Sega is an interesting company with a difference from other game companies.
The story of Prince Hiroi, the creator of the blockbuster Tengai Makyo, talks about the way of life and the way of living that today’s working people should be able to see.
Arino’s bittersweet memories and the challenge of going to Romania are also worth watching.
point worthy of note
The story of Prince Hiroi, who makes everything he starts a hit, is something that the youth of today’s society should definitely watch.
It’s a story about how to create something that will attract the masses, regardless of whether you’re a game creator or not.
Arino’s revenge in Romania? You must also see.
Synopsis.
Creator’s Interview
Prince Hiroi
The creator of Tengai Makyo and Sakura Wars.
Original story by Hiroi Oji, scenario by Akahori Satoru, character design by Fujishima Kosuke, and music by Tanaka Kohei.
It established the new genre of dramatic adventure and created a new breeze in the industry.
About Prince Hiroi
Born in 1954.
Born in Sumida-ku, Tokyo.
Chairman of Red Entertainment, Inc.
He has been involved in planning and producing TV games, original manga, TV animation, novels, stage performances, and writing lyrics, and his activities are ever-changing.
He is always ready to take on new challenges with an innovative approach and new business plans.
About the name
As for the name Prince Hiroi, Arino asked, “Is that your real name? He asked “How did you come up with this name?
Hiroi promptly laughed and said, “That’s ridiculous,” explaining how he came up with this name.
His real name is “Hiroi Teruhisa”, but when his first work was published, his name was credited to the world, but the dots under “Teru” were muffled and he couldn’t read them.
At the time, “Prince” appeared in the game “Dracula”, which he was playing by chance, so he decided on this name with an easygoing approach.
The Origin of the Name “Sakura Wars
I chose “Sakura” because I wanted to make the title easy to understand as a Japanese product.
I chose “sakura” because I wanted to make the Japanese product easy to understand.
He says he didn’t think he could get the trademark by using “Sakura”, which is a very popular character string, but when he researched it, he was surprised to find that he could get it, and he felt he was doomed.
Was he expecting the fateful birth of “Sakura Wars” to be such a hit?
Pre-release feedback
The staff was having fun making it, so we figured it would be there.
We thought we could sell 200,000 copies. And the result of the predicted sales of 600,000 units is amazing in terms of numbers.
The first Sakura Wars was a hit, which immediately led to requests for a sequel.
Prince Hiroi shows his talent for character development as well.
How did the characters of Sakura Wars, which caused a huge boom, come to be?
character building
The staff was having fun making it, so we figured it would be there.
We thought we could sell 200,000 copies. And the result of the predicted sales of 600,000 units is amazing in terms of numbers.
The first Sakura Wars hit immediately prompted a request for a sequel with a lot of girl characters, but in fact, this was the first time they created a girl character in Sakura Wars.
It was the first time, but it didn’t struggle, which is still a talent.
The characters are created by handing a character sheet with detailed settings to a scenario writer.
It was said that it would take eight months to complete a scenario.
Furthermore, the character designs took a year to complete.
As the characters are completed, the scenario may be changed to fit the character.
The designer would say, “I want these characters when I see them in line! and the character was sometimes created.
To say nothing of the fact that the main character, Sakura, is dressed in a kimono and wears high heels is an innovative setting that was created by the character. It was.
Prince Hiroi shows his talent for character development as well.
How did the characters of Sakura Wars, which caused a huge boom, come to be?
■Shinguji Sakura
Shinguji Sakura, the only daughter of the Shinguji family, has inherited a bloodline of broken evil that purifies demons.
■Ichiro Okami
The player’s alter ego, the story’s protagonist, the head of the Imperial Revue, Ichiro Ogami.
■Iris (Iris Chateaubriand)
Iris Chateaubriand, a.k.a. Iris, the only daughter of the Countess of Chateaubriand, the richest man in Champagne, France.
■violetiolet
The only daughter of the Kanzaki Zaibatsu, Sumire Kanzaki is both confident and hard-working.
