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However, she left the project and Tango later that year, due in part to health problems.
In part, that refers to Unseen’s hybrid mode of working.
Indeed, Nakamura refers to the studio’s developers, regardless of discipline, as artists.
“A lot of companies are publisher-driven but I dont like that,” she says.
“This place is driven by passionate artists.”
An artist’s touch
This feature originally appeared in Edge Magazine.
Has running a videogame studio always been an ambition of yours?
Since I was in middle school, I wanted to be a game developer.
That’s what I had in my mind to pursue, and it hasnt changed since.
So I was told to become an environment artist, and that’s how I started.
During that time, I always wanted to be a concept artist.
2D art was something I was most interested in, so I was a full-on artist back then.
I had never dreamed of running my own studio as a CEO.
So thats what I decided to do.
Creating and running a game company was what I became focused on.
In my previous workplace, I faced challenging interpersonal dynamics where there was a culture of hierarchy and rigidity.
It often felt like standing out would lead to being pushed down, even if you excelled.
I was responsible for art direction in a relatively small team.
That’s when I saw an opportunity and stepped up, offering to take on the role myself.
I saw it as a chance to create a project with a forward-looking perspective.
I didn’t hesitate to volunteer because I believed I could craft a game for the next generation.
Crafting pitch decks and presenting to Bethesda was an incredibly exciting journey.
It was where I learned the art of securing budgets and resources.
I seized opportunities, displayed leadership, and took initiative when the situation demanded it.
That’s when I began to realise that I was not in the right environment to achieve personal growth.
I experienced the kind of environment in which other big studios make games.
So that’s why I built this studio from the ground up, to suit that need.
It was designed as our vision together.
So there were all kinds of influences in how this place looks.
This place is, as we speak, still evolving.
Things are constantly changing, but it starts from here.
We’re actually attracting more generalist developers instead of specialists, so there is more flexibility there.
Based on that, we are actually building a team where 50 people can perform like 100.
We don’t really envision our company growing much larger than what we currently are.
Instead, we want to have a very focused team.
We’ll outsource, too, but even outsourcing is very selective.
I don’t like the term ‘outsourcing’, actually.
I guess that’s just a characteristic of my development style!
To be honest, it’s quite difficult to find generalist talent, but we do find them.
As far as hiring junior talents go, I’ve seen younger developers who can also be generalists too.
That’s really important, because you want your lead to be awesome, right?
In some companies, juniors are brought in but it doesnt lead to growth at all.
Especially in Japan, anything that sticks out gets hammered down, which I really hate.
That’s why a more generalist artist is a better fit for this team.
That said, I do get told I have a very similar personality to Kamiya.
We’re both quite childish and mischievous in our own ways.
Kamiya-san actually told me, “Be wild!”
Basically, get noticed.
Whether you’re a director or concept artist, ensure you’re being wild, active and energetic.
So that’s something he taught me that I guess I’m doing.
How do you feel about being a studio figurehead?
How did you feel about that?
So that’s how I feel about that.
Youre one of very few female studio heads in Japan, certainly at this kind of scale and visibility.
Does that bring extra pressure?
And do you feel more conscious responsibility for helping other women or minority groups to thrive in the industry?
Being female certainly does have some influence on how you run a company.
In some companies out there, you might’t actually bring your child to the office.
You might have also noticed the floor of this studio is also all slopes.
We are ready for everybody!
Nakamura worked on The Evil Within games, two of thebest horror gamesever.
Scalebound actually got cancelled a few years after I had left the team.
So during my career I haven’t experienced a game getting cancelled while I was working on it.
I definitely think there’s a reason that decisions like that are made.
As for Ghostwire: Tokyo, it’s something that I did actually have to leave in the middle.
Though this child was just four years old, their personality and individuality were already taking shape.
It was time to embrace change and keep moving forward.
Is that a fair observation?
The concept for a project like this has been brewing in my mind since my middle-school days.
Scratch that, even earlier.
We are actually building a team where 50 people can perform like 100.
My intention is to craft a game within my expertise [that’s] mysterious and otherworldly.
Somehow, we have forgotten old tales, lost our beliefs, and misplaced the sense of mystery.
Nevertheless, in this world, they persist as an unending presence among us.
The brilliance of the unknown intensifies as it gradually unveils itself.
It is an infinite process, and attempting to quantify its extent is a formidable undertaking.
This feature originally appeared inEdge magazine.
