Hey everybody! What did you think about the Hideki Answers video? I couldn’t answer all your questions; however, I want to be able to engage in as many conversations as possible, so I want to keep doing these. I’m game to keep it up, but it seems that JP is whining about having to put subtitles on everything, so send him lots of requests for more videos! (LOL)

So a few days ago, I headed to Tokyo to record a TV show. Let me tell you… Soba in the Kanto region is AWESOME! Being from Shinshu region, I’m not the most picky person on the planet when it comes to soba, but since I was raised in Eastern Japan, I like the strong flavor and slightly sweet soy sauce dipping broth of Kanto-style soba (Sorry to everyone from Osaka). I’m not even a fan of the good stuff you get at a Soba restaurant. What I like is the soba you eat standing at a counter inside a train station. Throw some tempura into the soba and it’s absolutely fantastic! For everyone reading this outside of Japan, you’ve got to try it if you ever visit the country. My recommendation would be the soba stand inside the Matsumoto Station in Nagano Prefecture.

So back to the TV show… It will air on BS Channel 11 (in Japan) on August 23 and will feature comments from game creators. I was joined by the one and only Bakataru Kato (from Famitsu Magazine) and we were able to talk about a variety of things related to making games. However, I’m like you and won’t have any idea how it turns out until it hits the airwaves. J When I have more details on the show, I will be sure to post about it.

Next up, there was some filming going on for something secret in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, so I went to take a peek at that. I can’t really tell you about what I saw. (THEN DON’T WRITE ABOUT IT!! I know, right!?) But since I went with my producer Hashimoto, I’m sure it will end up on the blog soon. Look forward to it!

And next… I had a bit of time afterwards, so I headed to Odaiba to check out the famed “White Knight of the Federation.” I can’t even put into words how I felt when I saw it. I looked up, and it brought a single manly tear to the corner of my eye.

Finally, there was a comment on the blog that caught my attention, so I wanted to answer it here.

> Fan-san

You’ve said things like, “Action games haven’t advanced since I created Devil May Cry.” However, I think that you should quit saying “I made.” You were able to make Devil May Cry thanks to a really talented staff, right? Games are made together. Please don’t think of it as some sort of personal achievement.

I thought about letting this comment go, but if even more people get the wrong idea that would be awful, so I am going to answer here. I’m not sure where you heard that quote, but I know that I didn’t say it. When I am talking about my resume, sometimes I will say use the first-person pronoun, but I swear I have never said anything along the lines of me seemingly making a game by my own force of will, and I have certainly never thought that way as well. I respect the staff that I work alongside with, and the trust that I put in them during the game design process is something that everyone who has read blog posts up until now I think should recognize. Games are indeed “made together.” Everyone on the staff pours all of their energy into a project and what emerges in a game with pulsing with their distinct touch. This is a more eloquent way of describing the games we send out into the world, is it not?

…OK. Maybe I went a little bit overboard. LOL. Nevertheless, we are going to keep on having both responsibility and pride when it comes to our work, making games that everyone involved can be proud to stand up and say, “I made this!” Everything we do is for the people who play our games.

For my next entry, I am planning on introducing you to “Easy Automatic” mode. I think we have already gotten across the fact that while Bayonetta may be a difficult game aimed at hard-core games, we also want to create an environment where light users who want to enjoy the game like they would an action movie will be able to play easily. But how did we actually implement that? I’m going to use some video to explain it to you all. Look forward to the next entry, alright!

Picture 1: The Gallant White Knight of the Federation! I even bought three of the limited edition model kits. “Beam rifles and shields? Beam rifles and shields are just for decoration!”

Picture 2: 3D Bonus Pictures! Cross your eyes and watch Affinity pop out of the screen and into your face!

Picture 3: This one is made for parallel viewing. As for the 3D image in the next post… Hahahahaha!