shown is the face that he actually shows to the other party . However, there is a second side that involves his past experiences. We are actually confident of the story that we have created for Rutger’s scenario.

A new feature in Yumia is the dedicated building system. How did that housing system come about in development?

Hosoi: The value of exploring on the field, that is why we added the building system. We wanted to add more value in the series. There is a popularity of crafting games as well, which I happen to like myself, such as Valheim. So, that is why we wanted to implement those into the series with this housing system.

Moving on to the action combat system, what were the central themes of the action combat system you wanted to focus on?

Hosoi: What will be important about the combat for some players is player skill. So, if you have higher player skill, and use just the dodge and guard, even if the enemy's level is higher than your actual party member's level, by using your own skill, it actually allows you to beat the enemy.

What changes or systems are in place to welcome newcomers to the series. At the same time, what is new for existing fans to look forward to in this game?

Hosoi: The synthesis system being simple is one example. A lot of people thought the Atelier synthesis system is actually difficult to play; it's really hard to understand. However, now it has been made more simple, so it might be easier to understand compared to the other Atelier titles. But then, even though it's simple, you do have the fun in synthesizing, so I think that is kept and has been balanced throughout.

Existing fans can also understand synthesis, because it doesn't have a big change, so it should be fine for the current Atelier fans as well. Although the trait system is actually changed, now that you can edit on afterwards, there is a lot more fun in crafting. That might be an element for Atelier fans to be excited about, and also for the general exploration and gathering in the field. 

In addition, in previous titles, you just synthesize items using materials. However, since there is a building system now, there is a joy to creating new stuff throughout building as well with materials. There are now two areas that you can enjoy for those who like to create stuff.

What type of content did you create to make the open world interesting and engaging for the player?

Hosoi: For me, it's the game Valheim. Of course, I didn't just copy the design of Valheim, but I was really impressed with playing this game. I think there are a lot of open-world games these days, but in my experience, Skyrim or Oblivion. In addition, it's been a while, but I was really impressed in the past with Halo's open field design, and I wanted to incorporate that impression into this game. That's how I came up with the idea for the open world content in Yumia.

Finally, as a fun type of question, what is your favorite monster in the series and why?

Hosoi: Puni. Even though the Puni gets attacked all the time, they live free. Their living environment seems fun! *laughs*

Post-Interview Questions

After the formal interview, there was a time later on where all of my fellow previewers for Atelier Yumia had left. As the only one left in the office still playing the preview, I had some casual time where Hosoi sat down and we chatted about the game and my thoughts about the four hours I had spent with the game. While I won’t share everything we spoke about during this informal time, there were some notable and even funny anecdotes worth mentioning.

For one, on the discussion of the newmotorcycle. (Yes, there is indeed a motorcycle you can cruise around this fantasy open-world in.) Apparently, the motorcycle was partly inspired by the iconic bike that Akira uses in the beloved 1988 anime film.

In addition to that, we spoke on the character designs and, more specifically, the companion Flammi. While I didn’t get to see too much of Flammi as a character, I learned about how the adorable little floating candle-like creation came from Yumia’s mother. When deg and writing Flammi, Hosoi explained that it came about partly because of characters like R2-D2 and C-3PO from Star Wars. More specifically, the idea of Flammi being a message or gift from Yumia’s mother, much in the same way R2-D2 brings a message to Ben Kenobi and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.

All of these fascinating details show that Atelier Yumia has had an intriguing development thus far. With the game pretty much complete at this point, only time will tell how Atelier Yumia lands for existing fans and newcomers alike when it launches worldwide on March 21, 2025.

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land releases for Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 21, 2025.

The post Interview: Atelier Yumia Takes Inspiration from Valheim, Akira, and Star Wars appeared first on Siliconera.

When the 7.1 FFXIV patch dropped it included an Echoes of Vana’diel Alliance Raid inspired by FFXI, bringing the two Final Fantasy MMORPG entries together. Now, there’s even an Echoes of Vana’diel subscription sale to make it easier for people to get back into the older of the two titles. To learn more about what went into this crossover, Siliconera spoke to Lead Battle Content Designer Masaki Nakagawa and Art Team Lead Yusuke Mogi about preparing for this new addition.

Jenni Lada: When did work start on the FFXIV Echoes of Vana'diel FFXI Raid? How involved were of the FFXI development team with the FFXIV Echoes of Vana'diel Raid?

Masaki Nakagawa (with input from the Scenario Team): We began planning Echoes of Vana'diel (EOV) around winter of 2023, in tandem with the development of Dawntrail. Those of us in the Battle Content team began the project by first deciding the four bosses so the Scenario team could concentrate on their tasks for Dawntrail. Once they were decided, we then moved on to deg the overall dungeon and outlining the story.

The FFXI team’s primary role was supervision of the original concept, plot, and in-game text of the scenario, along with voices and dialogue of NPCs and boss characters. We also asked them to provide the final assessment in ensuring the overall battle content was consistent regarding the universe and lore of the title, and to review the elements that were given an FFXIV-original twist for potential concerns. 

What led to Prishe being chosen as the main character for the FFXIV Echoes of Vana'diel FFXI Raid?

Nakagawa and the Scenario Team: We felt that the first boss of the alliance raid needed to be a character with a strong impression; someone that even those unfamiliar with FFXI would warm up to. Given her appearance in Dissidia Final Fantasy and various other titles as the “face” of FFXI, as well as her striking and charming personality, Prishe seemed like the perfect fit for what we were looking for.

Some aspects of her design were adjusted from her appearance in FFXI, and we were slightly worried if fans would be receptive to them, but we were relieved to see lots of positive comments after the alliance raid was released.

