Nagoshi on F-Zero and the year ahead
Sega’s in-house creative consultant and AV chief speaks on growing up.
In the latest issue of Dorimag, Amusement Vision boss Toshihiro Nagoshi speaks about how his role has changed within Sega, his emergence from the monkey pit, and the future for F-Zero and 2003.
Speaking reflectively about how 2002 panned out, he said, “We released Super Monkey Ball 2 which performed well at retail, particularly in America. Lately there's been wide focus on developing software for younger players. However, given that the age of the average player continues to increase, that's something we're going to have to evaluate in the future. It’s been a busy year for me, both at Amusement Vision and as creative director working at Sega HQ. At the moment, I'm completely focused on F-Zero.”
As the deadline for F-Zero looms, work at Sega and Nintendo to polish up the high-profile racer must be huge. Nagoshi has long stated his utmost respect for the games Nintendo produces and this is mirrored when he continues, “We have great respect for Nintendo, and I'm proud when I see the name F-Zero in flashing lights. But the game comes with a considerable amount of pressure too.”
Then, he spoke a little more about SpikeOut, the game about which we brought you exclusive details last week. As it turns out, squeezing a decent level of players into an environment, and updating it to them all in real-time is proving tough. “Creating online games poses many technical challenges. Until now it’s been a matter of coping with what the systems can offer.”
But is there enough interest in the Xbox to justify the game? Nagoshi-san thinks so. “Microsoft's Xbox may look disappointing in Japan. Worldwide however, Xbox has the second largest market share. I think that the battle between the consoles will continue to intensify. I also think that Xbox Live will have a great impact on the machine’s sales.”
Lastly, Mr Monkey Ball speaks on how his role has dramatically widened in his time at Sega, from junior programmer to overall creative consultant. It is interesting and heartening to think that a firm like Sega can put so much faith into the man behind the greatest game (featuring monkeys) ever created. “I'm interested in raising the quality of our products. I only began working in this role in October last year, so I don't think you'll see a noticeable change until early 2004.”
Speaking reflectively about how 2002 panned out, he said, “We released Super Monkey Ball 2 which performed well at retail, particularly in America. Lately there's been wide focus on developing software for younger players. However, given that the age of the average player continues to increase, that's something we're going to have to evaluate in the future. It’s been a busy year for me, both at Amusement Vision and as creative director working at Sega HQ. At the moment, I'm completely focused on F-Zero.”
As the deadline for F-Zero looms, work at Sega and Nintendo to polish up the high-profile racer must be huge. Nagoshi has long stated his utmost respect for the games Nintendo produces and this is mirrored when he continues, “We have great respect for Nintendo, and I'm proud when I see the name F-Zero in flashing lights. But the game comes with a considerable amount of pressure too.”
Then, he spoke a little more about SpikeOut, the game about which we brought you exclusive details last week. As it turns out, squeezing a decent level of players into an environment, and updating it to them all in real-time is proving tough. “Creating online games poses many technical challenges. Until now it’s been a matter of coping with what the systems can offer.”
But is there enough interest in the Xbox to justify the game? Nagoshi-san thinks so. “Microsoft's Xbox may look disappointing in Japan. Worldwide however, Xbox has the second largest market share. I think that the battle between the consoles will continue to intensify. I also think that Xbox Live will have a great impact on the machine’s sales.”
Lastly, Mr Monkey Ball speaks on how his role has dramatically widened in his time at Sega, from junior programmer to overall creative consultant. It is interesting and heartening to think that a firm like Sega can put so much faith into the man behind the greatest game (featuring monkeys) ever created. “I'm interested in raising the quality of our products. I only began working in this role in October last year, so I don't think you'll see a noticeable change until early 2004.”
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