Event, Game News

Nier Creator Yoko Taro and Square Enix Producer Yosuke Saito at GameStart 2017

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One of the highlight of this year GameStart 2017 is the main stage appearance of Yoko Taro, father of Nier, and Yosuke Saito, Square Enix Producer.

As usual the eccentric Yoko Taro has his Emil Mask on only for a short period of time before being ushered into a Yoko box where he takes off his mask. Nope you can’t see him from outside the box. It’s his own way of keeping his identity secret (though his real life photo can be found on the internet).

The interview session was entertaining with legion of fans participating actively throughout the entire session. Many shouted vehemently at the end of the show “人類に栄光あれ” in Japanese which mans “Glory to Mankind”. A pledge that is made famous in the game Nier Automata.

A set of pre-submitted fan questions were selected beforehand. Some of them are your standard fan questions, some elicit really funny answer from Yoko.

*Q&A below is not the actual transcript but a translated version from Japanese.

Fan: Are there certain movies or books that inspire you for the game.
Yoko: I get my inspiration from some of them. Evangelion is one from anime and the American Drama 24 is another one. I will try to avoid taking ideas from major titles as other would easily spot it. So usually, I will steal from the more minor title.

That’s Yoko Taro for you. Straight, honest answer with a tinge of humour.

Here’s another one:

Fan: Why did you include an ending where you have to delete the gamer’s save file?
Yoko: When I was young, my save file for Dragon Quest 3 was deleted. I was devastated and disappointed. But my parents do not understand what I was going through. Hence I make my players go through the same experience.

So that’s it?! While this sounds brutal, it is also really amusing to me. For the longest time, I always thought that there is a stronger meaning behind asking the user to delete the save file at the ending. So the truth is simply this. Advice to you when you play Yoko Taro’s game, don’t read too much into why things are how they are in the games.

The final section is a compilation of the fan’s answers to a list of Nier Automata related questions. Here are some of the results

Seems like long hair A2 is more popular…hmm…

Next question. Slightly controversial.

You would have guess it’s the (*AHEM) Tits as what Yoko Taro thought. But the result is…

Butt? Ok…let’s not discuss why and respect the crowd’s vote.

This is the funniest question yet. I wonder who came out with the questions…

And you guessed it…

Adult Game! Yoko Taro says he will seriously consider this. We will just have to wait for the Nier Automata sequel if there is going to be one.

There are many more things to see at GameStart 2017. Tomorrow will be the last day (15th Oct 2017). Be sure to visit if you have not!

 

 

Retro Gaming

The curious case of the front loading Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

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If you ever own a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), you would have encountered the problem where the system cannot read the game cartridge. Sometime all it takes is a few quick blow into the console. Otherwise, you would likely need to send the unit for repair. only to encounter the same problem a few years later.

The reason for this is due to a design decision made by Nintendo when they launch the NES in America. Unlike many gaming console, both before and after NES, the NES was likely the only console with front loading cartridges.

Most other consoles loads their cartridge from the top. The mechanism needed for front loading known as the Zero insertion force (ZIF) connector, was prone to wear and tear unlike the simpler connector used in the top loading consoles such as Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

A NES ZIF Connector Credit: thevintagegamers.com

So why did Nintendo op for that design which was in fact a pricier option then?

When Nintendo was launching the NES in America, it was during the 80s video game crash . Basically, it was a time when there was an oversaturation of video game consoles in US. Even Mattel (the maker of Barbie) has a gaming console of their own. Games were not selling well and Atari even resorted to burying their unsold game. It was not a good time to launch a video game console.

In order to entice retailers to carry the NES and for buyers to be more acceptance of the console, Nintendo tried to masquerade it as a toy. Being front loading would mean people can stack it up just like a regular VCR. It looked less like a game console at the same time. Eventually Nintendo did try to fix this issue by releasing the NES 101 which is top-loading.

So the next time your NES breaks, blaming it on the design decision that was made 20 years ago.

 

Event

Nier Creator Yoko Taro coming to Singapore

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Yoko Taro (center) at PAX 2017

Nier Automata is arguably the most talk about game of 2017. Even if you have not played the game, you would surely have heard about it. The soundtrack of the game has also received praises. There is even a Nier Automata Concert held in Japan.

Then there are the cosplayers. 2B, one of the main protagonist of the game, is very popular among cosplayers. Googling Nier Cosplay and you will see many wonderful work of these cosplayers.

2B cosplayer at Charaexpo 2017 Singapore. Photo credit: GameTrader.SG

Like what Kojima is to Metal Gear, Yoko Taro is the father of the Nier/Drakengard. The enigmatic and perhaps eccentric game creator is well known for wearing a mask during interview. He is known for making games that often surprises the gamer. You can watch his PAX 2017 interview video below

We are all very excited that he will be coming to GameStart 2017 which is happening on the 14 and 15 October at Suntec City Convention Center. More details here.

Nier Cosplay Contest

GameStart will also be holding a special Nier Cosplay contest. So come cosplay as your favourite Nier Character at GameStart 2017. More details can be found at GameStart Facebook page.