Many of Prishe’s trademark attacks and abilities appear during the FFXIV Echoes of Vana'diel FFXI Raid, such as Asuran Fists, Auroral Uppercut, Banishga, and Nullifying Dropkick. How did you determine which moves would appear in the Raid? Also, how did their appearances in other games, like FFXI and Dissidia, influence the look of the attacks here?

Nakagawa: I asked for input from the person in charge of this boss fight regarding this question, so I’m quoting him below:

“I placed a heavy emphasis on conveying Prishe's defining character traits. I wanted her attacks to make sense for those who Prishe from FFXI and establish her personality for those who haven't played, so I gave her moves that symbolize her youthful spirit.

Prishe has appeared in many other titles, and I hoped that by conveying her charm through this boss fight, players would not only take interest in the original FFXI but also in other titles such as Dissidia Final Fantasy.

When deg her animations and visual effects, I did my best to stay consistent with her previous appearances, while making alterations to help her naturally blend in with the setting of FFXIV and reinforce her character traits. For example, her Auroral Uppercut and Nullifying Dropkick are still an uppercut and dropkick, and Asuran Fists still features eight consecutive hits; but aside from those core ideas, each move was largely redesigned.”

As a side note, the staff member in charge of the Prishe encounter was also the battle content designer for AAC: Light-Heavyweight Division M2 featuring Honey B. Lovely. As with the Honey B. Lovely encounter, I think he did a great job of deg a delightful boss battle that highlights the character's unique traits.

Likewise, how did you pick Fafnir for the FFXIV Raid and how did you adjust the enemy’s moveset for attacks like Absolute Terror and Hurricane Wing when compared to FFXI?

Nakagawa: In the early planning stages, we brainstormed to decide the four bosses and enlisted the help of several game designers from the Battle System Team and Battle Content Team who are well-versed in FFXI. Among the many ideas pitched, Fafnir was included. After some deliberation, we decided on the Shadow Lord (boss 4) and Prishe (boss 1) first, then the Ark Angels (boss 3), and finally, Fafnir (boss 2).

There were three reasons why we chose Fafnir:

• Other bosses were humanoid, and so from an overall perspective, we needed a powerful, giant monster to differentiate them.
• Dragons are a staple in fantasy works, and so choosing one would allow for us to create an appealing boss fight that would be easy to understand for those who may not know FFXI.
• We wanted to include at least one HNM (High Notorious Monster), which are very memorable for FFXI players.

Capricious Cassie, another HNM from FFXI, was also considered. We debated over which one to choose and ended up choosing Fafnir because we felt Capricious Cassie would have a weaker impression on players who aren’t familiar with FFXI.

As for deg the Fafnir encounter, I started by deciding on the overall theme of the boss battle. I decided to feature a powerful dragon with dynamic and spectacular attacks and followed that theme as I came up with the battle mechanics based on Fafnir’s signature moves in FFXI, such as Dragon Breath, Spike Flail, Absolute Terror, and Hurricane Wing. 

I then relayed my ideas to the staff member in charge of the boss fight, who filled in the details. They captured the essence of Fafnir’s moves, carefully maintaining the impression of those attacks in FFXI as they put all the pieces together to make for a dynamic and spectacular encounter.

What challenges did you face when creating the FFXI Ark Angel equipment for the FFXIV Echoes of Vana'diel Raid?

Mogi: Because the design is fully black in color, during the initial drafts, the FFXI and FFXIV versions of the gear gave off very different impressions based on the varying physiques of the character races. With that in mind, during the concept art phase, I was quite conscious about keeping the visual impressions consistent where possible, such as the lengths of the top and the volume of the sleeves. A major area of adjustment was the ornate details, which I added so the gear wouldn’t look like it lacked features compared to existing FFXIV gear. To avoid deviating too far from the original look, I focused on the symbolic curved lines on the front of the torso as the key pattern and eliminated unnecessary designs as much as possible. Finally, with the final 3D models in mind, I added some highlights to the metallic parts; with that, I think I was able to achieve a simple yet weighted look.

What kinds of have you gotten from the Echoes of Vana'diel first part from FFXIV players, and how will that affect future parts of the FFXI crossover?

Nakagawa: Are you referring to from FFXIV players who are not familiar with FFXI? I’ll answer with that assumption in mind.

There was a large number of comments regarding the third boss, the Ark Angel encounter. FFXIV has never had an encounter where you fight five bosses all at once, and I’m very happy it was well-received as a fresh new battle experience. We saw many positive responses from both those who have and haven’t played FFXI. Developing the battle was filled with hurdles we had to overcome and proved quite challenging for us, but I feel it was all worth the effort. 

Prishe also received a lot of , including from people who have not played FFXI. They seemed to enjoy her unique and charming personality, and many people commented that the fight was quite different from other boss fights, with its engaging mechanics that were both unusual and comical. As for Fafnir and the Shadow Lord, although their mechanics were straight forward, many players seemed to enjoy those battles for their visual impressiveness.

As for the difficulty level, we worked to make the battles more challenging overall compared to Myths of the Realm. Casual players mentioned that they struggled on their first attempt but felt the difficulty was just right and enjoyable from the second attempt onward. Others also noted that the difficulty level was perfect for an alliance raid, and that they look forward to subsequent installments to be this challenging.

Since Myths of the Realm saw a lot of in the vein of “It wasn’t challenging enough, even on day one!” I’m relieved to see people seem to be receptive to this change in direction.

On the flip side, because it is a rare opportunity of a crossover with another game, I’ve seen players eagerly asking for even more unique ideas and new mechanics.

We’ve started work on the second installment, leveraging the we received from everyone. We aim to sur even this first alliance raid in the series, so I hope you'll look forward to it!

Final Fantasy XIV is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and Final Fantasy XI is available on PCs. 

