With social media platforms, it’s now easier than ever to reach out and be heard by game developers when it comes to their games. However, not everyone is a fan of that, and this includes Katsura Hashino, the director of the Persona franchise, and the recently released Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Speaking to Famitsu (via Automaton), Hashino, who was speaking to Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama about user feedback, mentioned that he keeps his distance from user feedback regarding his games to spare his mental health. “Of course, I do check things out at certain times, such as right after launch. But it’s not like I can adjust [the game] based on what I see. When I need to look something up, I do it quickly in one go, because constantly looking at reactions isn’t good for your mental health.”
In addition to that, when Toyama asked whether Hashino looks up his name online, ReFantazio’s game director confirmed that he doesn’t, and that he doesn’t even have social media. Not only that, but Hashino also admitted that he’s also uncomfortable appearing in-person at promotional events.
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This is surprising news to hear, though given Japan’s culture where people are a lot more reserved compared to people in the US, this makes a lot of sense. For those wondering what Toyama’s stance on this is, the former Silent Hill dev states that while he was dismissive about user feedback in the past, he is now more inclined to listen to what people have to say and even consider opinions he finds useful. Toyama has horror game Slitterhead in development currently, and it’s set to be released this November 8 on consoles and PC.
Fortunately for Hashino, he doesn’t need to be active on social media for his game to do well, as the game has already sold over one million units in its first day of availability. If you’ve yet to play the RPG, you might want to remedy that, as our review mentions, “Metaphor: ReFantazio is a masterfully crafted JRPG that seamlessly takes all that was excellent about the Persona series and weaves a fantasy tale like no other. It’s a tale with layers and levels that is wonderfully paced, offering a wealth of familiar mechanics and systems.
- Released
- October 11, 2024
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