Square Enix‘s Ryutaro Ichimura talked up his latest project with the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu. We heard a bit about it from early leaks, but Sokuho@Hokanko has come through with a more detailed summary.
Ichimura, who’s leading the project, has moved on from the days of Dragon Quest, and is currently working on a number of new projects.
The game’s platform has yet to be decided, though they’re aiming for a console release. If the timing calls for it, they may consider a next-generation release.
A few pieces of concept art are found in the magazine. Famitsu cites them as western-looking (they look to represent middle ages Europe), though Ichimura says the game isn’t exactly meant to target western audiences. Square Enix is challenging itself to create an interesting game for a worldwide audience. And in doing so, the developers are working with western staff to ensure their creation of the environments are done as best as possible.
In creating the game, the staff has traveled the world, conducting surveys, and are finding out what players want in a game. They’re aiming to make it a game for the players, rather than force what they themselves want into the game.
A team of 35 are working to develop this new action RPG, each staffer experienced in RPG creation. But it’s not enough. The team is seeking developers experienced in action game creation and networking technology. They’ll open a recruitment site later this week where qualified applicants may apply.