Today was the release of the 8/2 edition (Issue No.1546) of Famitsu magazine featuring a 22-page special on Yoko Taro. There is a massive amount of information in here that will take sometime to get to everything, but here’s a first look at the 2-page questionnaire segment.
What’s your favorite color?
Gray.
What’s your hobby?
Work is my hobby.
Which do you prefer, dubs or subs?
I like them both.
What alcoholic beverages do you like?
I like white wine, beer, and highball.
What food do you like/dislike?
Food I like→ Tenka Ippin, Yoshinoya
Food I dislike→ Bento boxes that have curry flavor pasta salad.
Have any fetishes?
I realized this somewhat recently, but I seem to like female characters that have their eyes closed slightly……
What sports do you like?
I like the 100 meter dash from the first “Track and Field”. I remember the skill that would vibrate a metal ruler when you used it being rather popular.
Had any part-time jobs?
I’ve been a cashier at a supermarket, worked for a moving company, dishwasher at a restaurant, and took photos at various events. It’s refreshing that I wasn’t very good at any of it.
Where did you go on your first date?
Where did I go…… Uh, this question isn’t necessary, is it?
Do you collect anything?
I collect the names of people who have crossed me, and I write them in a notebook. Once I’ve exacted my revenge on them, I cross out their names in black. I look forward to flipping through the pages everyday while having a nice drink.
What is the most fun thing you’ve done recently?
Playing with my nieces. But you know, your uncle~ is an avenger~.
What game are you currently interested in?
UBUSUNA (a shooter by the creator of Ikaruga, Iuchi Hiroshi). ……but not much information has been released about it recently, so I’m a little worried.
What country would you most like to visit?
Alefgard (the country in which Dragon Quest 1-3 take place).
Did you have any nicknames when you were a student?
I didn’t have any particular nickname……maybe because I didn’t have any friends. What a sorry kid I was.
Are you right or left-handed?
I’m right-handed.
What’s your favorite video game genre?
Side-scrolling shooters. I’d really like to make one someday……
What video game genre do you dislike or are bad at?
FPS. The older I get, the more 3D graphics give me motion sickness.
What’s your motto of mottos?
“Everything’s a lie.”
What movie, manga, or whatever else has left an impression on you recently?
The movie “The Greatest Showman“.
Out of all the titles you’ve worked on, which one has left the most impression on you?
I’m really forgetful, so the project I’m currently working on is on my mind the most, but since it’s still in development, I can’t really discuss it here. Sorry.
What would you want to do if you were an android?
I would want to do that pen trick from “Alien 2” but do it super fast.
If you didn’t become a game creator, what other profession would you have chosen?
I would like to do some sort of work that I could enjoy a lot of money through unearned income.
What game would you like to make? (ignoring budget)
Ignoring the budget, I wouldn’t make anything and would simply run away.
What’s your favorite video game character?
I’m getting really tired of answering all these questions…… Um, what were you asking? My favorite character? Hm, let’s see… Can I answer this by saying something like, “There are many characters that I like, so there’s really no way I can answer this~”?
Are you S or M?
If I say S, people would say, “He’s totally an M”, and I wouldn’t be able to wield the flag of either side at any sex appeal events thereafter.
What’s something from your dark history?
One must not speak of their true dark history.
Is there any game creator that you aim to be like or who’s maybe your rival? (this isn’t limited to only game creators)
I respect many creators, but since I don’t think I can ever reach their height, it’s a bit different than having a specific goal. If anything, in order to prevent young people from gaining skills and thus becoming a threat, I try to nip them in the bud as quickly as I can.
What do you think is the most important thing necessary to create video games?
Not deciding on anything.
If any of your products were made into a Hollywood film, who would you want to portray the characters?
Nier→Christopher Lambert in his heyday.
Kaine→Christopher Lambert in his heyday.
Zero→Christopher Lambert in his heyday.
2B→Christopher Lambert in his heyday.
9S→Christopher Lambert in his heyday.
A2→Christopher Lambert in his heyday.
Alice→Christopher Lambert in his heyday.
Do you have any special object that you MUST have in order to do your work?
I like English keyboards. Even the SGI (CG workstation) keyboard I used when I first started out had an English layout, so I’ve gotten used to it. But as I think about it now, maybe my life started taking a wrong turn at that point.
What are you good at cooking?
I heard you’d be popular among women if you say you’re good at cooking Acqua pazza, but is this true? Uh, no… It’s not like I’m good at cooking Acqua pazza or anything…
Looking back at your life, can you identify any points that caused a shift in your life?
I think I drank too much last night…… I’ll be sure to drink lots of water.
What was the biggest shock of your life?
I went to the bathroom….. There’s now a bleeding man who falls to the floor. I take a closer look around… Where am I……? A love hotel? Why am I in a place like this?
What is your idea of a professional?
Now’s not the time to think about that……
Do you have anything to say to Famitsu?
Oh, right. Famitsu…… Yeah, I remember everything now. Famitsu asked me for an interview. The last time I was drinking with Sugihara-san, the editor, and actually got really drunk as we were doing the interview. Then Sugihara asked me some rather sexually harassing questions and he started saying that he’d leak my true identity…that I’m actually……a girl. Then he took me to a hotel room. I picked up a glass object from inside the room and hit him on the head over and over again, eventually killing him. I couldn’t stay there for long; I had to get out of there. Just when I started to get somewhere with this career in the gaming industry; it would all be for nothing…… But, what career is this? What really deserves to be protected? Doesn’t this sound like it’s becoming the plot for a cheap suspense game? Yeah, I will make a game out of this someday. If you play it, you’ll surely understand. Everything written here is the plot of a game, fiction, I haven’t done anything wrong…… But if you don’t see it my way…… I’ll have to kill you. Now, as you’re reading this very sentence, you’ve just……
Credits:
- Famitsu Magazine Issue No.1546
- 7/19 (release date)
- 8/2 (publication date)
- Translation by Fire Sanctuary