The post Interview: Learning About the FFXIV Echoes of Vana’diel FFXI Raid  appeared first on Siliconera.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure constantly appears among the top Apple Arcade games, and the Switch and PC versions invited new players to the island resort alongside iconic mascots in 2025. Not to mention PlayStation versions are on the horizon. To find out more about what went into making the game and what’s next, Siliconera spoke with Sunblink Chief Product Officer Chelsea Howe about the title.

Jenni Lada, Siliconera: When did work on the other versions of Hello Kitty Island Adventure begin?

Chelsea Howe, Sunblink: We knew we wanted to cover a broad range of form factors from the start, so multiplatform was always present in the back of our minds. Plus, many aspects of our Apple Arcade development, like optimizing for lower-spec devices, translated across all platforms. We worked with other teams with more specific platform knowledge to do the final development, which started in early 2024.

What sorts of challenges did the team face when preparing the Hello Kitty Island Adventure Switch, PlayStation, and PC ports while also adding new content to the Apple Arcade version of the game?

Howe: The biggest challenge had definitely been keeping timelines organized. Each platform has its own process for approvals, certifications, verifications, patches, and so on. The whole team has gone a bit cross-eyed back-tracking all of the dates based on each platform’s estimated times.

Besides that, it was a matter of nailing the platform’s unique qualities: like getting controller input feeling rock solid for Nintendo Switch or getting Steam Deck Verified for PC.

How will future development and updates for Hello Kitty Island Adventure work, considering there are seasonal events and you added additional characters and regions in the past?

Howe: All platforms should get the same event content at the same time. We’ll be releasing free content updates prior to events to ensure that everyone is experiencing the story and rewards together. Characters and regions require more QA, and while we release storylines bit by bit on Apple Arcade, we’re cognizant of the difference in Nintendo Switch and PC audiences and would like to release things more holistically there. That, in addition to the aforementioned timeline differences, means the update cadence outside of events is likely to be staggered between platforms.

When adding additional Hello Kitty Island Adventure characters, how did you pick which ones would be represented and how they will appear?

Howe: There are two main sources of priority: Sanrio and Sanrio fans! Sanrio has characters they love to spotlight, but we also want to enable fans to befriend their favorite characters in the game.

The latter means paying a lot of attention to the annual Sanrio rankings. It’s also a great excuse to peruse official merchandise and see what folks are most excited about. My Cinnamoroll plushie collection speaks for itself.

What led to Usahana being picked as the City Town representative in Hello Kitty Island Adventure?

Howe: As more of City Town’s story comes out, the big reason will be revealed. For now, let’s just say that she was designed to bring joy, color, and happiness to office workers, so we took that to an even bigger extreme and made a whole city based around her vibrant look and feel. 

The whole design of City Town was based on flipping the usual grungy, dirty, busy city trope on its head and having something colorful, clean, optimistic and reflective of Usahana’s heart and spirit.

Big Challenges is the most obscure Hello Kitty Island Adventure character so far. Who else would you also like to add to the game? Do characters like Spottie Dottie or Kirimichan have a chance of appearing?

Howe: They suuuuuuuuuuure do!

We have such a special place in our hearts for the expectation-defying characters like Kirimichan, Fresh Punch, or Nisetama-san. Nisetama-san is a friend of gudetama – a man literally dressed up as an egg yolk who dances around the world. We were able to spotlight him during Month of Meh last year and look forward to bringing other more niche characters to the game in similar ways that show off their uniqueness.

Could we also see more unorthodox or crossover characters break in as Hello Kitty Island Adventure visitors? For example, perhaps someone like Yoshikitty or from Show by Rock?

Howe: At the moment, the red tape and licensing complexity mean we’re unable to add “collab” characters, as we call them. We have a ton of folks at our office who love Yoshikitty, or Adorozatorumary. My favorite is Gaopoweroo! But alas, it’s simply not to be. 

Perhaps if we’re successful enough, the collab partners will come to us asking for inclusion. We can dream, right?

What did you learn as a developer by working on Hello Kitty Island Adventure over the past few years?

Howe: We all learned way, way more about the world of Hello Kitty than we ever knew existed. Most of us were familiar with Hello Kitty, it’s hard not to be, but the quantity of Sanrio characters and decades of lore was unbelievable. Whether it was those niche characters like Big Challenges or the fact that Hello Kitty is not a cat, there was always something to surprise us.

From a game perspective, we’ve learned a lot about mixing the cozy genre with the open world adventure genre. They have a huge overlap in audience, but some things rub the wrong way. Some cozy players want nothing to do with multiplayer, while some open-world players recoil whenever we have customization-based questing. Overall, we think we brought something new to both groups.

In an ideal situation with no restrictions, what sort of biome or additional feature would you like to add to Hello Kitty Island Adventure?

Howe: HOW CAN I PICK JUST ONE?! I’d love a rainforest or jungle area that leaned more heavily into the puzzle caves – or a far future world that did similar. I’ve also always wanted an aspen forest, just because Sunblink is headquartered in Boulder, CO, and those forests—especially with their yellow leaves—are iconic. We also created a character named TOPHAT for the game, and I’ve always wondered what a world in his image would be like.

How long do you think you’ll keep updating and adding new content to Hello Kitty Island Adventure?

Howe: While we have a roap that extends years ahead, it really depends on if folks are continuing to play the game! As long as we have an audience, it just makes sense for us to continue building out the world and enriching the mechanics.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is available on the Nintendo Switch, PC, and Apple Arcade. It will also come to the PS4 and PS5. 

The post Interview: Developing Hello Kitty Island Adventure appeared first on Siliconera.

When it comes to Monster Hunter Wilds, we will experience an entry with more dynamic environments with changing weather and dangerous new and old monsters. When Siliconera got the chance to preview the latest Monster Hunter game, we also got to speak briefly to Series Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, Executive and Art Director Kaname Fujioka, and Director Yuya Tokuda about the title. As a result, we ended up learning more about what to expect from places like the Scarlet Forest and monsters like newcomer Lala Barina. 

