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Shinji Mikami (Lead Pun-ishing Director)
Now we're going to answer some of your questions from Twitter!
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Q001: @Assassin_Zero
In The Real Tango comic it says "My coal mining project over in Vorkuta is coming along nicely." Is this a reference to CoD Black Ops?
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Shinji Mikami (Lead Pun-ishing Director)
Well we do travel to Vorkuta a lot for work. I recommend the local pelmeni (пельмени). Tango staff are paid in pelmeni, vodka and revolution.
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Q002: @tkjapan2
Hello. I have a question: what was your favorite Famicom game?
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Masafumi Takada (Sound Director)
F1-RACE!
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Yoshifumi Hattori (Lead Character Designer)
Yie Ar Kung-Fu and Trojan (Tatakai no Banka)
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Naoki Katakai (Art Director)
Championship Lode Runner
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Shigenori Nishikawa (Lead Game Designer)
・Balloon Fight
I should get the Nobel Prize for character floating! Staying down near the water is intense!
・Astro Robo SASA
I love when the cows eyes bug out and the scissors that come flying at you! 2-player is pretty intense too!
・Track & Field (Hyper Olympic)
The way you mash the button with the tip of your fingernail makes it shiny like it's been polished.
・Volguard II
I love linking up to transform! -
Q003: @aso_mory
Since Mikami-san is the world's greatest tangoist I want to ask him what can I do to dance the tango well?
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Shinji Mikami (Lead Pun-ishing Director)
First you've got to have to get a nice dark 5 o'clock shadow! Without that you'll never be able to dance with passion. [game] Planning is the same.
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Ikumi Nakamura (Game Director)
Mikami-san doesn't dance the tango; it's more like the "stomp my feet angrily" dance.
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Q004: @hamatea
Social games are starting to have a big impact on handhelds and consoles. What do you think about this?
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Shinji Mikami (Lead Pun-ishing Director)
It only broadens the horizon for creators to make games. We still make the games we want to make and try to provide a high level of satisfaction to players.
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Q005: @yashiro_on_twit
Did you see the description of you that said you used to be "hell on Earth"? Can someone who was there tell us what it was like?
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Masaaki Yamada (Game Designer)
When you're stuck on a problem his corny jokes just sap all your energy. Uh, I guess it's still that way. It didn't matter how beat up you got working all night, if he didn't like whatever plan or character you submitted he'd shoot it down mercilessly. Just chew it up and spit it right out. Lately he shows a little more concern for our wellbeing but basically he's the still the same. But when he talks about the guy who taught him, that's even scarier...
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Shigenori Nishikawa (Lead Game Designer)
Lectures from 10 at night all the way till morning! Can't even go to the bathroom while he's talking. But he's actually lecturing someone else. I just happened to be nearby and was trapped. Didn't make it home till 6am. This would happen once every two or three months.
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Shinji Mikami (Lead Pun-ishing Director)
!!!!
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Q006: @Phili_stine
Ikumi-chan's Real Tango is awesome!
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Ikumi Nakamura (Game Director)
woo-hoo
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Shinji Mikami (Lead Pun-ishing Director)
I don't think that was a question...
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Q007: @weskeroh
Where did Mikami-san buy his 3UP hat?
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Shinji Mikami (Lead Pun-ishing Director)
San Francisco
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Q008: @izm32
If tango were going to make a moe game, what kind of unique elements would you put in it?
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Shinji Mikami (Lead Pun-ishing Director)
I don't have what it takes to make a moe game. You should ask Nakamura here.
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Ikumi Nakamura (Game Director)
I want to make a moe game. An otome game too. One time in the past I presented Mikami-san a proposal for a moe game. But he didn't go along with it. Personally I think the father of Resident Evil revolutionizing moe would make an awesome story in Famitsu.
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Q009: @Funatoro56
How do you get into the game industry? You should already know something about making games when you enter the company? I worry because at a regular university you don't get to use dev kits like you do at a technical school.
