It’s easy to look at the video game community and think everyone working in it is “developing the games they want to do.” But, in truth, that’s not what happens many times. Yes, plenty of developers make the titles they desire, but other times, it’s not so simple. Sometimes, the developers aren’t in control because their publishers push them to where they want to go. Other times, it’s a question of money and whether they make the “best games” or the “profitable ones.” For the creator of Danganronpa, Kazutaka Kodaka, was very clear about which side of this coin he falls on.
He made the following tweet about this topic in response to someone saying that Kodaka was rather full of himself. But as he revealed, he made the game he wanted to make and hoped that people liked it. Nothing more and nothing less.
Some might think that this is an odd way to address things, but sometimes, being blunt is the right way to go. Plus, it shows off Kodaka’s tenacity and spirit. Yes, his titles like Danganronpa aren’t for everyone, but they do have a following, and some people want more games like this from Koaka.
Another way to look at it is that you’ll never have to fear a “money grab” from someone like Kodaka because he’s trying to make a game that he would play, and wouldn’t skimp on content as a result. If some of these thoughts sound familiar, you’re thinking of the Suda51 interview where the famed creator said some similar things.
This is also the mindset of various indie developers, the ones who have scratched and clawed to make the game of their dreams and hope that people try it out.
Given the state of the gaming industry in some ways, one can only wonder what would happen if this were to happen amongst other studios. Yes, not everything would be a success, but the originality and depth might be far greater than what we expect. Plus, as 2023 has shown us time and time again, just because you have a big-name brand or publisher doesn’t mean the game will live up to expectations. We could easily give you examples if you wanted.
Hopefully, game developers will see the wisdom in Kodada’s words and push for things to happen so they can regain true freedom to be the game developers they’ve wanted to be. Nothing wrong with that, right?
