A
André
Guest
Virtua Fighter 2 was tremendously popular amongst arcade players. Do you think VF4 helped recreate that experience?
Kihara: So far, yes. More than 3, I feel [VF4] is reminiscent of 2.
How well has Virtua Fighter 4 for the PlayStation 2 sold so far in American and Japan?
Kihara: I haven't seen the latest figures, but Sega of America has been reporting healthy sales so we probably have no worries on that front. In Japan, of course we are aiming for a million seller and so far the figures have been satisfactory.
There have been rumors suggesting Virtua Fighter 4 will be released for Xbox, can you discuss that?
Kihara: There were rumors on the net about VF 4.1 for Xbox, weren't there? Famitsu asked us about it too. The truth is, we are not developing any such game. If someone has created a VF4.1 for Xbox, please give it to us! (laughs).
So there no plans for an Xbox version of VF4 in the future?
Kihara: No.
Based on feedback you've received from players, which new gameplay ideas in VF4 do you think worked and which didn't?
Kihara: The biggest change was VF Net. I don't think this is used abroad, but in Japan this system connects arcades using cellular phones and player memory cards. This is the newest feature, and has been well received. Another thing that has changed between 3 and 4 is that there is now one less button. I think this gives the game a user-friendly image. That the game can be played with just the joystick and 3 buttons and still allows a number of different moves is a big improvement. Also the ability to customize characters with items and names is interesting.
The ranking system (which uses fight history data stored in the memory cards to give players a rank) is interesting too.
Kihara: Yes. When the really heavy users are playing, it tends to shut out the casual players. To avoid this, we hope that players can use the rankings to find players of similar skill levels when they go to the arcade. On the minus side, I don't think we've made the [casual] players aware of this, so the game is still perceived as being difficult by light users.
AM2 announced plans for Virtua Fighter Quest for the GameCube at the GameJam2 event last month. Will the game include characters from all the Virtua Fighter games?
Kihara: It's still undecided. There is still a lot that hasn't been decided with regards to Quest. It will be out in 2003.
How far along in development is the Virtua Fighter Quest?
Kihara: It's coming along well, though I can't really put an exact percentage on it.
One of the questions our readers always ask about is the possibility of Fighters Megamix 2. Is there a chance we'll ever see it?
Kihara: Sorry, it's very of hard to say at this point.
What's the status of development on the Xbox version of Shenmue? Will there be any new elements such as online features or harddisk compatibility?
Kihara: Development is coming alo
ng very well. We're considering adding elements that make use of the Xbox's features. It won't be exactly like the DC version. You will probably see some changes.
AM2 is currently working on Beach Spikers for the GameCube. Will it be released for other consoles such as PlayStation 2 or Xbox?
Kihara: It's being considered. We're still not sure how the GameCube version will shape up. It will be a port of the arcade game, but the arcade game has been kind of eclipsed by VF4. It was not exactly a huge hit, so we didn't think a direct port of the arcade would perform very strongly. We're changing the balance and have improved the AI so that players can play it on their own. We're also adding a lot of customizable elements, such as being able to change your character's hair and swimsuit. I think it will be something gamers can look forward to.
What can we expect from Sega/AM2 at the E3 Expo later this month?
Kihara: We'll be making some new announcements. We'll also probably have some playable demos. You can expect some interesting things.
Kihara: So far, yes. More than 3, I feel [VF4] is reminiscent of 2.
How well has Virtua Fighter 4 for the PlayStation 2 sold so far in American and Japan?
Kihara: I haven't seen the latest figures, but Sega of America has been reporting healthy sales so we probably have no worries on that front. In Japan, of course we are aiming for a million seller and so far the figures have been satisfactory.
There have been rumors suggesting Virtua Fighter 4 will be released for Xbox, can you discuss that?
Kihara: There were rumors on the net about VF 4.1 for Xbox, weren't there? Famitsu asked us about it too. The truth is, we are not developing any such game. If someone has created a VF4.1 for Xbox, please give it to us! (laughs).
So there no plans for an Xbox version of VF4 in the future?
Kihara: No.
Based on feedback you've received from players, which new gameplay ideas in VF4 do you think worked and which didn't?
Kihara: The biggest change was VF Net. I don't think this is used abroad, but in Japan this system connects arcades using cellular phones and player memory cards. This is the newest feature, and has been well received. Another thing that has changed between 3 and 4 is that there is now one less button. I think this gives the game a user-friendly image. That the game can be played with just the joystick and 3 buttons and still allows a number of different moves is a big improvement. Also the ability to customize characters with items and names is interesting.
The ranking system (which uses fight history data stored in the memory cards to give players a rank) is interesting too.
Kihara: Yes. When the really heavy users are playing, it tends to shut out the casual players. To avoid this, we hope that players can use the rankings to find players of similar skill levels when they go to the arcade. On the minus side, I don't think we've made the [casual] players aware of this, so the game is still perceived as being difficult by light users.
AM2 announced plans for Virtua Fighter Quest for the GameCube at the GameJam2 event last month. Will the game include characters from all the Virtua Fighter games?
Kihara: It's still undecided. There is still a lot that hasn't been decided with regards to Quest. It will be out in 2003.
How far along in development is the Virtua Fighter Quest?
Kihara: It's coming along well, though I can't really put an exact percentage on it.
One of the questions our readers always ask about is the possibility of Fighters Megamix 2. Is there a chance we'll ever see it?
Kihara: Sorry, it's very of hard to say at this point.
What's the status of development on the Xbox version of Shenmue? Will there be any new elements such as online features or harddisk compatibility?
Kihara: Development is coming alo
ng very well. We're considering adding elements that make use of the Xbox's features. It won't be exactly like the DC version. You will probably see some changes.
AM2 is currently working on Beach Spikers for the GameCube. Will it be released for other consoles such as PlayStation 2 or Xbox?
Kihara: It's being considered. We're still not sure how the GameCube version will shape up. It will be a port of the arcade game, but the arcade game has been kind of eclipsed by VF4. It was not exactly a huge hit, so we didn't think a direct port of the arcade would perform very strongly. We're changing the balance and have improved the AI so that players can play it on their own. We're also adding a lot of customizable elements, such as being able to change your character's hair and swimsuit. I think it will be something gamers can look forward to.
What can we expect from Sega/AM2 at the E3 Expo later this month?
Kihara: We'll be making some new announcements. We'll also probably have some playable demos. You can expect some interesting things.