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Mitsuru Sugiyama (Programmer)
For a programmer, a basic knowledge of programming is helpful. But I think recruiters prefer for you to have a wide knowledge base outside of just programming. For example, there is a lot of interaction with other sections so communication skills are vital. Also, a love of games?
Nowadays there is almost no difference in the development environment for each console so just studying programming on the PC should be enough. -
Yoshifumi Hattori (Lead Character Designer)
For model production, you can do that whether you go to a regular university or not. If you really like it you can pick up the basics on your own at home. Also, observation skills. From your regular daily life, whether you're watching a movie, looking at a figure, form and structure, proportion, anything that's well done, you're constantly filing that away inside your head.
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Naoki Katakai (Art Director)
When trying to get in as a designer, submitting something you've worked on is everything. You have to create something that shows off your sense and technique.
For example, for an environmental artist that would include hand-drawn background pieces, 2D CG backgrounds, 3D CG renders and so on. You have to make the one that best shows of your talent. It would be better if you have some experience working with a development kit but we don't make that a requirement.
Now that 2D and 3D applications are so much easier to come by, if you're motivated, these days you can make some amazing things. You can even download the same kinds of game engines developers use and try them out. Students now have just about everything they need to produce something. (If you have the internet and can use English you can study just about anything!)
My advice is to start by keeping at a piece and trying to cultivate your senses. -
Masafumi Takada (Sound Director)
Lately they want a lot of specialized knowledge so when you're getting hired obviously you want as many marketable skills as possible. If you're really enthusiastic about your career it will show in your past work. However, without a broad perspective, as you go along with this ever-changing industry, it will be difficult for your work to make an impact.
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Masaaki Yamada (Game Designer)
Game Planner? You just have to become one in order to be one... But I guess that's kind of an aggravating thing to hear so let's take it a bit further.
>You should already know something about making games
Of course you have to know some things. "Can we make him jump like in that one game?" "We should make it look like that scene in that one movie!" These kinds of things are said all the time around here.
If you don't have some shared understanding it is difficult to communicate. At the very least you should be familiar with well-known media like games, movies and tv shows. Without that you can't communicate with the people you're trying to make something together with. Find something you like. Look into some different interests. Talk to enthusiasts. Is there anything you like to talk about to the point you get others interested? If nothing else, learn how to talk proudly and eloquently about whatever it is you really like.
Technique? It's always better to have but all new employees start out raw so I wouldn't worry about it.^^ I myself was pretty timid when I first started out and my first taste of the game industry really drove home to me that I didn't really have a lot of depth. Acting like a know-it-all even though I was only looking at things from my own narrow perspective. (A frog in a well does not know the great sea.)
You can study technique but you cannot study passion. You love love love games and can't get enough. If that's where you want to be and you can get in there it doesn't matter how crappy it might be, you'll want to keep at it! That's the important thing. If you have that I think that's all that matters in the end. I guess normally this isn't something you'd actually have to tell someone. -
Mitsuhiro Kubo (Lead Cutscene Animator)
Cinematics involves film direction, production and camera work so knowledge and techniques of film, cameras, art and photography are required.
Also, you tend to work more with outside companies than with other departments so you need to know how handle yourself properly with them.
You don't really need to worry about having used any development tools (3D software, etc.). It might help you get hired but it won't be the deciding factor. Companies tend to use different software and even within the same company on different projects anyway. Once you get hired you'll get trained and learn how to use tools and 3D software. -
Akira Uchiyama (Lead Animator)
Having some knowledge or skills is always good but when I got started in animation I started off with almost nothing. (I actually started as a modeler...) It's good if you've handled 3D software before but all you really need is motivation and drive.
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Shinji Mikami (Lead Pun-ishing Director)
All you need is a deep passion and talent for games. If you have at least a little bit of interest in creating things it should be easier to land a good job.
Knowledge and skills are different for each profession. For example, if you want to be a programmer but have never programmed anything it'll be tough. But you don't actually have to have programmed anything on a development console before you can get into the company. You just need to use your skills to create something.
I'd rather young people have hope and self-confidence than worry. If you mess up you can sleep it off and come back the next day.
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