Suzuki Talks RPGs

TOKYO - Yu Suzuki is up to bat and the game's at stake. Sega's Dreamcast has yet to reach critical mass in Japan, but Suzuki's Shen Mue might be the game that can push it over the edge. But Shen Mue is an RPG, and Suzuki's previous games have all been arcade-based twitch games, like Virtua Fighter and Out Run. In an interview with the Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun, Suzuki sheds light on his transition from Virtua Fighter to the Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment (FREE) world of Shen Mue.

Can Suzuki turn his expertise from arcade games to his first console-based RPG? "The production process is basically the same as with arcade games, but the scenarios are more important in an RPG. The conversations must be natural. The sunset must be seen in the evening, and the stores must be closed at 8 in the evening. We are trying to see how near to reality we can go."

Suzuki says that he doubts the game will be ready in time for a spring release (it is 60 percent complete now), but it will be one of Sega's big attractions at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show. While Sega will bank on Shen Mue for its summer lineup, Suzuki stays modest. "I don't think Shen Mue decides Dreamcast's fate, but I think it will help the sale of hardware. I want it to become more of a pep-up drink for Dreamcast."

"I'd like to go about my work as if I was a cook using classic RPGs as sources. It's natural that my work will be different from other RPGs and I don't have a sense of rivalry with anyone. As a matter of fact, I'm not fond of playing those types of games," he explains. "Certainly my business involves playing battle games, but I haven't played RPGs from other companies, even though I have to in order to study them. You can say that's not my taste. I prefer games like Tetris or Whack-A-Mole."

As for a Shen Mue sequel? You can bet on it. Suzuki tells the Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun that he is already planning for one.