GAME CHRONICLE / IS JAPAN COOL?
Revealing Japan’s game culture and innovative history
“Game Chronicle” focuses on the complex world of Japanese games — which draws fans into a whirlwind of excitement and innovation. Video games are the combined product of creators’ imagination and developers’ passion. Wherever game professionals gather, we find team spirit and tireless dedication to product refinement. In this feature, we cover four eras of Japanese games (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s) and 100 topics — including hardware and software evolution, arcade games, latest e-sports, and Japan’s longtime favorite traditional games. We’re also exhibiting a “special collection” of events and anecdotes to enrich the history of Japanese games, so site visitors can better enjoy game culture. Moreover, our “Interview” section features 11 Japanese game industry experts — who reveal the essential appeal of games beloved worldwide.
Aesthetics of game: secrets of shogi, Japanese traditional culture
Yoshiharu Habu
Born in 1970 in Saitama prefecture. Mr. Habu is a master player of Japanese traditional chess — shogi. He started playing shogi at age 6 and became qualified as professional when he was 15 years old. When he was 19, he won his first championship title, called Ryuo. In 1996, he won all seven major titles in the shogi world — Ryuo, Meijin, Oi, Oza, Kio, Osho, and Kisei. In 2017, he won his seventh Ryuo title. Together with six lifetime titles he already holds, he has achieved the first-ever “Eternal Seven Crowns”.
Celebrated game creators talk about attractions and possibilities of games
Masahiro Sakurai
Born in 1970 in Tokyo. Mr. Sakurai is Representative Director of Sora Limited Company. His major works include Kirby’s Dream Land series and Super Smash Bros. series. Mr. Sakurai joined HAL Laboratory, Inc. after graduating high school and developed Kirby’s Dream Land, Nintendo Allstars Super Smash Bros., etc. In 2003, he left HAL Laboratory, and in 2005 founded Sora Limited Company for game software development.
Kazunori Yamauchi
Born in 1967 in Chiba. Representative Director and President of Polyphony Digital Inc., and the producer of Gran Turismo game series. Mr. Yamauchi joined Sony Music Entertainment in 1992, and transferred to Sony Computer Entertainment (presently Sony Interactive Entertainment: SIE) in 1994 and produced the Gran Turismo series. In 1998, he founded Polyphony Digital as a 100% subsidiary company of SIE.
AloJapan.com