Yoshitaka Murayama
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
game designer, game director
and game producer
. He is the creator of the Suikoden
series of console role-playing games (RPGs), which he produced and directed for Konami
until his departure in 2002
before the release of Suikoden III
.
studies at University of Tokyo
in the summer of 1992, Murayama visited Konami's newly opened Tokyo headquarters to submit his first job application whereupon he was hired. Initially hired for QA and menial tasks, he was handpicked six months later along with a few others to create his own launch game for an internally-developed video game console
, where he began collaborating with designer Junko Kawano, also a newcomer to Konami and future writer and designer for Suikoden IV
and Suikoden Tactics
. Tasked with writing an RPG and being fond of historical epics
, Murayama composed an early version of the script for Suikoden II
before the console project was scrapped. Murayama, Kawano and ten other employees were instead assigned with developing Konami's first games for Sony
's upcoming console, the PlayStation
. With the pick of making a baseball game, a racing game or an RPG, Murayama and Kawano decided to reopen their RPG project, although Murayama has stated that given the opportunity, he would have preferred to make a shoot 'em up
, citing his preference for arcade action titles such as Taito
's Metal Black
.
Committed from the start to make a franchise to rival series such as Enix
's Dragon Quest
and Square
's Final Fantasy
, Murayama wrote a chronological prequel for his story and used that instead in order not to waste the Suikoden II script due to his lack of experience. Unimpressed with their early 3D polygon
tests, he opted to make a traditional 2D RPG using sprite graphics
. In the winter of 1993, when pitching his idea of an RPG with a great gallery of supporting characters, inspired by Murayama's preference for manga
such as Fist of the North Star
and Captain Tsubasa
he instead decided to use the classic Chinese novel Shui Hu Zhuan in order to better illustrate his point to his boss, who was around 50 years old and assumed to be unfamiliar with these manga. The pitch was a success, and in this short meeting the game was given the name Suikoden, the Japanese reading of Shui Hu Zhuan, and Murayama was tasked with making 108 characters mirroring the 108 outlaws in the Chinese classic.
Suikoden
was released in Japan in 1995
to positive reviews and an initial lackluster response from the market. However sales increased when word of mouth started spreading and a cult following was formed. Murayama personally responded to each and every fan letter that was sent. Konami was also intent on making Suikoden into a franchise, and he was asked to develop its sequel, bringing back most of the team from the first game. By then, it was well-known that Square was developing Final Fantasy VII
for the PlayStation, and Murayama and his team were sure from the start that their game would not be able to stand up commercially to Square's RPG. Deciding what aspects to focus on for Suikoden II
, response from the fans prompted them to concentrate on further developing the world and its characters over the graphics and mechanics. The game was released in December 1998, like its predecessor to positive reviews and slow but steady sales.
A third game in the series was developed, but a month before the release of Suikoden III
in July 2002, which would become the best received and best selling installment in the series, Murayama left Konami. In complience with Konami company policy, his name was taken out of the credits for the game. The reason for his sudden departure has been long theorized on by fans, many believing corporate meddling to be the reason, in part because of the omitted credit for Suikoden III. However, in an interview with Swedish
gaming magazine LEVEL in August 2009, Murayama clarifies that this was only because it had been exactly ten years since he was first hired by Konami, and his personal goal had always been to stay no longer than ten years before turning freelance. He claims that after the success of Suikoden II, his superiors were very supportive and that he was allowed to decide freely how the next Suikoden would be made, and that he is still on good terms with the old team.
After leaving Konami, he immediately set up his own company, Blue Moon Studio, that have since released the game 10,000 Bullets (Tsukiyo ni Saraba in Japan). In January 2010, a cryptic update was posted on Blue Moon Studio.
Some fansites have interpreted his use of the idiom
"Crossing the Rubicon" and reference to a "certain company" as a possible return to Konami. Murayama later added that he was as of 2010, writing an RPG, again for a "certain company". It has been speculated that he is returning to the Suikoden
franchise, which has seen plummeting sales since the third game, but as of February 2011, no new information has been reported. Murayama is currently writing a manga adaptation of Laura Resnick
s Magic: The Gathering
novel The Purifying Fire with artwork by Yoshino Himori.
and Captain Tsubasa, and whereas the protagonist keeps the plot moving forward, it is the supporting characters that are usually the most memorable.
Inspired by a line of code in Enix's 1992 RPG Dragon Quest V
where each time the player is killed and resurrected, the dialog from the priest character is slowed down a little, Murayama wanted to use small details such as this to give his games a greater sense of realism and emotional depth. While levelling out the skill curves of many characters in order to push the player not to use the same characters exclusively, this type of coding was implemented in order to try to invoke different emotions, such as the case of forcing the player to use a character that's been recently nerfed
in order to irritate the player, only to have that character killed moments later to give the player guilty conscience.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
game designer, game director
Game director
Game director may refer to:* Video game producer, the person in charge of overseeing development of a video game* Technical director, usually a senior technical person within creative group...
and game producer
Game producer
A video game producer is the person in charge of overseeing development of a video game.The earliest documented use of the term producer in games was by Trip Hawkins, who established the position when he founded Electronic Arts in 1982...