■Maria Tachibana
Her father was Maria Tachibana, whose father was Russian Foreign Ministry and her mother was Japanese.
She also participated in the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the Russian Revolution.
■Erica Fontine.
Erica Fontine is a bright and energetic apprentice sister with a pure heart and a passionate faith who delights in serving others.
■Grisine Brumaire.
Grisile Brumaire, daughter of the House of Brumaire, who is descended from the venerable Duke of Normandy.
She is an expert with the battleaxe.
It’s set in the Taisho era.
Hiroi says that he is always on the lookout for information.
For a game set in Paris, he gathered materials from there that are not available in Japan.
He says that he researched all the advertisements of the time with the intention of making players feel as if they had actually visited and lived there.
Thorough Research
Hiroi says that he is always on the lookout for information.
For a game set in Paris, he gathered materials from there that are not available in Japan.
He says that he researched all the advertisements of the time with the intention of making players feel as if they were actually visiting and living there.
Sakura Wars 2 is a long-awaited release following the huge success of Sakura Wars.
In the year of 1924, Hanagumi rises again against the “Black Demon Society”.
Continuing the popular trend of the previous game, many new face characters have appeared.
This game has a more profound finish than the previous one.
How did you become a creator?
Hiroi, who originally wanted to make films, has been shooting on 8mm video since he was in junior high school.
Hiroi says that he was completely absorbed in film, and became involved with an organization after visiting independent films.
One day, while working as a receptionist, he had a fateful encounter with Morimoto Reo.
At the meeting, Morimoto Reo approached her and told her to come to his place, and they became her personal assistant.
That’s when she was 19 years old.
However, according to Hiroi, he was just following her around and was more of an “attendant” than a “valet”.
Until you get to the game.
Leo Morimoto told me, “You should do that,” (Why don’t you start something?) At first, he didn’t know what to do, but then Morimoto said, “You’re good at drawing, why don’t you draw a picture on a T-shirt and sell it?
At first, he didn’t know what to do, but then Morimoto said, “You’re a good artist, why don’t you draw a picture on a T-shirt and sell it? The first thing he tried was to draw pictures on stones and sell them in Harajuku.
However, they did not sell at all.
After that, he started his own company with four friends and designed badges sold at ski resorts.
This is because they met someone who was involved in the sale of patches and asked them if they wanted to try designing them.
The president of the company at that time was a friend of his who had lost in rock-paper-scissors.
The patches sold better than he expected, and after continuing to sell patches, he began to receive requests to design extra items for candy.
By designing these extras, he gradually learned how to create characters.
Hiroi had always wanted to create a story, and the opportunity to design for the omake led him to ask if he could make an animation. He was invited to create an anime.
And what a surprise, it was “Majin Eikiden Wataru”.
It was the debut work of the anime and it was a huge hit all of a sudden.
And the sponsor of the anime Wataru was “Hudson”.
It was a famous game company that went without saying.
The next time I was asked by a high level person at Hudson if I wanted to make a game for them. And I’m invited to do so.
And that’s the game’s debut, Tengai Makyo.
It must be truly innate that all of the things you start with are such a huge hit.
It’s likely that Prince Hiroi had a keen sense of what it takes to attract people to his games.
Tengai Makyo was the game debut for Prince Hiroi.
It was the first game in Japan to bring a story to CD-ROM, which created a huge stir in the game industry at the time.
The beautiful animation and gorgeous direction had a great influence on later RPGs, and the game is still loved to this day.
Come to think of it, one word from Reo Morimoto, “Try something,” changed his life forever.
Hiroi’s gaming debut, Tengai Makyo. Where did that concept come from?
The concept of the Tengai Makai
The first thing he thought about was how Japan was founded.
What is Japan, or in other words, the book of Japan?
The backstory of the game was set up based on the concept of a story that may have been based on the fire worship religion that flowed from Iran.
The engineers at the time
Hiroi, who worked on Tengai Makyo as a director, says he had a hard time communicating with the engineers.