Which environmental element was the most challenging to perfect and implement in Monster Hunter Wilds? 

Kaname Fujioka: So each locale is obviously very, very difficult because we have the environment changing. Not only does the environment change, but because it changes, the color also has to change. And it’s also in real time as well.

So, for example, when we have the Sand Tide coming during Inclemency, the Sand Tide actually needs to come for it to fully change. And when we have the Plenty, we obviously need to have a lot more green in the lush, lush plantations and vegetations. But during the Fallow, all of those plantations will need to disperse. A little bit thin out. Illustrating this in real time was a very difficult process.

And one locale that was also difficult was the Scarlet Forest, because it has a lot of variations in the vegetations and plants. And not only that, but the water also changes from having a very clear blue, gradually changing it to the red during the weather changes. Controlling that in real-time was a very big challenge. 

How did past Monster Hunter games affect the development of new weapon actions in Monster Hunter Wilds? Like were are there new actions you wanted to implement in the past, but only could now?

Yuya Tokuda: So for Monster Hunter Wilds, we have 14 different weapon types and each weapon has a concept itself. Having 14 types of weapons, yhe concept itself has not made a big change. But for Monster Hunter Wilds specifically, to fit the game’s style of Monster Hunter Wilds, we added new actions more move sets, and some actions that couldn’t be connected to each other are now more smoothly connected. So that it allows a much more brushed-up action for each of the weapons. 

Monster Hunter monsters are often rooted in reality, how did your research on animals and insects affect Monster Hunter Wilds? For example, can you talk about how a certain species inspired a creature we will see? Like which spiders influenced Lala Barina’s behavior?

Fujioka: Taking Lala Barina as an example, we didn’t really focus on making it related to an actual spider. But we wanted to make it a spider-like monster that was very unique in a way. So during the planning stages of the monster, we wanted to incorporate moves that were  moving very quickly side-to-side and made it really confusing and have some elemental attacks like paralyzing attacks. 

The designer also wanted to add some tricky movements. So kind of like a ballerina, it kind of has like a twirl. It twirls around. And [we] also added like white birds into the design, but it also has very thin legs. So the silhouette really does resemble a ballerina, but just that itself wasn’t a strong enough idea. 

So we also had a different, separate idea of having a monster that resembled a rose. So we combined those two together. Usually, Lala Barina doesn’t show that rose-like abdomen. But when it does the elemental attacks, it unleashes it and reveals a rose-like abdomen. And that made it a very interesting character design. 

Speaking of Lala Barina in Monster Hunter Wilds, why do the spider-inspired monsters in Monster Hunter games always result in the prettiest and most elegant equipment?

Fujioka: There’s like a big gap. The spider is a little bit icky, but the armor is very pretty. The difference, the contrast between those two.

Will we ever see God's nastiest little boy the Lagiacrus in any future Monster Hunter games?

Tokuda: So, Lagiacrus… Fujioka-san worked on Monster Hunter Tri as a director and [I] was the planner. So it’s a very memorable monster for both of us.

Everybody likes it. And we want to have Lagiacrus make an appearance in the games at the best time when it feels it fits.

Ryozo Tsujimoto: We know that it’s a very popular monster, especially overseas. So we don’t want to like put Lagiacrus out there randomly.

Tokuda: We want to be very, very careful about it, because everybody likes it and we are very aware of that.

Monster Hunter Wilds will come to the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on February 28, 2025. People who pre-order get the Guild Knight Set layered armor and Hope Charm.

The post Interview: Preparing Monster Hunter Wilds Monsters and Environments appeared first on Siliconera.

When it comes to the Dragon Quest series, Square Enix is no stranger to Dragon Quest III remakes. The NES game ended up being remade for the Super Famicom. That version inspired a Game Boy Color release. Then there was the mobile adaptation, which showed up worldwide. With Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, we’re getting yet another take with a whole new graphical approach and even more original content than in past games. To learn more about its development and additions, Siliconera spoke with Producer Masaaki Hayasaka about the project. 

Jenni Lada: What was it like to work on Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake after working on Octopath Traveler? How did your experience on it shape your approach to Dragon Quest?

Masaaki Hayasaka: I observed how HD-2D games are created and refined through Octopath Traveler up-close, so I didn’t have trouble regarding the sensibility of what we needed to accomplish to create an HD-2D game as it was ingrained in my body. On the other hand, the previous HD-2D games tended to have chic color palettes and atmospheres that were more reminiscent of the old Square games, but this time we had to craft a vivid, colorful atmosphere that felt true to Dragon Quest. 

[Tomoya] Asano-san also gave us an incredibly ambitious marching order to sur our past HD-2D titles, so we deliberately decided to avoid competing with those titles, and instead aimed to tackle HD-2D games from a different direction altogether. The fact that the final game doesn’t utilize any pixel art in the background (apart from the monsters and characters) is a perfect example of this. 

I also drew on my experience as the sound director for Octopath Traveler and put considerable effort behind the sound-related aspects of this game. I was very particular about every single ambient noise, battle sounds, and even the monsters' cries.

When work on the project started, how did more recent HD-2D technologies from games like Octopath Traveler II affect Dragon Quest III HD-2D development?

Hayasaka: People often misunderstand this, but there’s no such a thing as “HD-2D technology” or an “HD-2D engine”. HD-2D games are quite simple when you actually break them down: all you do is place pixel-based characters onto 3D backgrounds and apply effects that make them look good. 

From there, the development teams for each respective title build the rest of the game through their own unique lens, and that's where you start to see the distinct characteristics of each title emerge. In the case of our Dragon Quest III remake, we deliberately wanted to differentiate the game from our previous HD-2D titles, so we tried not to reference them too much (including the most recent Octopath Traveler II) aside from the quintessential HD-2D elements that we felt were necessary to include at minimum. It’s my belief that being influenced by something means gradually moving towards it. 