. He is the creator of the Suikoden
Suikoden
is a role-playing game series originally created by Yoshitaka Murayama. The game series is loosely based on the classical Chinese novel, Shui Hu Zhuan by Shi Naian and Luo Guanzhong. Shui Hu Zhuan is rendered as 水滸伝 in Japanese, and read as Suikoden...
series of console role-playing games (RPGs), which he produced and directed for Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
until his departure in 2002
2002 in video gaming
The year 2002 in video gaming saw the release of many games to sixth-generation video game consoles, predominately, the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.-Events:...
before the release of Suikoden III
Suikoden III
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console, and the third installment in the Suikoden video game series. It was released in 2002 in Japan and Notrth America, with a manga version published in 2004...
.
Biography
After finishing his computer programmingComputer programming
Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
studies at University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
in the summer of 1992, Murayama visited Konami's newly opened Tokyo headquarters to submit his first job application whereupon he was hired. Initially hired for QA and menial tasks, he was handpicked six months later along with a few others to create his own launch game for an internally-developed video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
, where he began collaborating with designer Junko Kawano, also a newcomer to Konami and future writer and designer for Suikoden IV
Suikoden IV
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console and the fourth installment of the Suikoden video game series...
and Suikoden Tactics
Suikoden Tactics
Suikoden Tactics, originally released in Japan as , is a tactical role-playing video game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 console as part of their Suikoden series. Initially released in Japan and North American in late 2005, the game was later made available in Europe and...
. Tasked with writing an RPG and being fond of historical epics
Epic (genre)
An epic is traditionally a genre of poetry, known as epic poetry. However in modern terms, epic is often extended to other art forms, such as novels, plays, films, and video games where the story is centered on heroic characters, and the action takes place on a grand scale, just as in epic poetry...
, Murayama composed an early version of the script for Suikoden II
Suikoden II
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation video game console and the second installment of the Suikoden video game series. It was released in late 1998 in Japan, 1999 in North America, and in 2000 in Europe. It was also released for Microsoft Windows in...
before the console project was scrapped. Murayama, Kawano and ten other employees were instead assigned with developing Konami's first games for Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's upcoming console, the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
. With the pick of making a baseball game, a racing game or an RPG, Murayama and Kawano decided to reopen their RPG project, although Murayama has stated that given the opportunity, he would have preferred to make a shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
, citing his preference for arcade action titles such as Taito
Taito
Taito may mean:*Taito Corporation, a Japanese developer of video game software and arcade hardware*Taito, Tokyo, a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan*Taito, also known as matai, paramount chiefs according to Fa'a Samoa...
's Metal Black
Metal Black (video game)
Metal Black is an arcade shoot 'em up released by Taito. It is the end result of "Project Gun Frontier 2," being made by the same development staff, though it bears little resemblance to the original Gun Frontier. It is more similar to another Taito shooter, Darius.Players control the Black Fly on...
.
Committed from the start to make a franchise to rival series such as Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
's Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
and Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
's Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
, Murayama wrote a chronological prequel for his story and used that instead in order not to waste the Suikoden II script due to his lack of experience. Unimpressed with their early 3D polygon
Polygonal modeling
In 3D computer graphics, polygonal modeling is an approach for modeling objects by representing or approximating their surfaces using polygons. Polygonal modeling is well suited to scanline rendering and is therefore the method of choice for real-time computer graphics...
tests, he opted to make a traditional 2D RPG using sprite graphics
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
. In the winter of 1993, when pitching his idea of an RPG with a great gallery of supporting characters, inspired by Murayama's preference for manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
such as Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star
is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...
and Captain Tsubasa
Captain Tsubasa
, also known as Flash Kicker, is a popular long running Japanese manga, animation, and video game series, originally created by Yōichi Takahashi in 1981...
he instead decided to use the classic Chinese novel Shui Hu Zhuan in order to better illustrate his point to his boss, who was around 50 years old and assumed to be unfamiliar with these manga. The pitch was a success, and in this short meeting the game was given the name Suikoden, the Japanese reading of Shui Hu Zhuan, and Murayama was tasked with making 108 characters mirroring the 108 outlaws in the Chinese classic.
Suikoden
Suikoden (video game)
is a role-playing game published by Konami as the first installment of the Suikoden series. Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, it was released initially in 1995 for the PlayStation in Japan. A North American release followed one year later, and a European release came the following...
was released in Japan in 1995
1995 in video gaming
-Events:*May 11 – Introduction of trade magazine GameWeek *May 11-16 — The 1st annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is held in Los Angeles, California...
to positive reviews and an initial lackluster response from the market. However sales increased when word of mouth started spreading and a cult following was formed. Murayama personally responded to each and every fan letter that was sent. Konami was also intent on making Suikoden into a franchise, and he was asked to develop its sequel, bringing back most of the team from the first game. By then, it was well-known that Square was developing Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
for the PlayStation, and Murayama and his team were sure from the start that their game would not be able to stand up commercially to Square's RPG. Deciding what aspects to focus on for Suikoden II
Suikoden II
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation video game console and the second installment of the Suikoden video game series. It was released in late 1998 in Japan, 1999 in North America, and in 2000 in Europe. It was also released for Microsoft Windows in...
