I’m the one that wants to say thank you. I feel fortunate to be able to publish English versions of Nitroplus games. So, again, “Thank you, everyone!”

Because otaku exist out there, everywhere! The first English version game we created was PHANTOM OF INFERNO, which was the debut game of Nitroplus. It was on sale in America eight years ago. We created the English version because we wanted many people to play the games that we proudly created. However, developing the English version cost more than we expected, and it put a lot of strain on us back then. That’s why we put the development of more English versions on hold. But many people from many countries said they wanted English versions of our games, and finally the English version of  Deus Machina Demonbane was published by JAST USA in May this year.

Different types of creators belong to Nitroplus, and each one has a chance to propose ideas. A concept is chosen for production in a conference with Nitroplus’s leaders. As the last stage, I approve it and the development team and schedule are decided. There are many plans that didn’t become actual games… For example, there was this proposal: A human main character meets a 4-meter-tall giant alien bishoujo and a 60-cm-tall mini alien bishoujo; he starts to communicate and fall in love with both of them. The home planets of each alien go into a galactic-scale war, and he has to make the right choices to end the war. This concept never moved into production because there weren’t many staff who were interested in 4-meter-tall women!

The shortest time is 9 months, and the longer ones take over 3 years. The number of development staff is about 10 at minimum and 50 at maximum.

Each staff member likes to hear different types of comments, but for me, it’s “I was surprised.” My joy is for them to appreciate something that surpasses what they imagined before playing. We always pay attention to what the fans say, but we have a strong commitment to provide new qualities and ideas that the fans don’t anticipate and still leave them satisfied.

I think that one challenge is to provide more emotional content. In our newest game “Sonicomi” (featuring Nitroplus mascot Super Sonico), the actions and emotional expressions of the characters are richer than ever before, because we’re expressing them in 3D by real time polygon. Also, by expanding the platform not only on PC and game consoles but also on web browsers and smart phones like iPhone and Android, the games can be played by more people.

It’s not that we want to create grittier and darker games. It’s the result of creating what we wanted to create at the time. Entertainment is a fictional world after all, but we still value a realistic approach. We put a lot of effort into creating games that don’t feel fake or totally disconnect from the world of the player. You would hurt and feel pain if you got in a fight, sometimes you would die, or you would lose something to gain something. We want to create something that doesn’t feel like predictable or unrealistic. Although the level of reality is different depending on the staff in charge, I always ask the staff for that emotional quality.

I don’t want our brand image to be stereotyped like “Nitroplus only creates something gritty and dark!” We like cute girls and happy stories, too. The development of “SoniComi” is a great example. I had been eager to showcase this character in 3D polygon. The development team was working on this as an experiment, and the “SoniComi” project came together pretty quickly. You can dress up and take photos of the heroine, Sonico-chan, and communicate with her in a fun, casual way. I’m not sure if it matches your feeling about “light-hearted” because each person feels differently, but I’m sure you’ll have fun!

Fans of Japanese eroge games often mention the high quality of Nitroplus soundtracks. Why is music so important to Nitroplus? How many fans attended the 10th Anniversary concert?
Music is one of the key elements in a game, and I think it’s just as important as programs, images, and scenarios. So, just like we work hard to create unique images and scenarios, we do the same for the music. Because our music is made with such care, I want the fans to listen to it with live performances and we host live events regularly, featuring artists like Kanako Ito or Swinging Popsicle. The Nitroplus 10th Anniversary concert 2 years ago was held at JCB Hall, which is the largest live house in Japan. Over 3000 fans cheered enthusiastically. One of our goals is to have a 10,000-audience live show in Budoukan, where The Beatles had a live show in Japan 45 years ago. 

Nitroplus uses unique promotion methods in Akihabara. Please tell us about your special Nitroplus car and Joy Max, the Nitroplus spokeperson.

In Japan, “itasha” — cars wrapped with character illustrations — are a hot trend. Because I love cars, I utilize these “itasha” for promotion. We’ve made itasha using my car (Nissan GT-R) and my friends’ cars (Corvette, Lancia Stratos, etc). As for Joy Max, he used to be just a normal spokesman. One day, a president of another game maker gave him a cosplay costume as a gift, and said “Please help promotion for our company’s game in this costume.” Since he did the promotion in the cosplay costume wearing an Afro wig, that style has become his trademark. He must be the most famous cosplay spokesman in Japan now.

JAST USA just announced three upcoming English-language Nitroplus adaptations: Song of Saya (Saya no Uta), Django! (Zoku Satsuriku no Django), and Star Mine Girl (SUMAGA). Out of all the Nitroplus titles, why are these games the best choice to introduce American fans to Nitroplus?

Saya no Uta is one of the most popular games in Nitroplus. It’s one of the representative works of Gen Urobuchi, who did the script for the popular anime Madoka Magika. Zoku Satsuriku no Django is also a work of Urobuchi. The content is “Spaghetti Western,” so I think it’s a familiar style for American people. SUMAGA is an innovative, pop game that is made by the younger staff of Nitroplus. We want people to know that Nitroplus creates games like this, too.

What did you think about your panel at Anime Expo 2011?  Were you surprised at how many people knew about Nitroplus games? Was there anything else that surprised you?

I didn’t expect so many fans to show up so early in the morning! I was really impressed to see many types of people, from older fans of the English version of Phantom to newer fans of STEINS;GATE. It seemed like Madoka Magika was especially popular — it hasn’t been very long since its broadcast ended in Japan, so I was surprised at how fast it’s created fans in America. Many people asked me for photos and autographs. I was a little blown away because they’re more aggressive than Japanese fans! But I had a really fun time.

What’s next for Nitroplus in 2011 and 2012?

Of course, more games are planned for release, but also more anime and novels. We will continue to announce the details on Nitroplus official website and Twitter. Please check them out! Also, I would like to publish more English versions of Nitroplus games. It may take time, but please look forward to it. Thank you everyone for your support!

Nitroplus website (Japanese): http://www.nitroplus.co.jp
JAST USA – Demonbane game website: http://www.nitroplususa.com/demonbane
NitroplusUSA (upcoming titles): http://www.nitroplususa.com
Nitroplus soundtracks at JapanFiles: http://www.japanfiles.com