Alongside the recently released commercial for Genei Ibun Roku #FE was a developer post by Nintendo producer Hitoshi Yamagami about the game’s development.
This follows a GamesBeat interview in June where the producer also talked about the game’s origins.
- The concept of Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem has been in production for 5 years.
- When producer Yamagami first heard the idea from Nintendo director Kaori Ando, the plan was for the game to be a fantasy strategy RPG.
- There have been opinions such as “Where is Megaten? This is not like Fire Emblem,” though the initial concept of the game reflected these thoughts.
- While the direction of the game shifted, Yamagami and the team believe that the path they chose was what they thought to be interesting.
- The concept of the game changed course with the desires of the development staff:
- Atlus producer Shinjiro Takada wanted the game to be an RPG with “modern drama” elements.
- Atlus chief director Mitsuru Hirata wanted the modern drama elements to be representative of the entertainment industry.
- Nintendo director Kaori Ando wanted the entertainment industry elements to be representative of the music industry, and to contact people who do not usually make game music (i.e. Avex Group).
- These shifts in thought are what caused the team to challenge the idea of Genei Ibun Roku #FE as a JRPG set in the music entertainment business.
- The characters in the game are out to protect the things that are important to them and carve out their own future.
- Yamagami states that while the idea is innovative, a lot of people were surprised when they first saw it (relatedly: Potential Atlus employee hint regarding the surprising nature of the project).
- While it was a fun and challenging five years, Yamagami always thinks, “Oh, let’s not make any more of these. It’s the best it can be! Let’s retire,” when he finishes a project.
Translations provided thanks to Mystic from TRADUKO Soft.
Genei Ibun Roku #FE (translated as Illusory Revelations #FE and previously known as Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem) will be released on December 26, 2015 in Japan for the Wii U. It will release in North America in 2016.
— Nintendo