, response from the fans prompted them to concentrate on further developing the world and its characters over the graphics and mechanics. The game was released in December 1998, like its predecessor to positive reviews and slow but steady sales.
A third game in the series was developed, but a month before the release of Suikoden III
Suikoden III
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console, and the third installment in the Suikoden video game series. It was released in 2002 in Japan and Notrth America, with a manga version published in 2004...
in July 2002, which would become the best received and best selling installment in the series, Murayama left Konami. In complience with Konami company policy, his name was taken out of the credits for the game. The reason for his sudden departure has been long theorized on by fans, many believing corporate meddling to be the reason, in part because of the omitted credit for Suikoden III. However, in an interview with Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
gaming magazine LEVEL in August 2009, Murayama clarifies that this was only because it had been exactly ten years since he was first hired by Konami, and his personal goal had always been to stay no longer than ten years before turning freelance. He claims that after the success of Suikoden II, his superiors were very supportive and that he was allowed to decide freely how the next Suikoden would be made, and that he is still on good terms with the old team.
After leaving Konami, he immediately set up his own company, Blue Moon Studio, that have since released the game 10,000 Bullets (Tsukiyo ni Saraba in Japan). In January 2010, a cryptic update was posted on Blue Moon Studio.
Some fansites have interpreted his use of the idiom
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
"Crossing the Rubicon" and reference to a "certain company" as a possible return to Konami. Murayama later added that he was as of 2010, writing an RPG, again for a "certain company". It has been speculated that he is returning to the Suikoden
Suikoden
is a role-playing game series originally created by Yoshitaka Murayama. The game series is loosely based on the classical Chinese novel, Shui Hu Zhuan by Shi Naian and Luo Guanzhong. Shui Hu Zhuan is rendered as 水滸伝 in Japanese, and read as Suikoden...
franchise, which has seen plummeting sales since the third game, but as of February 2011, no new information has been reported. Murayama is currently writing a manga adaptation of Laura Resnick
Laura Resnick
Laura Resnick , is an award-winning fantasy writer. She was the winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction for 1993...
s Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
novel The Purifying Fire with artwork by Yoshino Himori.
Game design philosophy
Murayama has stated that he often prefers the supporting characters over the main character, in the case of manga such Saint SeiyaSaint Seiya
, also known as Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac or simply Knights of the Zodiac, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada and serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1986 to 1991, and adapted into an anime TV series by Toei Animation from 1986 to 1989.The story follows...
and Captain Tsubasa, and whereas the protagonist keeps the plot moving forward, it is the supporting characters that are usually the most memorable.
Inspired by a line of code in Enix's 1992 RPG Dragon Quest V
Dragon Quest V
, known as Dragon Quest: The Hand of the Heavenly Bride in Europe, is a console role-playing game and the fifth installment in the Dragon Quest video game series...
where each time the player is killed and resurrected, the dialog from the priest character is slowed down a little, Murayama wanted to use small details such as this to give his games a greater sense of realism and emotional depth. While levelling out the skill curves of many characters in order to push the player not to use the same characters exclusively, this type of coding was implemented in order to try to invoke different emotions, such as the case of forcing the player to use a character that's been recently nerfed
Nerf (computer gaming)
In video gaming a nerf is a change to a game that reduces the desirability or effectiveness of a particular game element. The term is also used as a verb for the act of making such a change...
in order to irritate the player, only to have that character killed moments later to give the player guilty conscience.
Works
| Game | Role | Releases | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensho Gakuen Gekkoroku | Writer | 2006 | PlayStation 2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... |
| 10,000 Bullets | Producer, Writer, Director | 2005 | PlayStation 2 |
| Suikoden III Suikoden III is a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console, and the third installment in the Suikoden video game series. It was released in 2002 in Japan and Notrth America, with a manga version published in 2004... |
Producer, Writer, Director | 2002 | PlayStation 2 |
| Suikoden Card Stories Suikoden Card Stories is a spin-off title of the Suikoden franchise by Konami which includes both a Game Boy Advance game and a physical collectible card game. Both were released in the fall of 2001 in Japan, neither have been translated into otherlanguages.... |
System programmer | 2001 | Game Boy Advance Game Boy Advance The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China... |
| Suikogaiden Vol. 2: Duel at Crystal Valley | Writer | 2001 | PlayStation PlayStation The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000... |
| Suikogaiden Vol. 1: Swordsman of Harmonia | Writer | 2000 | PlayStation |
| Suikoden II Suikoden II is a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation video game console and the second installment of the Suikoden video game series. It was released in late 1998 in Japan, 1999 in North America, and in 2000 in Europe. It was also released for Microsoft Windows in... |
Producer, Writer, Director | 1998 | PlayStation |
| Suikoden Suikoden (video game) is a role-playing game published by Konami as the first installment of the Suikoden series. Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, it was released initially in 1995 for the PlayStation in Japan. A North American release followed one year later, and a European release came the following... |
Producer, Writer, Director | 1995 | PlayStation |