We’ve seen a resurgence in reviving classic Dragon Quest storylines with new approaches such as with Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince and Dragon Quest Builders. How did work on those open up possibilities for the new Ortega storyline in Dragon Quest III HD-2D?

Hayasaka: To be honest, we didn't really reference those titles. The following is solely an example to give you an idea of what I mean, but those two titles were created to develop a new story as an extension of the original one. 

On the other hand, we aimed to remake the original story without disrupting its flow as much as possible. The additional Ortega episode also fits within this scope of adding a little extra content to the original game. In that sense, our approach towards creating these games was vastly different, and we explored and defined our best approach using the original story as our biggest reference.

How did the team use the original Dragon Quest III and its development resources to create the Ortega storyline?

Hayasaka: I didn't really do anything special for this, either. If I had to say, all I did was receive its text data, play the original game, and do some research. The decision to add the Ortega episode came from my hunch that adding this content would make our players the happiest. I believe the most correct thing to do is to simply play the game and try to think about things from the player’s perspective, and I suppose that’s not something that you can do by tinkering around with resources from the original game.

Square Enix released a video directly comparing the original game to Dragon Quest III HD-2D and how closely one resembles to the other. What sorts of resources did the team have access to when working on the remake and how influential were on the design?

Hayasaka: Our intention was to recreate the feeling and playability of the original game as much as possible, so we used any program resources and data tables that we could. The damage values of the monsters would be an example that’s easy to understand. If there’s a discrepancy with what you that drives you to ask yourself, “Did this monster really deal this much damage?” That would feel odd, right? We used the values from the original as a general baseline to try to avoid that feeling. Even then, we adjusted the balance accordingly because there are various new elements added to this game, so not everything is exactly the same as the original.

How did past Dragon Quest games and Dragon Quest Monsters spin-offs influence the new Monster Wrangler job and monster arena in Dragon Quest III HD-2D? 

Hayasaka: If you're familiar with the Dragon Quest series, you've probably noticed that the Monster Wrangler vocation has been pulled directly from Dragon Quest VI and Dragon Quest X, and that the Monster Arena is pulled directly from Dragon Quest VIII. If you're looking to add new elements without disrupting the world of Dragon Quest, I think it's best to reference existing Dragon Quest titles. 

I think the Monster Arena—which was added by renewing the monster arena from the original game—is the easiest to understand. It's similar to the monster arena from the original game, and when I was thinking about whether there was any other fun gameplay from other games within the DQ series, the first thing that came to mind was the Monster Arena.

How did you determine which monsters would be picked for the arena?

Hayasaka: The first consideration would be based on balance, and the second on fit. Gameplay based on rescuing and befriending monsters has appeared in various forms throughout the Dragon Quest series, and many monsters have become famous because of them. So, we selected which monsters would appear in a way that didn’t undermine the sensibility of a DQ fan. The names of the rescued monsters are a great example of this.

Which Dragon Quest III HD-2D party composition do you personally use, and why?

Hayasaka: I'm sorry because I realize this isn’t very interesting, but when choosing anything, I always prefer whatever is recommended, standard, and default. Because of this, my party composition is the hero, warrior, priest, and mage, haha. In fact, I played through the game with this party composition every time I had to check the most standard game balance during our test plays. Now, I'm completely attached to it.

With Dragon Quest III HD-2D getting this renewed release and the past two Dragon Quest Builders games being tied to the original two titles, how would you feel about a Dragon Quest Builders 3 that ties into this entry for its lore?

Hayasaka: The Dragon Quest Builders series has a strong fan base and is still popular, but unfortunately, we have no information we can share at this time.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake will be released on PCs via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Microsoft Xbox Series X/S on November 14th, 2024.

The post Interview: Preparing a HD and 2D Dragon Quest III Remake appeared first on Siliconera.

Preparing a new version of an older game can be quite a challenge. Especially when it is going from a 2D Super Famicom release to systems like the Switch, PS4, and PS5. That’s what happened with Square Enix and the Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven remake, which is available now worldwide. To learn more about how it came to be and its development, Siliconera spoke with Producer Shinichi Tatsuke about the new SaGa game.

Jenni Lada: Romancing SaGa 2 appeared in many forms, complete with an expanded and updated version for mobile devices and consoles that eventually appeared worldwide. How did that version and remaster influence the 3D remake’s development?

Shinichi Tatsuke:  Although the underlying goals of the remaster and this remake are different, we did keep some elements from the remaster, such as the Ninja and Diviner classes. We also kept a portion of events which were original to the remaster and the hidden boss that becomes available after beating the game.

Romancing SaGa 2 involved a number of revolutionary gameplay elements, such as the empire funding elements, the picking of heirs, and making former heroes the villains. What types of design decisions did you make with the remake to ensure certain elements were expanded upon and preserved?

Tatsuke: The general direction we took was to preserve elements that were characteristic of the SaGa franchise, such as the world, story, as well as the Inheritance System, Glimmers,

and Formation system, while modernizing the battle and character growth systems. By doing so, I believe we were able to preserve the appeal of SaGa titles, while ensuring the experience didn’t feel out-of-place as a modern RPG.

What sorts of balancing and adjustments did you make to make all the difficulty options and character growth systems added for this Romancing SaGa 2 remake feel fair and fulfilling? Is there any particular technique and approach you really enjoyed working on and recommend people pursue for a character build?

Tatsuke: We included difficulty options in this remake because we wanted not only fans of the original, but also a wide range of new s to also play the game. With the Hard (Classic) difficulty setting, we fine-tuned battles to be as neck-and-neck with players as much as possible, as we wanted to give them a taste of the compelling battles featured in the original game. With Normal difficulty, we adjusted the game so players accustomed to standard RPGs can have an enjoyable experience. With Casual difficulty, we adjusted the game for those unfamiliar with the SaGa franchise, or for those who wish to focus on the story.

