PARAPPA CREATOR MATSUURA WAXES ON RHYTHM GAME INDUSTRY
Gamasutra’s also carrying a very nice interview with Offworld favorite developer Masaya Matsuura, head of NanaOn-Sha and creator, of course, of PlayStation icon Parappa the Rapper.
The interview touches too many points to single out just one, but generally covers a lot of Matsuura’s approach to the music/rhythm game industry — a genre he played a very large part in founding, but now seemingly feels somewhat estranged from how the beast he helped birth has evolved.
Asked whether he ever intends to create a music game that, like Rock Band and its ilk, uses instrument peripherals, he stresses that his approach comes from the other end — making software to support the interface, rather than focusing on a peripheral to come at the software:
I really love real instruments — really love. The game peripheral feels like it’s very similar to an actual guitar, for example, but it’s a little different for me.
As I told you, I really want to feel as if I’m playing the actual guitar… Of course the game controller and the real guitar, there’s a very big difference between them, but if I can overcome these kinds of differences by making good software…
Maybe that is what’s interesting to me. I really want to make the experience appeal derive from playing the software. It’s a very potent thing.
There’s more good stuff in there as well on bringing his lesser known PlayStation cult hit Vib-Ribbon back in some form (watch this intro video immediately if that’s the first you’ve ever heard of the game), and his thoughts on developing for the iPhone.
Marching To His Own Drummer: Masaya Matsuura’s Thoughts [Gamasutra]
Previously:
Nintendo's Wii/DS outlook: The Offworld view – Offworld
A Brief History of Rhythm – Offworld
See more posts about: Offworld Originals, Parappa
