The NEW VIRTUA FIGHTER Project developers revealed multiple pieces of information on the title in a recent interview. Producer Riichiro Yamada and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama sat down with Famitsu to discuss the game’s development and goals.
For starters, the duo talked about how current SEGA chairman Haruki Satomi is focused on “redefining the value of SEGA’s IP and conveying it to the world.” The NEW VIRTUA FIGHTER Project is one of the many titles included in SEGA’s initiative to dive deep into its back catalog of beloved IPs. Yokoyama also mentions that since Virtua Fighter is an IP that is etched in SEGA’s history, they have no intention of making something half-baked. Were that the intention, they would’ve stopped the project halfway through, and he says he’s prepared to take on this challenge.
Additionally, the team started the project to create a game that could be played by many people and not just within the confines of a typical fighting game. It’s unclear how the developers intend to appeal to more than just fighting game players, but this could be similar to Street Fighter 6‘s approach to creating the World Tour mode.
NEW VIRTUA FIGHTER Project Famitsu Interview Summary
Moreover, Yamada mentions how innovation is the core of the Virtua Fighter series. However, the team mentions that this is challenging, as we’re no longer in the 1990s, where arcade machines always had this freedom in designing their circuit boards and such. Nevertheless, the team is focused on innovating heavily regarding the upcoming Virtua Fighter title.
Next, Yamada mentions how he wants to make Virtua Fighter a game that is accessible for anyone. Easing up on the learning curve is one of the tasks he hopes will help achieve this. He also mentions that he’s thinking of the possibility of adding a story mode since, in his opinion, the characterization of the characters in Virtua Fighter is one of the series’ weakest points.
Lastly, an arcade version of the game is not being considered at the moment because making a similar quality arcade version would be a very high hurdle to overcome.
All of this information was learned with thanks to our staff writer, Ryuji, for translating the source from Famitsu. Ryuji mentions that the interview is huge, with over 15,000 Japanese characters, if not more. While the two developers had much to say, the information above are key points fans should know about.