Romancing SaGa 2 features a massive amount of choices, with things changing depending on the order you approach the Seven Heroes or certain situations changing depending on how you deal with problems. How did you tackle these scenarios and options in the remake and did you find yourself adjusting or building on any of them from the original game?

Tatsuke: In general, the story and choices presented to the player follows the original game. However, we’ve improved parts of the original game that were slightly unreasonable, as well as some irreversible elements, such as the feature that strengthened enemies corresponding to your number of battles.

When deg the 3D versions of the Seven Heroes, how influential were the original Romancing SaGa 2 sprites and artwork when working on their new designs for the remake? Which characters do you think most benefited from the extra attention possible with the new models?

Tatsuke: We referenced the original 2D pixel art and illustrations created by Tomomi Kobayashi while developing this game, so they were both quite influential on the 3D designs. The Seven Heroes even strike the same poses as their original pixel artwork in the cutscenes that play when you battle them. Rocbouquet looks charming now, so I believe she benefited the most among the characters.

Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven is available for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC.

The post Interview: Preparing the Romancing SaGa 2 Remake appeared first on Siliconera.

While Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is a gacha game, it doesn’t lock characters behind it. Rather, it functions in a similar way to Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia, with equipment behind banners. In the case of FFVII Ever Crisis however, we also get different kinds of gear that include new abilities and different costumes for familiar characters. To learn more about those designs and possible future ones, Siliconera spoke with Producer Shoichi Ichikawa about the game.

Jenni Lada: When coming up with completely custom FFVII Ever Crisis gear for events and gacha banners, what does the process look like from concept costumes and pitches to final implementation?

Shoichi Ichikawa: First, we decide on the general motif/theme and create a few rough artworks.

Next, as we polish the rough artwork, we work with Tetsuya Nomura to narrow it down to one idea. It’s not uncommon that in this phase, more new possibilities are born, such as the combination of some rough ideas to create a new one.

After all that’s done, we create models based on the finalized version of the artwork.

When FFVII Ever Crisis crossover event gear comes up, such as with the FFIX and Monster Hunter costumes and weapons, how did you decide which characters would appear during the event?

Ichikawa: The most important factor with these crossover events is that our players enjoy the themed character and/or items. It’s also important for our team to properly redesign and incorporate the key elements of our collaboration partner within Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis.

After Cid is added to the game, could we see him get a Freya-themed FFIX weapon or costume in FFVII Ever Crisis?

Ichikawa: Yes, please stay tuned!

Which other Final Fantasy games would you like to bring into FFVII Ever Crisis and, if another one of these crossovers would appear, what would be your dream character and costume pairings?

Ichikawa: I’m not able to say more about any future potential crossover events, as I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. That said, I’d love for everyone to stay tuned, as we will have some exciting announcements in the future! 

How would you feel about a FFVII Ever Crisis art book that included the concept art for these additional character designs and costumes?

Ichikawa: I, for one, am most definitely interested.

We’ve released many pieces of gear up to this point, but in actuality, the number of rough artworks is probably three times higher than the approved/final pieces… So, I would love the opportunity to showcase our concepts to players someday.

Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is available for PCs and mobile devices. 

The post Interview: Preparing FFVII Ever Crisis Costumes and Gear appeared first on Siliconera.

We’re going to see another one of the more unconventional Idea Factory International and Otomate otome games outside Japan soon, as 9 RIP makes its debut in October 2024. In this entry, there are multiple storylines with different love interests who are more otherworldly and even potentially dangerous than usual. As we go through it, it’s even divided into groups of stories telling different tales. To learn more about what makes this Switch otome stand out, Siliconera got a chance to speak with 9 RIP Director Amon and Artist Yuuya about the adventure. 

Jenni Lada: When did development on 9 RIP begin?

Amon: We started planning the project in 2021, and it officially began development in early 2022.

Yuuya: I believe the actual work began in 2022. I being very excited about working on the project from the beginning.

What design decisions did you make to ensure 9 RIP felt different from other Otomate otome games?

Amon: We were focused on the horror theme at first, but we realized that we wanted more than a simple dark and grim design for this otome game. So we used brightly colored, otherworldly flowers as motifs and incorporated glitchy art to create a mysterious and strange world in both design and presentation.

Yuuya: I think a horror-themed otome game is still quite rare.

Rather than just going for a dark and scary atmosphere, we focused on incorporating stylish colors and designs. In doing this, we hoped to create something that stands out and leaves a strong first impression. We kept that goal in mind as we continued our design work.

When drawing from urban legends, mythology, and the supernatural for 9 RIP’s characters and designs, which concepts did you prioritize? How did you pick what you'd include?

Amon: From the early stages of the project, we envisioned a game centered on traditional Japanese urban legends, ghost stories, and supernatural phenomena. We understand that not everyone enjoys the horror genre, so we tried to attract more players by incorporating well-known ghost stories and supernatural phenomena.

When it came to the artistic direction for 9 RIP, how did you approach characters based on supernatural entities and make them appealing otome love interests?

Yuuya: While visual appeal was certainly important, we began by incorporating elements from the stories into each character's design. For example, in School Ghost Stories, we included the sword that inspired Kara Kara's name and the rope around the boy in the mirror's neck, which plays a key role in the story.

In Other Realm, we made the characters' professions and roles immediately recognizable by using designs reminiscent of priest robes for one character, and clothes that reflected the chaotic nature of the other.

We also incorporated traditional cultural elements and various kimono styles for the costumes of characters in the Spirit World route, and ensured the characters' outfits were both distinct and visually striking.

As for the Urban Legendscharacters, we prioritized modernity over representing supernatural phenomena, so the characters don't look like ghosts.

I think that approach made the hidden things in everyday life more believable.

