Interview with Jet Set Radio director Masayoshi Kikuchi for the 60th Anniversary of Sega

[Dooble]

https://www.otaquest.com/masayoshi-kikuchi-interview/

Concept Art for JSR, have not seen this before, was it in the Dreamcast Collected Works?

I liked this interview, but it ended sort of abruptly, I would have liked to know more about his position on developing mobile games, if he wants to return to console development, a potential new game, or Naganumas Twitter shenenigans

Anyway here is how JSR did not do well and how Yakuza 1 came to be:

OTAQUEST: Jet Set Radio was rated highly overseas. How did that make you feel?

Masayoshi Kikuchi: When I go overseas for events like E3 I see something that we built from the ground up being applauded and rated very highly not just from Japanese fans, but from foreign fans and the media as well. That 's definitely an amazing feeling. Right after it was released we got letters in French and in German and I remember being in the office asking if there was anyone who could read them. However, in regards to Jet Set Radio, we didn't specifically set out to make something that would be popular overseas but instead aimed to tread uncharted territory in gaming as a whole. I think it being so popular overseas is just a result of that. I was honored to receive so many commendations, but I didn't get the impression that it necessarily meant more sales…. So we were motivated to make something that would be profitable and also be popular in Japan.


OTAQUEST: And that led to the birth of Yakuza. What was it like in the beginning of the planning phase?

Masayoshi Kikuchi: After the split SmileBit was re-integrated back into SEGA, I began working under Nagoshi Toshihiro, and Nagoshi and I talked about the next project. That's when Nagoshi mentioned the idea of creating a new game using the concept of the dark underbelly of Japanese society, and based on that we put together the plan for Yakuza. I was the producer and Ueda became the director. It also just so happened that at that time, the two of us were watching a lot of gokudou (yakuza-type) movies such as Battles Without Honor and Humanity and saying, "I wish we could make this kind of atmosphere into a game." So that idea was a lifesaver.

Click to shrink...

 

[Deleted member 21709]

Good to know he's aware of how well his game is regarded. I hope we get to see more JSR in the future.

 

[Dooble]

I also would like to know why the Wii game pitch and the Evolution game was turned down...I would assume he would be part of approving a new game

 

[Xterrian]

There's really nothing like JSR in gaming, especially gameplay wise. The closest comparison I can think of for the atmosphere would have to be Splatoon.

I sincerely hope that either Sega or Nintendo takes the initiative and a jsr promotion is held in Splatoon 2. With that and the increasing nostalgia of late 90's/early 00's, the next game in the series could finally achieve the sales it deserves.

 

[IronicSonic]

great interview. Jet Set Radio needs another shot!

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Umurangi Generation and Splatoon are proof positive the vibe of JSR is still alive—let there be a new dream game made of dreams plz

I will post this until the game finally exists:

Just imagine the intro to a new JSR with this 2 Mello song:

Memories Of Tokyo-To - 02 - Here I Go [OFFICIAL]

Get the album at http://bit.ly/jsradio Follow me at http://twitter.com/MelloMakes

www.youtube.com

with a lone skater atop a skyscraper overlooking Tokyo-To listening to the radio broadcast in the song. She picks up her backpack and spray cans before chuckling at the Rokkaku message, then casually tips off the roof into a free-fall with the camera dropping with her as the floors of the building zoom by. The skyline looms in the background, gradually rising as she falls

A closeup shot shows the wheels of her skates drift closer to the side of the building before making contact and she's now skating along it, hurtling downwards before kicking off from the building and landing/grinding on some power lines at high speed. As she leaps from power line to roof to awning to sidewalk, other skaters throughout the city spot her and skate after her.

The others meetup and join her (at the "Hey!" @ 0:44) at the Goji Rokkaku propaganda billboard in a central point of the city. They mill about and quickly move past one another with closeup shots of their hands holding spray cans, spraypainting over the billboard, until they all disperse revealing the JET SET RADIO logo still dripping wet

and then ... then you press any button to continue 😭

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Cool. Love Jet Set Radio and am really hoping for a new game in the future. Even a remaster of Future would be great.