When a game redefines certain genres, it’s held in high esteem. Nier Automata was one such title when it arrived five years ago. PlatinumGames made it, and they’ve since admitted that the title saved their studio after certain incidents with other games they made. The game sold incredibly well received a bunch of awards, and five years later, we’re still talking about it. Not just that, the game got a port to the Nintendo Switch and lived up to the legacy of the other versions. To celebrate that, writer-director Yoko Taro, producer Yosuke Saito, and composer Keiiche Okabe did an interview about the game’s origins and how Square Enix was forced to make it.
Oh, it’s a great story, as Saito noted that he literally threatened Square Enix if they didn’t let him make the title:
“I threatened to leave the company if I couldn’t develop Nier: Automata and pushed through internal approvals that way, honestly. They thought it would only sell 300,000 units globally…”
To be fair, Square Enix knew that the previous game in the franchise didn’t do so well. However, the sequel shattered expectations and, as of June 2022, had sold 6.5 million units. If the Switch port does well, and many think it well, that’ll quickly go over 7 million, maybe even close to 8 million units!
It’s honestly funny to hear how a threat led to such a game being made. But that also shows how much faith Saito had in the title that he was willing to put his career on the line for it. That faith paid off. Saito revealed that he was the one who chose PlatinumGames to do the game because he trusted them to make a great action RPG. Something that they’re now known for, thanks to titles like this and Bayonetta.
Yoko Taro noted that he had received many messages from players about how the game “helped with their depression.” When asked whether this was the “intention of the game,” he revealed it wasn’t. Instead, his writing was done to be a “mirror that reflects the player.” The game’s themes and the various endings depend on what the player does and their choices. So if they were indeed “cured” of their sadness, it’s because they chose a path that would lead them to a result that made them happy. In contrast, the interviewer noted that they knew someone who called the game “depressing.” That shows the path they took during their run.
Okabe talked about his musical style in Nier Automata and how he would take the words/suggestions of Yoko Taro and “shape them” into what they needed them to be. He wasn’t afraid to go in unique and layered directions, and the results speak for themselves.
Source: GameSpot
