In an interview with VG247 about the past and future of the 30th anniversary Tekken series, Tekken 8 executive producer Katsuhiro Harada said, as translated by producer Michael Murray, that there will be just one more Tekken before the two hand it over. I said I could. Pull the reins on someone else.
This is in response to a question asking Harada what his hopes are for the future of Tekken. You can read his thoughts on other topics, including his feelings about Tekken becoming the last remaining 3D fighter, why Tekken lasted so long while other IPs faltered, and more in the full interview here.
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“It’s really hard to say. Me and Murray, because of our age and the way it’s unfolding in Japan and the development, there might be one more Tekken. 20 to 30 years is a long time, so another team, that’s how the company works. Tekken The team is a bit unique in that even apart from the two of us, most of the team members have been with the team for at least 20 years, so it’s going to be a very different game. Who knows, it could be like Smash Bros!”
Through Murray, Harada continues to express his concerns about the balance of power within the Tekken team once he and other senior staff who have been around for decades step down.
“I’m honestly very worried because there are so many different elements to making a game. Of course, you have a company board of directors, you have financial people who have goals for the game and things like that, and how that relates to the company. You can imagine. As you can see, it’s pretty strong innately, so it’s very important for people to have a creative side that knows the game. well And I know what it is necessary “In the future”.
“But you have to have a strong enough voice (on the development team) to be on the same level as those people. So what I worry about is if you have a creative side that doesn’t have the same footing in the company. “I’m worried about what will happen,” he said.
However, when asked if he was concerned that his departure would weaken the strength of Tekken’s creative development team, he turned to Murray again to provide confirmation and further explanation. “Yes, it’s a difficult balance in reality. If the creative side is stronger than the board of the company (which sometimes happens), the company may not survive. (Laughs) So it’s a delicate balance.
If you’ve been a Tekken fan for a long time, it might be hard to imagine a future without Harada, Murray, and many of the senior leads who have played foundational roles in the growing Tekken franchise. The two people I interviewed were the face and voice of the game, communicating directly with the community about issues both serious and enjoyable.
But this is not an unfamiliar problem, especially when it comes to Japanese game development, where a small number of key star developers have spearheaded various franchises for years. Many of these legendary names first got their start in the early PlayStation era or even earlier! It’s natural that as time goes by, new names and faces will have to pick up the torch. You have to look no further than the young, ambitious talent of Street Fighter 6 for a successful example. Let’s hope that happens, as all great video game franchises hope to happen.
