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Yuji Naka: Sega's Console King
by Steven Kent for Gamers Today
Yuji Naka is one of the only major console game designers who have been able to switch from genre to genre and still make impressive games. Naka's list of credits includes the Genesis version of Ghouls and Ghosts, Sonic the Hedgehog, NiGHTS, and Burning Rangers.
There have also been some klinkers in Naka's list. Along with the Fantasy Star and Sonic 2s in his past, Naka also has Sonic R. The Saturn game Burning Rangers was hailed as a breakthrough game by some reviewers and panned as proof why Saturn should die by others. (I personally believe it had the most life-like and dynamic environment in the history of video games.)
The industry is rife with stories about Naka arguing with subordinates, including a rumor that he once actually strangled an American employee with whom he disagreed. Interviewing Yuji Naka, however, this seems hardly seems possible. He is one of the most composed designers in the industry. He always comes to interviews impeccably dressed, generally in a navy blue blazer. He is always well manicured, soft-spoken, and often displays a healthy sense of humor about himself.
Naka made time to meet with me while I was in Japan with GameWeek Magazine. Here's some of what he told me:
Gamers Today: One quick question that I've wanted to ask for a while: Will we see a sequel to Burning Rangers on Dreamcast?
Yuji Naka: Do you like Burning Rangers?
GT: Love Burning Rangers.
YN: I don't have any plans to make a sequel at the moment. It didn't sell very well, so I'm worried that a second Burning Rangers game wouldn't do well, either. I'd like to spend some more time developing the idea further so I can make a better game next time. A new Burning Rangers would be a difficult project.
GT: Did you work on the American translation of Sonic Adventure?
YN: To a certain extent, yes; but now they're doing it in America.
GT: Do you know what changes and tweaks were placed in the game?
YN: Of course all of the bugs were taken care of. They said they were able to fix the camera angles to a large extent. A lot of work was done on the camera angles.
GT: How long did it take to make Sonic Adventure?
YN: The actual amount of work took about a year and a half. If you add in the planning stage, it's almost two years.
GT: You are known for doing your own programming as well as producing. Did you have both roles in the creation of Sonic Adventure, too?
YN: I did not do programming on Sonic Adventure. The last game on which I was the main programmer was NiGHTS. I did some programming on Sonic Jam as well, but I kept to producing since then. If I weren't so busy, I'd like to do more programming. I like doing that. I'd prefer to have somebody else producing so I could program.
GT: You are exceptionally meticulous by reputation. Is it hard to watch other people do your programming?
YN: Not just programming, everything... the graphics, the pictures. I'm really careful about everything. It's not exactly the building of the program itself that concerns me, it's the overall flow of the program. In my mind, working as a producer or director means handling all aspects of a game including the music, graphics, pictures, and everything.
GT: You don't strike me as the kind of guy who goes home and plays games for fun. Are you a gamer?
YN: I haven't been playing a lot of games lately, but I own a lot of hardware and all kinds of software. I have so many games, you wouldn't believe it. I have a long history of playing games but recently I haven't had the chance. The games aren't as interesting as they used to be. I think many of the older games were more fun than games today.
GT: What time period do you like?
YN: Amiga. That's my favorite generation. I bought an Amiga when I went to America (Naka worked out of Sega's Redwood City offices for four years), and I played with it a lot. I don't understand English, so I only played games that didn't require reading--sports games or whatever I could play; but RPG's and adventure games are difficult in English.
GT: Of all the games you've made, is Sonic The Hedgehog your favorite?
YN: That's the one that's really gone through the roof as far as sales. That's the game in which my work really shined.
GT: Do you like the later versions of Sonic?
YN: Sonic Jam is a collectors item. Sonic 2 is better as far as gameplay goes.
GT: Does Sonic translate well to a 3D world?
YN: I don't feel it's perfect yet. We were rushed with Sonic Adventure, but the game proves that the character will work in a 3D environment. Sonic was released just as the hardware came out last year. In fact, they were making everything come out at exactly the same time to make the most perfect launch that could be made. It was a tight, tight schedule from the beginning.
GT: Were you satisfied with the game?
YN: It's nearly impossible to be completely satisfied with your work if you want develop games. If you're satisfied with the product, you probably won't be able to make the next game. You can be satisfied to a point; but if you go beyond a certain limit, you're risking not being able to produce the next big hit or the next game.
GT: What are you working on these days?
YN: It's a secret. I can't tell you. If I did, you'd write an article about it and then I'd be in big trouble. These days, if one person finds out, the entire Internet finds out and the entire world finds out. If even one user just finds out, then it's all over. And then the rumors... the rumor mill. I don't want to get in trouble.
My biggest project in the near future concerns a network game. I want to introduce the fun of on-line gaming to Dreamcast. I'm trying to learn everything I can about networks right now.
