Interviews// Blue Dragon's Sakaguchi-san Interviewed

SPOnG: What were your intentions when creating Blue Dragon? Compared with Final Fantasy and other old RPG series, it’s quite different, isn’t it?

HS: I wanted to give players an experience that stays with them even after they’ve turned the game off. And beyond that, I really wanted to make a game that leaves players with a warm feeling once they’ve completed it.

SPOnG: What’s the deal with Blue Dragon and Xbox Live?

HS: We’re still working on various downloadable contents for Xbox Live, and we’re also looking to provide an area for user feedback and requests. We think we should make the most of the fact Live is a live experience.

SPOnG: Blue Dragon is a 3-DVD game. Do you see the multi-disc nature of it as being unfortunate in any way?

HS: Not at all. In 40 hours of play time, you have to change the disc twice. Compared with the number of times you’ll turn the console on and off during that period, the disc change frequency is negligible.

SPOnG: How do you plan to expand Blue Dragon for its sequel?

HS: We’re still thinking about that. But we’ve already committed to making Blue Dragon Manga, anime, card games – we want to create a complete Blue Dragon world. With Blue Dragon2, we’re going to use those elements to expand the Blue Dragon world and the game, and the style we’re using will surprise people.

SPOnG: Was it difficult to simultaneously develop two games with such contrasting styles as Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey?

HS: Well, in the past 20 years I’ve worked on so many different concepts. And among those concepts, Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon came about as a result of the progressive development that’s ongoing inside my mind. Of course, I have other secret plans for various systems, and I’d love to have the chance to realise those concepts in the future.

SPOnG: Can you tell us a bit more about your collaboration with a certain Kyoto-based company?

HS: Yes, we’re working with Nintendo on a DS game called ASH, as you know. In a good way, I’d say it’s not a typical DS game. It’s set in a world that’s drawn with realistic graphics; I can’t say much more right now.

SPOnG: So, what are your plans for Mistwalker’s future?

HS: We want to be a group that isn’t afraid to walk through the mist. That’s our objective. We want to walk where others haven’t, and with a spirit of adventure.

SPOnG: That’s quite poetic, we wish you well! Thanks.