shmuplations

Akira Sakuma - 2000 Developer Interview

Added 2023-12-30 12:04:15 +0000 UTC

https://shmuplations.com/akirasakuma/

This humorous Akira Sakuma interview from 2000 was originally sourced from the GSLA archive. Known in Japan for Momotaro Densetsu, an early Dragon Quest clone, and the train-themed board game Momotaro Dentetsu series, the discussion here highlights Sakuma's unusual entry into game development, his philosophy of RPG design, and the insights he brought over from his tenure at Shonen Jump magazine.

A (belated) Merry Christmas and (early) happy New Year's to everyone! I've got a third translation nearly done here, but I'm going to save it for January and call it for this month. I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season, and thank you once again for your patronage. This was one of the tougher years for me in terms of personal health and family matters (and I know I'm not alone there), so I say with all sincerity that the support and enthusiasm you've shown for this work has been a real anchor to me. Here's to 2024 and many more years of unearthing the exciting gaming history found in these interviews--we're just getting started!