The PC engine system at the time was the latest in technology, but the technical aspects of creating a game were not so easy.
For example, it was not as efficient as moving the contents of several large drums, which had to be scooped up with a ladle and carried over and over again.
It would stop many times along the way, but apparently the engineers said that this is how it was supposed to work.
But that doesn’t make it a game either.
unanticipated hardship
The method of incorporating animation into the game was very revolutionary.
However, it was also an unexpectedly difficult task.
At the time, no one had ever tried to use animation in a game, and game magazines wouldn’t cover it.
The game magazines would say, “That’s animation, right? Apparently, it was a time when they said, “We deal in games.
Nowadays, it’s unthinkable.
As with anything, there’s a tendency for new things to be difficult to accept.
And at the time, the most difficult thing for Koiki was the unfamiliar game production environment.
The video game industry a long time ago.
The game creator at the time could be summed up in one word: “It was dark”.
It was an unbelievable environment for Kohei, who had been working on the film industry for a long time.
It’s no wonder, because when Hiroshi, who was supposed to have been asked to direct the film, greeted the director cheerfully on the set, there was no one to return the greeting.
When Arino heard that, he asked, “Doesn’t that make you angry? He asked Hiroi, “What did you do?
Then Hiroi said, “I got angry. I went wild. He replied, “I was angry.
So he lectured him on how to be a human being.
As a result, the team became one of the liveliest and most energetic teams anywhere.
The staff there have been in high spirits ever since, and it was a refreshing experience for me to hear their stories.
The reborn Tengai Group
Wide had a motto.
It was “Be loud in times of trouble”.
This was certainly an encouraging thought.
Hiroi knew how hard it was for the staff to work on the site.
Thanks in part to this, the staff enjoyed their work.
Using big name musicians
For this debut film, which was the first to include animation, Hiroi added another groundbreaking trick.
That was the appointment of a big-name musician.
The musician was Ryuichi Sakamoto, who, unexpectedly, was a big name.
At the time, it was the first time to make a game on a CD-ROM.
At the time, sales promotion was also basically done through magazines, so I thought it would be difficult to convey the message of the game’s animation.
So, they decided to attract attention by claiming that the music in the game was composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Encounter with SEGA
Hiroi was working on games at Hudson.
How on earth did he come to be involved with Sega?
Moving the main platform to the Dreamcast, Sakura Wars 3 was announced in 2001.
The stage is moved to Paris, the city of flowers, where the Paris Opera Company, a secret troop of girls, plays an active role.
The battle scenes have been changed to 3D, and you can enjoy the reborn Sakura Wars.
Originally, he met Shoichiro Irimajiri, who had previously served as vice president of Honda.
Irimajiri was a vice president at Sega when he met Hiroi, but he was later named president of the company.
Irimajiri knew of Hiroi’s successes and seemed to see the true nature of his work.
From there, Irimajiri’s intense approach began.
At the time, Hiroi rejected Irimajiri’s phone calls to him because he was working for Hudson.
However, that didn’t deter Irimajiri, who wanted to meet and talk to him.
Irimajiri wanted to meet with him, but Hiroi refused, saying that he was going to Saipan for two weeks (for fun).
Then, to his surprise, Irimajiri says he’s going to Saipan.
Would a vice president do this much for a creator?
It was proof that Hiroi’s talent was so admired.
Hiroi was very impressed by this.
He says that the reason why he initially turned down the offer was because he was worried about whether he could make it in a big company like Sega.
With his enthusiasm to come to Saipan, Hiroi was eager to work with him, but his final decision was decided by an unbelievable action.
It happened when Hiroi and Irimajiri were walking and talking by a pool in Saipan.
At the poolside, Irimajiri suddenly looked into the pool, saying that it was very deep.
Then, to his surprise, Hiroi dropped Irimajiri into the pool.
Hiroi had decided to work with him if he didn’t get angry.
This would have been impossible under normal circumstances.
And it’s normal to get angry.
But, to my surprise, Irimajiri didn’t get angry.
