Gamertell

RPGFan was recently able to interview Noritada Matsukawa, Konami ‘s Senior Director. The interview, conducted and translated by RPGFan’s Chris Winkler, poses several questions to Matsukawa in regard to the Suikoden series and Konami’s future in the RPG genre, leading Matsukawa to discuss the origins of his videogame development career, thoughts on the Suikoden series and the elements that have influenced its critically acclaimed direction.

The interview also indicates that Matsukawa expresses interest in utilizing the Playstation 3’s download service in order to distribute new content rather than simply releasing older properties such as Suikoden and Suikoden II, which were both already re-released in Japan for the PSP.

Suikoden has been a very highly praised RPG series since the first installment debuted on the Playstation (PS1) in Japan in 1995. Despite moderately low sales in the U.S., Suikoden was able to generate enough interest for a western release of Suikoden II, which is considered a rarity in the states. It is not uncommon to find online auction prices for used copies nearing $100 and factory sealed items greatly exceed this amount. The series has seen 5 main entries and a bevy of side stories and continuations, and while most of the games in the series follow the formula of a traditional RPG, notable exceptions include a strategy-based title and an actual collectible card game adapted onto the Game Boy Advance as a video game.

Noritada Matsukawa has been with Konami for many years and is the current senior producer of the Suikoden series. He assumed this title after the original series director stepped down following the development of Suikoden III, making Matsukawa one of the primary driving forces behind the series’ 4th and 5th installments as well as the strategy-based title, Suikoden Tactics.

Read [RPGFan]