2012 EVENTS

    2012 D.I.C.E. Summit Speaker Spotlight Q&A

    Itagaki

    Tomonobu Itagaki
    Co-Founder and CTO
    Valhalla Games Studios Co., Ltd.

     

     

     

     

    You will be speaking on the topic, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Games.” We’d love for you to elaborate a little bit on your topic and what you have in store for the attendees at the DICE Summit.

    My topic covers the following subjects:
    - My game design methodology: one-dimensional, two-dimensional, three-dimensional game design methods and their integration.
    - For game company management: my approach to keep capable developers/development teams from leaving your company.
    - For developers/development teams: the meaning of becoming independent, starting your own company and key things to keep in mind.

    As an artist and creator, we imagine that there are many artistic cornerstones that have and still continue to influence you.  What are your primary influences in areas like film, music, books, etc.?

    “Space Battleship Yamato” and “Galaxy Express 999”, both by Mr. LEIJI MATSUMOTO, are my biggest influences. Matsumoto sensei is one of Japan’s most famous manga artists, whom I also respect as my mentor. Another key influence in my life was back in March of 2000. I was thinking about quitting my job as a Designer and the film “Armageddon” motivated me to soldier on.

    In other forms of artistic expression, flaws can add character to a piece. In games, flaws are perceived as something that is “unplayable.” What are your thoughts on flaws in games? Do you believe that a perfect, artistic product can exist?

    A “Perfect Score” logically doesn’t exist. Even if it exists, it would be no fun at all in the eyes of some beholders. Weak points surely exist in so-called “Flawless” games because trade-offs are indispensable throughout a game’s development.

    You’ve had brilliant success as a game creator who can develop for an international audience. In creating games that have international appeal and transcend boundaries, what are some potential challenges and stumbling blocks when creating for global ?

    Of course there are many things you have to keep in mind, but the baseline premise is to never make the assumption you can understand another country’s cultural codes based on your own. You’ve got to start by assimilating that culture’s principles as if they were the core of your DNA.

    In other words, you shouldn’t read other cultures by your own book - it is dangerous and risky to measure the practices of others without real world trial and error. For example, when you contact space aliens, you can’t tell if raising a white flag means “surrender” to that alien as well. Perhaps waving a white flag means “the declaration of war” in their cultural code.


    Itagaki

    2014 DICE Registration Open

    2012 SPONSORS
    • PC Gaming Alliance
    • PlayStation
    • Microsoft Game Studios
    • High Road Communications

    Into The Pixel
    • Battle Charge
    • Gravity Daze
    • Little Insmouth
    • Regent
    • Spire Vista
    • Snowland
    • Refinery Entrance
    • Leah Close-Up
    • Call to Adventure
    • Aria
    • Arabian Night
    • Broken Overpass
    • Gunsmith
    • Priory
    • Shopkeeper
    • The 2048 Grid