Famitsu has conducted their annual year-end interview project with 119 game creators for their aspirations and keywords for 2019. These interviews are featured in Weekly Famitsu magazine issue #1568 (or the January 3 issue) released on December 20, 2018.
Three of the developers interviewed are from Atlus, representing the three different creative departments at the company:
- Katsura Hashino (Studio Zero director)
- Kazuyuki Yamai (Shin Megami Tensei series producer)
- Kazuhisa Wada (Persona series director)
Katsura Hashino (3rd Creative Department – Studio Zero)
Keyword
Adult drama reaches its climax on Valentine’s!
Aspirations
Aiming for an official announcement, I am producing an entirely new RPG which is neither “Megaten” nor “Persona” at the new studio. In any case, I believe it will be a work which hasn’t quite existed until now. What is the future of fantasy? We are progressing with everyone in the team, improving it day by day. Staying open-minded, I’m working straight ahead as to not lose my way. Please stay tuned.
Latest Report
“Catherine: Full Body” will be released on February 14, 2019! A more extreme drama with great additions to the story. From beginners to experienced players, I think that a wide range of people will be able to enjoy it. Please pick it up by all means.
Entertainment media or something else you are looking forward to in 2019.
When it comes to social phenomena, I think this will be a year where certain backlash will begin. There are a great deal of thoughts and feelings, with a variety of different lives, and I want to be able to experience this with my own skin. I also anticipate big success from Red-Bull Honda.
Kazuyuki Yamai (1st Creative Department)
Keyword
“Thump-thump” / “Dokidoki” [a beating heart]
Aspirations
2019 is likely to be a year where we ask everyone “various” things. It’s full of expectation and anxiety. I hope that our efforts so far will bear fruit.
Latest Report
“Shin Megami Tensei V” is actively being developed. I’m sorry that we could not update you on a follow-up report. The adoption of Unreal Engine 4 and implementation of details takes a lot of time. I would appreciate it if you could wait for an update for just a little longer.
Entertainment media or something else you are looking forward to in 2019.
It’s the end of the Heisei period. I would be happy to be able to provide “new Megaten works” in the new era.
Kazuhisa Wada (2nd Creative Department – P Studio)
To take off
Aspirations
For me, 2019 is a very important year. We’ve been making progress on the various products underway up to now, improving our environment and making preliminary arrangements, and finally it will be time to execute on these plans. Depending on the developments of 2019, the next 5 years will change. It will be a year of victory or defeat.
Latest Report
For the “Persona” team, our latest work, “Persona Q2,” was released for the Nintendo 3DS in November 2018. Additionally, at the end of 2018 there will be the special broadcast for the anime of “Persona 5,” and there will be a big live concert in April 2019. And, finally, “Persona” will be participating in “Smash Bros.”! In 2019, we will continue to enliven “Persona” more and more, so thank you for your support!
Entertainment media or something else you are looking forward to in 2019.
Maybe it’s just in my surroundings, but cash is becoming less of an element, I feel that digital wallets are progressing, and I feel that the flow of environmental change is getting faster. The game market and platforms have not changed. I am paying a lot of attention to Epic Games.
The 2018 Atlus developer aspirations from Famitsu can be read in a previous post.