When Hiroi saw Irimajiri take it as a joke, he says he decided to follow her for the rest of his life.
Sakura War Song
Sakura Wars is a song.
What on earth is the idea behind the work?
Sakura Wars 4 was the last entry in Doricast, and it was the grand finale of the series.
In this grand finale, the eight members of the Teito Hanagumi who played a role in 1 and 2 are joined by the five members of the Paris Hanagumi from 3, for a total of 13 heroines.
This work should be called a compilation.
Many people know the song from Sakura Wars, even those who have never played the game.
That’s because they were created with the chorus in mind that would stick in their heads.
As a director, Hiroi didn’t write the songs, but he had an interesting way of asking the composers to do it.
For example, when he asked the composer Kohei Tanaka to write the music, he asked him to do a sentai version of “Blue Mountains”.
I also asked him to compose a very original and nuanced version of a bus guide, The Peanuts.
Stage of Sakura Wars
The stage of Sakura Wars is always a great success.
What was the impetus for expanding the series beyond the game to the stage?
It was because of Hiroi’s genuine desire to see Sakura Wars on stage.
What’s your favorite game?
Originally, Hiroi himself was also a fan of games, and he was so into Nobunaga’s Ambition that he played it with the company staff.
If you’re interested in Nobunaga’s Ambition, you can read more about it in a separate interview with Koei.
What’s your favorite movie?
Which movies from Arino do you think are interesting to watch over and over again? When asked, he responded with “Roman Holiday” and “Going to the Smith Capital”.
Furthermore, even in Japanese films, “Go in! The Asama-Sanso incident was raised.
The Asama Sanso incident was mentioned in the film, apparently because he thought it had something to do with the company.
Bayside Shakedown was another example, but Hiroi’s choice of this case was probably due to his knowledge of the hardship and importance of the people on the ground.
This conversation made me feel that a top executive who truly cares about the people on the ground is able to grow the organization.
What’s important in game making
Remember the emotions of the user.
There were many games that originally attracted and moved me as a player myself.
Hiroi says it’s especially important not to forget those emotions.
No matter what position you are in as a creator, if you only care about abacus (in other words, profit and loss), you can’t make something good.
What does the game mean to Hiroi?
‘The game is a school and a teacher.
Hiroi says it was like a school that he got out of college but then went back in.
He happily told Arino that he learned how to relate to people through game creation.
Challenge in Romania
This time the challenge is Romania.
Released by Sega in 2000, this life intervention simulation game is popular for its unique atmosphere and worldview.
In order to change the life of Neji, the protagonist of the game, who leads an ordinary life, into a dramatic one, the player becomes a god and implements various tricks.
Arino bought this game at the same time it was released.
He said that he devoted himself to the game, but he couldn’t solve some of the puzzles.
What was the scenario that he couldn’t solve?
I think I threw it hard at the romance part.
Arino seems to have stumbled and failed in the romance part of some of the scenarios.
This time, he tried to clear the romance part of the game using a strategy book that was not used at the time.
As you would expect from a game that I’ve played so hard, the beginning of the game goes smoothly.
Arino looks more relaxed than ever before.
Expectations were high for the love game.
Twenty minutes after the start of the game, his romantic partner appeared.
Arino also makes full use of the strategy book to proceed cautiously from this point on.
Finally, there was an event where someone stayed in the main character’s room.
But the one who has stopped is a male friend.
After that, Arino goes through a series of conflicts.
Will he be able to find his way to her?
Despite the dangers of the game, you attack one after another.
Finally, two hours after the start, they finally got to the ending.
Arino could only read the first part of the text and only understood the part where he broke up with the woman.
Therefore, he regrets that he gave a bad ending.
However, on closer reading, he finally got engaged, which was a very Arino-like ending.
Sega Masterpiece Collection
SEGA Masterpieces 1
1984 “Flicki” SG-1000
An action game in which you control Flicki, the main character’s mother bird, and take her lost chick piños home.
It has also been made into a mobile phone game.
