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[kretos]

Toshihiro Nagoshi, Sega’s executive director of the Yakuza games, has many good things to say about Ghost of Tsushima.

Ghost of Tsushima is a worldwide hit, and it has been well received in Japan. In a recent Sega livestream (via Hachima), Nagoshi was asked about his thoughts regarding the game’s success.

“To be honest, we [Japan] were beaten,” he replied with a chuckle. “Yeah, of course, we’re losing. Honestly, I think that’s a game that should be made in Japan.” But, he continued, you can tell that the developers did a massive amount of research.

Not everything in the game is accurate, such as even basic, non-historical things like when particular flowers bloom is wrong. As I previously mentioned, there are things the game bungles for the time period (sake brewing, for example). However, this game is not a historical documentary, which is also true for many Japanese-made TV shows and movies. These too take tremendous liberties with history, just as Hollywood movies do. But yes, Sucker Punch did do research, visited Tsushima, and worked with Japanese partners and consultants while developing the game to create something that Japanese players could actually enjoy.

Nagoashi found the game very impressive—and, for him, not merely on the surface. “The Kurosawa Mode doesn’t simply change the color [to black and white], but has more of a technical approach by properly changing the number of frames to that in old movies.”

“Foreigners who tickle the fancy of Japanese people more than Japanese people are...rather amazing, no?” Nagoshi added, “There’s like a notion that Westerners don’t understand things (about Japan), but that hypothesis itself is mistaken.”

The Sega exec also praised other elements about the game, including the directional wind, and how the game offers players the ability to explore in a natural way while balancing a story without a heavy guiding hand. “It’s so great,” he said.

Yakuza Director Praises Ghost of Tsushima, Says Japan Should've Made It

Toshihiro Nagoshi, Sega’s executive director of the Yakuza games, has many good things to say about Ghost of Tsushima.

kotaku.com

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Twitter shits won't like this.

 

[ManaByte]

But Twitter said Japan is supposed to be outraged!!!

 

[#Phonepunk#]

it is an incredible game

 

[The Mad Draklor]

I can hear Twitter screaming "Internalized racism!!" in the distance.

 

[mejin]

Nagoshi rules some high praises.

Anyway, hope he is working to announce Judgment 2 for ps4 and ps5 this fall.

 

[Salmon Snake]

So much love for this game. Still haven't finished TLOU2 so I haven't started GoT.

Without spoiling the story we'll probably see a sequal for this game?

 

[Walter Matthau]

That’s really strong praise.

 

[Entroyp]

So much love for this game. Still haven't finished TLOU2 so I haven't started GoT.

Without spoiling the story we'll probably see a sequal for this game?

The mongols invaded two times so maybe we will.

 

[FunkMiller]

Wait... what? People were having a pop at GoT because they thought it was racist? I stay off Twitter as much as I can, because it’s a hellhole, and this is the first I’ve heard of this.

 

[FrozenFlame]

Well, bringing Yakuza Ishin to the West would have been cool...

 

[JunkerWoland]

Considering the game experiences Nagoshi and the Ryu Ga Gotoku team try to provide with their titles, one would imagine he wishes SEGA could (or would) provide the type of structural and financial support needed to create a product like Ghost of Tsushima. Hopefully in this coming hardware generation, Nagoshi will have a chance to produce some more ambitious titles and not just slightly bigger and better looking versions of what he's been doing since the PS2 era.

 

[AlexxKidd]

I mean, it's my Game of the Year one of the greatest games I've ever played of any year. So yes, well deserved praise. I'm glad Sucker Punch made it though, I've seen no evidence of any Japanese developer outside of Square or Capcom willing to invest the time and money to properly pull off these Sony style, single-player, top of the line graphics, open world experiences.

 

[Bartski]

Wait... what? People were having a pop at GoT because they thought it was racist? I stay off Twitter as much as I can, because it’s a hellhole, and this is the first I’ve heard of this.

well it's because the game portrays Samurai in a heroic, romanticized way. Which it totally doesn't, but to know that someone would have to actually play the game

 

[whitesugar]

umm, no sweetie. you have been culturally appropriated. sit down and let me educate you

baka nihonjin....

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Miles708]

Nagoshi, you beautiful fopdoodle dimwit*, you could have made this success in the west already, years ago, with almost no effort at all!

Now quit thinking that japanese culture is too extreme to market this game, we're not in the 70's anymore damnit, and make a Yakuza Ishin Kiwami on PS4 and PS5 already!!

Damn, now I'm angry!

*google suggested these words, I decline all responsibility

 

[Carna]

Well, bringing Yakuza Ishin to the West would have been cool...

 

[Vawn]

Why should Japan have made it? Should America have made Resident Evil?

 

[RNG]

Can we have please have Ishin and Kenzan in the west now Nagoshi?

 

[bilderberg]

Why should Japan have made it? Should America have made Resident Evil?

If Japan beat America to the punch in making the greatest Revolutionary war game ever i think you could equally say America probably should have made it.

 

[Lionel Richie]

Biggest praise the game could possibly get. Guys at Sucker Punch are fucking legends.

 

[SlimySnake]

Director Banned. 5 Years. Dismissing American minority concerns.

 

[MrS]

High praise. Game is a phenom. Looking forward to replaying on Lethal in Kurosawa mode.

 

[Shifty1897]

That's some really high praise. If you work at Sucker Punch you have to be feeling pretty good these days.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

Huge compliment. I plan on getting GOT soon and I’m looking forward to it. I’m sure GOT will be great and all, but Japan should be proud of Sekiro and Nioh even though they are smaller in scale. Also, they both play amazing.

