Kamiya Praises Japanese Publishers for Trusting New Game Ideas

In an interview with the website VGC, Hideki Kamiya expressed his belief that Japanese publishers are more willing to trust creators to develop something new compared to Western companies.

Below is his full comment:

“The feeling when working with Japanese publishers is that their development culture seems closer in mindset, and they tend to be more understanding toward creators.

I view game development as a form of invention. For example, in Bayonetta we had Witch Time, in The Wonderful 101 we had Unite Morphs, and in Okami it was the Celestial Brush. My goal is always to build a unique mechanic that only that specific game can possess.

I get the impression that on the Japanese side, they recognize you’re trying to create a new invention. They understand the struggle of giving birth to something new and patiently follow the process.

This is where I see a difference with Western publishers. With foreign companies, if you’re trying to invent something new whose form isn’t yet clear, there tends to be pressure like ‘show us something that’s already taken shape.’ And if you look at their games themselves—like how first-person shooters have been popular for a while—I get the impression they find security in established formats.”

Presently, Hideki Kamiya is working on the sequel to Okami at his new studio, CLOVERS.