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Igarashi on making Bloodstained a game for fans, making more games, Bloodstained's female lead

by rawmeatcowboy
21 August 2017
GN Version 5.0

A portion of a Gamasutra interview with Koji Igarashi...

GS: So you’re making another Igavania, as the fans like to call them. Is this because it’s something you truly wanted to do, or is it more for the fans?

KI: There's no doubt that I love this genre myself. But in a related topic, I think the answer to this question is what makes us different from “indies.” When I think of indie, I believe an indie game is based on a developer's personal preference.

For Bloodstained, this is a title that started out on Kickstarter to answer the fans' wish for another Igavania game, moreso than what I want to create. I feel that it is my duty to answer the fans' wishes first, and so I’ve been shaping the game's vision in that direction.

GS: Are you hoping to make the perfect vision for this kind game and move on to something else, or do you want to keep working on Igavanias as long as people want them?

KI: We're hoping to create new kinds of games eventually, but right now we want to focus on franchising Bloodstained and have it really stick with the gamers. We’ll be creating at least one more game in this genre. This time around we wanted to emphasize that nostalgia, and focus on recreating the same gameplay experience players got in the past. In the future, we will continue adding new ideas and features regardless of whether we’re staying with this kind of game or genre.

GS: Bloodstained has a female lead, which is great. Japan’s bosses use to say having female leads would mean a game wouldn’t sell. How do you feel about that?

KI: A large reason for choosing a female lead was the Kickstarter. When we thought about collecting funds from Kickstarter, and thought about the modern social movement in America, having a female lead felt right, but also calculated. But in the end I could care less whether the lead is male or female as long as the game is fun to play. I did have a challenging time coming up with the story, but that could be said for a lead character of any gender.

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