 

[hemo memo]

I’m sure that comment got lost in translation. He actually said “We are very offended. You should be ashamed of yourself western dev”.

 

[Rac3r]

My copy arrives today. Can't wait.

 

[Mista]

Very strong and brave praise I like that! 50% of the games success and awesomeness came because SP really wanted to get educated about the era they’re making their game in. Props to them as it paid off big time and its well damn deserved!

 

[LarknThe4th]

Seems like its doing well in every metric, Sony have another series on their hands

I do think though that a sequel has to be(and the series as a whole) set in Japan it's a huge part of the appeal of the I.p

 

[hussar16]

all japan does is talk never action

 

[DeepEnigma]

Why should Japan have made it? Should America have made Resident Evil?

He is complementing with that phrase. Saying that the Japanese would not have done some of the things the west has, such as middle aged not "idol pop boy" looking main, etc..

Essentially saying, that Americans beat Japan to the punch with such a stellar portrayal, without all the bubble gum fantasy elements they tend to do now.

Edit: Fixed my 'murican Freudian slip.

 

[Vawn]

Essentially saying, that Americans beat Japan to the punch with such a stellar portrayal, without all the bubble gun fantasy elements they tend to do now.

But Japan has been doing that since the 1980s.

 

[Green_Eyes]

 

[bender]

Sure you can criticize their reusing of locales, but the Yakuza Team creates some of my favorite open worlds to be in. While I have a laundry list of complaints about Ghost, the world is a joy to be in and they've crafted an enjoyable story and cast of characters.

 

[Fbh]

It's great hearing about people in Japan liking this one.
Must be nice working like 5 years on a game set in japan and getting this sort of praise from a well known japanese game director.



Also.......obligatory where the western release of Ishin comment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DragoonWalker]

There's two design aspects of the game that is a dead givaway it isn't made in Japan, besides the obvious of English lip sync:
1.) The main characters aren't movie star handsome and beautiful in an idealized way. There's no tinge of "anime" rooted design in the faces, which is evident even in DMC5.
2.) There's no fishing. Every japanese game that has some degree of open freedom MUST have a fishing minigame. Especially if given GoT's setting.

But other than that, pretty fascinating cross cultural project. The dedication to authenticity can be felt, and is what gives the game its soul.

 

[idrago01]

I think what it does is it proves there is a demand in Japan for single player console games that are less stylized and more realistic, it doesn’t always have to be mobile, anime, and catered to the 15-20 year old demographic.

 

[tommycronin]

Japan please take several seats and acknowledge that they're ripping off your culture plz.

 

[Fake]

Thats a huge honor.

 

[FunkMiller]

well it's because the game portrays Samurai in a heroic, romanticized way. Which it totally doesn't, but to know that someone would have to actually play the game

So basically, a bunch of uptight, bored, entitled western people decided it was cultural appropriation for a western games company to make a game about ancient Japan... and the actual Japanese people couldn’t give two shits, and just think it’s a good game? Is that about right?

 

[iconmaster]

2.) There's no fishing. Every japanese game that has some degree of open freedom MUST have a fishing minigame. Especially if given GoT's setting.

We don't know all the DLC plans yet...

 

[alstrike]

The mongols invaded two times so maybe we will.

And who's gonna play the main villain? The horseman from Sleepy Hollow?

 

[Aggressive Carrot]

The praises are well deserved. Ghost of Tsushima is an amazing game. Nagoshi was a bit nitpicky about little things but you can tell he appreciates all the work that went into creating the game. With how highly praised the game is I wonder if we will see Japanese developers try their hand at a more realistic Samurai video game.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

There's no tinge of "anime" rooted design in the faces, which is evident even in DMC5.

Biggest giveaway in all gaming.

If there's anime in it it's probably 97% from Japan. There might be some indie games going for that retro 8 or 16 bit era look that tries to replicate Japanese production values.

Off the top of my head, the only key games I remember that don't have a Japanese vibe to them are Gran Turismo and Souls/Bloodborne. There's surely more, but I don't think too many.

In fact you don't even need to see the faces. Just showing the hair where dudes have giant bangs or the RPG has mages with blue hair and it's likely from Japan.

 

[Aggressive Carrot]

So basically, a bunch of uptight, bored, entitled western people decided it was cultural appropriation for a western games company to make a game about ancient Japan... and the actual Japanese people couldn’t give two shits, and just think it’s a good game? Is that about right?

That is pretty much it. After finding out Japanese gamers and developers liked GoT idiots of twitter probably still held on to the belief that the game is racist.

 

[majestix1988]

then let ask him make a mafia game

 

[mckmas8808]

Wait... what? People were having a pop at GoT because they thought it was racist? I stay off Twitter as much as I can, because it’s a hellhole, and this is the first I’ve heard of this.

Me too. Well....as much as I can stay off anyway. If GoT is racist, I'd hate to see how they view America in general. Sucker Punch took extreme delight in highlighting the greatness of Japan.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

So basically, a bunch of uptight, bored, entitled western people decided it was cultural appropriation for a western games company to make a game about ancient Japan... and the actual Japanese people couldn’t give two shits, and just think it’s a good game? Is that about right?

It's the old USA way or the highway approach.

American: In America, we eat burgers and fries.

Chinese: Ok. In China we eat white rice and stir fried veggies.

American: What's wrong with you? Too dumb and cheap to get fast food?

 

[SentientStone]

I would like Japanese lip sync in the PS5 updated version.