Given you already had experience with otome game character designs for supernatural or otherworldly beings in Café Enchante and Cupid Parasite, how did that affect art and decisions for 9 RIP?

Yuuya: From my experience in various great projects, I've come to realize that each character has their own life and story. I always feel that you can't, and shouldn't, ignore this when deg characters. It's not just about creating visually appealing designs. By properly reflecting each character's background, I believe we can create more convincing, compelling, and lively characters.

What did you get to achieve in 9 RIP that you haven't been able to do in past Otomate otome games?

Amon: I'm not familiar with all Otomate titles, but I believe structuring the game as an omnibus with four chapters—School Ghost Stories, Urban Legends, Other Realm, and Spirit World—was a very unique approach. I don't think I've seen it in other titles.

Yuuya: Maybe getting the chance to feature some pretty frightening-looking characters. Personally, I'd love to create even scarier ones!

Is there anything you would like to say to overseas fans of otome games and those who are anticipating the release of 9 RIP?

Amon: You can experience strange and somewhat peculiar love stories in this game. While various ghosts appear, I hope you will embrace them rather than be afraid of them. Also, if this game sparks any interest in traditional Japanese ghost stories and spirits, I'd personally be very happy. I hope you continue to enjoy and love 9 RIP.

Yuuya: Thank you for your constant of 9 RIP. I'm very  happy to bring this work to you in English. Every country has its own ghost stories, urban legends, and folklore, but I hope this game gives you a chance to experience and take an interest in Japan's. I look forward to your continued .

9 RIP will come to the Nintendo Switch on October 15, 2024. 

The post Interview: 9 RIP Director and Artist Discuss the Otome appeared first on Siliconera.

Later this year, we’ll get to explore alongside the Fairy Tale characters to go through the end of the anime and manga’s story a new game called, appropriately enough Fairy Tail 2. To help prepared for what’s to come in the sequel to the original title, Siliconera spoke with Producer Hiroshi Kataoka about the game. While we still need to wait to learn more about Fairy Tail 2 DLC, the initial insights help us get a better idea of what to expect come December 2024.

Jenni Lada: When did development on Fairy Tail 2 begin, and did was decision to develop it influenced by the anime production decision of Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest?

Hiroshi Kataoka: We received many requests for a sequel along with on the first game, and thanks to all the players it continued to sell well over a long period of time, so we consulted with Kodansha (the IP holder) about making a game about the final chapter of the main series, which we were not able to depict in the previous title. It turns out that the anime adaptation of the 100 Years Quest, which is the sequel to the original work, was being planned including when it would air, so we decided to bring this game to the fans when interest in the IP is rekindled and at everyone is excited for it.

Which Fairy Tail arcs are represented in and most influential for Fairy Tail 2?

Kataoka: This title focuses on the final Alvarez Empire arc, and the story has been adjusted for a video game adaptation. In order to make the Alvarez Empire arc work as a game, we

determined that it would be “Fairy Tail vs. the Alvarez Empire” and aimed to make the combat team battles as much as possible, so we have adjusted the original series’ story under the supervision of the series’ creator [Hiro] Mashima-sensei in order to make it work.

What kind of input did Hiro Mashima have on the game and Fairy Tail 2 character designs?

Kataoka: Primarily if things were a fit for the Fairy Tail world, and his thoughts on ways to further please the fans. That means that he checks everything from the design of the characters and the adjustment of the story to make it work as a game, to the original story added just for this title and each game element and various resources including game text. All of these aspects have been supervised by Mashima-sensei.

Which pieces of fan from the original Fairy Tail game affected the sequel?

Kataoka: We were fortunate to receive a lot of and comments. After the release of the previous title, we received many requests for a sequel along with on the game. Many were happy with having a game adaptation and they enjoyed the game, but they also wanted to see the final chapter adapted into a game, in particular having more focus on the characters, so we referenced these as we made this game.

How do you address character growth and development from the first game in FAIRY TAIL 2? Will we see all skills returning?

Kataoka: Skills have been reorganized to match the real-time and action elements and while some are returning, there are some brand new skills. Also, in battles, the central Fairy Rank system is designed to strengthen you as you attack, so it matches how battles develop and progress in the Fairy Tail series. When fans play this, they will see a very good representation of something unique to the Fairy Tail IP.

What does the roster of playable characters look like for Fairy Tail 2? We’ve already seen Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Ezra, and Wendy, for example. Will every character from the first Fairy Tail game return?

Kataoka: Right now, all I can say is that we’d like everyone to wait for news on which characters will be on the roster. But we have assembled it with “Fairy Tail vs. the Alvarez

Empire” as its base.

Additional characters like Levy and Lyon were included as DLC for the first Fairy Tail. Will they be included in the Fairy Tail 2 base game or would people like them be relegated to add-ons again?

Kataoka: Similarly, any information on DLC will be announced at a later date.

The original Fairy Tail game had cosmetic, character, and dungeon DLC. How well did those perform, in of sales? Which ones were most popular?

Kataoka: I will refrain answering the specific details of the popularity of the DLC, but fortunately each of the DLC released for the previous game has been well received.

Will we see a similar DLC approach in Fairy Tail 2 as in the original game?

Kataoka: To start, we have announced the details of our Digital Deluxe edition, and the content is a step above the previous game! You will not only find outfit collaborations with other Gust titles, but some additional items like Crystals and Lacrima Fragment, not to mention an alternative costume set. Also, those who buy the physical version of the game will be able to purchase the Digital Deluxe content as an upgrade pack.

As for DLC, we are considering various content that will make the game even more enjoyable, so please look forward to future updates.

The original Fairy Tail game appeared on the PS4, Switch, and PC. Have you considered bringing it to the PS5 as well?

Kataoka: At this point we do not have plans for that.

