Katsuhiro Harada Believes SNK will Revive the Japanese Games
Katsuhiro Harada, after years as one of the most well-known names in the Tekken series, has made a major career change. Having joined Bandai Namco in 1994, Harada left at the end of last year and is now leading SNK’s new Tokyo-based VS Studio team. Harada’s goal is not only to develop new games but also to contribute to the Japanese gaming industry regaining one of its past strengths.
Katsuhiro Harada Sees SNK’s Approach Differently
According to Harada, there is a key point that distinguishes SNK from many other large game companies in Japan: the people in management are directly involved with the games. The experienced developer states that the executives working at SNK don’t just look at sales, budget, and financial results, but are also closely involved with the games themselves.
Harada also made some rather harsh statements about the top management of some large companies in the Japanese gaming industry. According to his observations, many executives don’t play prototypes or completed versions of games developed within the company. However, he didn’t directly judge whether this is good or bad, only emphasizing that SNK is an exception in this regard.
The aim of the newly established VS Studio will be to carry this approach to new projects. Harada believes that making game development decisions with a management approach that focuses directly on the game itself, rather than solely on commercial considerations, can lead to more original work. The studio is expected to work particularly on new intellectual properties and move beyond SNK’s existing brands.
Harada’s statements haven’t yet been supported by a concrete game announcement. It’s unknown what VS Studio’s first project will be or what genre it will work in. Nevertheless, Katsuhiro Harada believes that SNK’s game-focused management approach could open a new creative era in the Japanese industry. How his post-Tekken career will unfold will be revealed by VS Studio’s first game.
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