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[Kazza]

A nice (but short) interview with a great man:




In the interview he reveals the following:
- although the first Yakuza sold pretty well, the sales weren't sufficient to cover the game's production costs
- he initially wanted to take his time making Yakuza 2, but was convinced to release it within a year of the original (while the first game was still in the public's consciousness). It paid off, as the sequel sold twice the amount of the original.
- he says the times when he listened to other people's opinions about the games he was making, they didn't turn out very well, so he prefers to trust his own instincts

He has a very impressive resume spanning multiple genres. I honestly struggle to think of a bad game he made. His credits include:

• Virtua Racing - Chief Designer
• Daytona USA series - Director
• Scud Race - Director
• Shenmue - Supervisor
• SpikeOut - Director
• Planet Harriers - Director
• Super Monkey Ball series[14] - Producer/Director
• F-Zero GX/AX - Producer
• Yakuza series[15] - Producer/Director/Executive Director
• Binary Domain - General Director
• Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise - Executive Director

Here's a great article from late last year when he shed some light on the development of some of his most well known games

 

[Lucumo]

Aniki is 53 years old, hard to believe that. I really hope he will stay around for a while longer, so that he can work on more great games.

 

[Kazza]

Aniki is 53 years old, hard to believe that. I really hope he will stay around for a while longer, so that he can work on more great games.

Those damn Japanese genes...

Also, just had to add this picture. It looks like he has a lot of fun making Yakuza.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

It shows a lot of humility when he says "Ultimately, it is the market's reaction that decides whether a game is good or not". I also like how he discussed the decision to release Yakuza 2 so soon after the first game. Again, this shows a lot of humility and pragmatism because sometimes Japanese devs take way too long for their "vision", ultimately disappointing the fanbase.

 

[Hanon]

i want this guy on board for major influence on Sonic, he could do wonders for the franchise.

 

[Kazza]

i want this guy on board for major influence on Sonic, he could do wonders for the franchise.

I'd love to see what a Sonic game developed by the Yakuza team would look like. As for a Yakuza game developed by Sonic Team...

 

[Kazza]

I love this gif. Nagoshi really looks like he enjoys his job:

I really struggle to picture him sitting in front of a computer actually coding.

 

[sublimit]

Navoshi deserves a lot more power within Sega and much bigger budgets for his games.

 

[Starlight Lotice]

Interesting insight on how he goes about his games.

He is pretty high up at SEGA now, does he still have a say in the new Yakuza games or has he passed that baton on?

 

[Lionel Richie]

Dude's a rockstar, definitely one of the greatest.

 

[Verdanth]

The explanation between yakuza and yakuza 2 launch is very interesting.

This man is a legend.

 

[boutrosinit]

Such an under-rated director / producer / creative. His catalogue just blows me away. Quality in every game. Multiple genres. Always manages to inject a rich personality and sense of style in every one of them.