The Fairy Tail 2  release date is December 11, 2024 for the PC version on Steam, with the PS4 and Switch versions arriving on December 13, 2024. 

The post Interview: Discussing Fairy Tail 2 Game Development, Characters, and DLC  appeared first on Siliconera.

NIS America and Furyu’s next big game is going to be Reynatis, a JRPG with a story from Scenario Writer Kazushige Nojima. While Nojima’s work on entries in the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts involved fantasy worlds and fictional locales, this one brings us into the heart of Shibuya. To better understand what that involved, Siliconera had the chance to ask a few questions about the game’s development.

Jenni Lada: What led to you working on Reynatis? 

Kazushige Nojima: My encounter with Creative Producer TAKUMI’s enthusiasm is what started things.

What was your biggest influence when writing the story?

Nojima: The town of Shibuya itself. It’s a place I’m familiar with, so I walked around it thinking about what kinds of things could happen in which places.

What kinds of efforts did you take to balance realism and magic and the supernatural in the story?

Nojima: Aside from the magic, wizards, magic organizations, and the other world that exists because of magic and monsters, I made sure to keep everything else grounded.

After launch, Reynatis is getting additional story episodes. What did the development and creation of those look like?

Nojima: I think FURYU Corporation is very generous. During development, we tried to make sure that no one would think, “Couldn’t this have been in the main game?”

Given these are post-launch story episodes, what sorts of opportunities came when deciding what they’d cover and address?

Nojima: Events that happened before and after the main game. I wanted to make sure all the side story-type content went into the main game.

Do you feel like you accomplished all you wanted to with Reynatis, or do you feel like there’s opportunity for more to be explored in a possible sequel?

Nojima: It’s always difficult to tell a linear story in a game with an open map structure. I encountered this issue with Reynatis, but I don’t think I quite solved it. I’d love to take another crack at it.

Also, we weren’t able to put in episodes for the individual characters, so if there were the opportunity to do that [it would be great].

Reynatis will come to the PS4, PS5, Switch, and PC in North America and Europe on September 27, 2024, and then in Australia on October 4, 2024. 

The post Interview: Kazushige Nojima Talks About Reynatis’ Story and Influences appeared first on Siliconera.

Founded in 2016, Cover Corporation, owners of hololive Production, took the world by storm during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, introducing the world at large to what would become an international sensation: Vtubers. Since skyrocketing in popularity, hololive introduced talents such as Gawr Gura, Mori Calliope, and Usada Pekora. Siliconera had the opportunity to speak with Motoaki “Yagoo” Tanigo, the CEO of Cover, to discuss what it takes to become a prospective Vtuber candidate for hololive and what collaborations he’d like to see come to fruition.

“We focus on how to our talents, and this is one of the most important policies within our company. We don’t increase the amount of talents we have in a short amount of time so that we can our talents to the best of our ability,” Tanigo stated. “We care about our talents a lot and want to provide a lot of resources for them. If we have more talents to debut, that would be fantastic, but we wouldn’t be able to them equally.” He further went on to elaborate and stated that creating 3D models for the company's talents for concerts and other performances is a lot more extensive than some might realize, with talents needing to fly out to Japan during the creation of these models. Tanigo also stressed that while Hololive would love to expand their roster of VTuber talents, the company would not be able to the line-up it already has if it expanded too quickly.

While hololive is no doubt an international success, Tanigo shared that the North American group is not as profitable as its Japanese counterpart. He said he hoped that upon opening the North American office for hololive (Cover), that the agency will begin to see a return on their investment in their North American talents. However, that hasn’t stopped Hololive from debuting European talents as well, with the VTuber agency branching into an audience it has no doubt already tapped into — just in a handful of different languages.

I asked Tanigo what it would take for an up-and-coming VTuber or content creator to hololive. He stated that while applications are always open, a prospective candidate needs to be incredibly driven. This is one of several deciding factors, along with their calibur of singing and ability to speak several different languages. He did mention that not being able to sing wouldn’t mean that a prospective talent would be out of the running, but that anyone who wants to Hololive would need to understand the amount of time and dedication that would be required. “I want people that dream big,” he said.

“One of our talents, Mori Calliope, wanted to sing an anime opening. So we ed her in that and helped make her dream happen. And we want to be able to our talents in that avenue as well. We want them to dream big and we want to help them achieve those dreams.” Given how large hololive is, it doesn’t come as any surprise that this would be one of the requirements to the agency. With several of hololive’s largest Vtuber talents appearing at a Los Angeles Dodgers game in July 2024, it seems like Hololive wants to continue to explore new avenues and new promotions with big names.

However, Tanigo has ambitions and dreams of his own when it comes to potential collaborations. “I would love to do something with Riot Games.” Tanigo itted to being a big fan of League of Legends, and even dreamed of hololive doing some kind of collaboration with Riot Games’ K-Pop group K/DA. He hoped that with the opening of the North American office, that these partnerships and collaborations will eventually come to fruition.

And while fans already released several games under the hololive Indie label, such as Idol Showdown and Holo X Break, Tanigo stated he would like to create something with AAA Western developers if given the opportunity. He did not share what kind of game he would like to make, only that he would like to collaborate with large studios in North America.

As it stands, hololive remains a giant in the Vtuber industry. Cover garnered international success, tapping into various audiences through its numerous collaborations, to truly make Vtubing something mainstream. After the appearance of Gawr Gura, Hoshimachi Suisei, and Usada Pekora at the Dodgers game, it can be hard to deny just how effective and successful Cover was at making both itself and its talents into a recognizable brand. And with hololive now properly branching into the European market with hololive EN Justice and being as selective as it is with talents and debuts, it seems like there’s no sign of it slowing down. Whether or not we’ll see major collaborations in games has yet to be seen.

The post Hololive CEO Would Like to Collaborate With AAA Game Developers appeared first on Siliconera.