1986 “Alex Kid’s Miracle World” Sega Mark III
A young boy, Alec, stands up to restore peace to a city invaded by the rock-paper-scissors king.
This is a classic action game of the Mark III era.
1986 “Fantasy Zone” Sega Mark III
A shooting game in which the hero, Opa-opa, plays an active role in protecting the fantasy zone from the hands of evil, which is located in the far reaches of space.
The innovative pastel colors and adorable characters have grabbed the hearts of fans.
1987 ‘Doki-Doki Penguin Land’ Sega Mark III
A puzzle game that delivers eggs to the room of your beloved faeries without breaking them.
Its high level of perfection made fans of the game wince at the time.
1987 “Phantasy Star” Sega Mark III
Sega’s first original RPG, with a sequel still being released to this day.
The game attracted a lot of attention from the time for its female protagonist and smoothly developing 3D dungeons.
1991 “Sonic the Hedgehog” Mega Drive
In this action game, Sega’s now signature character, Sonic, runs around the stage in a cramped space.
Many fans were fascinated by the speed of this game, which was thoroughly focused on.
SEGA Masterpieces 2
1994 “Virtua Fighter” Sega Saturn
The introduction of polygons changed the history of fighting games with this competitive 3D fighting game.
The introduction of polygons made the game’s movements more realistic, which enthused users at the time.
You can choose your character and stage.
When you play in “VS MODE” and either player wins, hold down “L” or “R” on the controller.
1995 SEGA RALLY Championship, SEGA Saturn
A racing game inspired by a rally where players race through rough roads.
Control of the vehicle is difficult and advanced techniques such as drifting are required.
灰色のゴーストカーが出現
タイムアタックモードのラップセレクトでカーソルを3Lapsに合わせ、「X」と「Z」を押しながら「C」を押す。
1996 “Space Harrier” Sega Saturn
Control an esper, Harrier, and shoot enemies that appear on the 3D screen while floating in the air.
The exhilarating feeling is outstanding.
1996 “Afterburner II” Sega Saturn
A complete port of Sega’s iconic shoot ’em up game.
Hot battles unfold from a 3D perspective.
1999 “Come together! Gurukuru Onsen” Dreamcast
It is a pioneer of Internet games, allowing you to play any table game against players from all over Japan via the Internet.
2000 “Crazy Taxi” Dreamcast
You can run anywhere you want.
Anyway, it’s a unique action game in which you have to carry your customers to their destinations within the time limit.
The perfect stress reliever.
Taxis become bicycles.
On the character selection screen, press “L” and “R” at the same time → Release “L” and “R” in order → Press at the same time again → Release at the same time.
SEGA Masterpieces (3)
2000 “Samba de Amigo” Dreamcast
A complete port of the arcade game that made girls all over the country go wild.
Shake your maracas at the right time to the Latin rhythm.
2001 “Super Monkey Ball” GameCube
An action puzzle game in which you roll a cute monkey in a transparent ball and aim for the goal.
Easy to play with a single stick.
2001 “SEGA GAGA” Dreamcast
A simulation game in which you become a manager of Sega and aim to become a leader in the video game industry.
You can actually develop game software.
2003 “Let’s make a professional soccer club!
The latest version of the popular soccer simulation game, “Soccer Soccer Club”.
Compared to its predecessor, this game allows for more detailed player development.
2003 “Fierce Fighting Pro Baseball” GameCube
A baseball game featuring many of Shinji Mizushima’s characters such as Iwaki and Denma.
Even the secret techniques familiar from the manga have been fully recreated.
Creator Quotes
‘The game is a school and a teacher.
There were broad and deep words that clearly showed that he was willing to go all out to learn about the things he loved.
How to watch the video?
DVD／CDの宅配レンタル【TSUTAYA DISCAS】
今なら無料でお試し！「ゲオ宅配レンタル」
Arino’s summary
What surprised me the most was the gaming industry, everyone was dark back in the day! I guess that’s what I said.
Mr. Hiroi-san used to say that he used to stay home and write about things that came to him all the time, but now he must be a recluse.
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