Dragoneer's Aria

By: Eric M. Martin

Saturday July 21, 2007

Interview with creative minds..
A long time ago (March), in a galaxy far, far away (San Francisco), I had the distinct pleasure of attending a press release held by Nippon Ichi Software America in order to showcase some of their upcoming titles for the 2007 year. One of those titles was Dragoneer’s Aria, developed by Hit Maker and set to release for the PSP on August 21, 2007.

More than just another RPG, Dragoneer’s Aria promised to be a game that would both test the graphic capabilities of the PSP while attempting to minimize the steady load times that often plague titles made for the system. All of this, plus the courageous story of one young dragoneer and his mission to protect the dragons of his world from a fearsome evil.

With the assistance of NIS America’s marketing co-ordinater and all around cool guy, Jack Niida, I was able to speak one-on-two with the CEO of Hit Maker, Yukihiko Hojo, and the Chief Technical and Developmental Office for Dragoneer’s Aria, Hiroyuki Maruhama.

1)In terms of gaming consoles, when you are making a game, do you have a specific preference as to what consoles that you like or do not like to develop for?

Yukihiko Hojo: We actually like all of the consoles. Every single consoles has different abilities and specs, so we don’t single out any one console. We take everything into consideration before going into development.

Hiroyuki Maruhama: I don’t have too much of a like or dislike with consoles. As a creator, it’s more important to see what the capability of the console is and attempt to utilize that console to the best of its ability. 2)For Dragoneer’s Aria, what aspect of this project most excites you?

Yukihiko Hojo: Story is the most important aspect of the game. It’s the best part.

Hiroyuki Maruhama: For me, it’s obviously story to, but I like to emphasize on the game system as well. With Dragoneer’s Aria, we were able to do a seamless integration between the story and the gameplay mechanics, so it’s not all broken up.

3)What kind of lasting impact do you hope to make on the gaming world with Dragoneer’s Aria?

Yukihiko Hojo: I want to pursue the absolute limits of the PSP hardware, and then use that as a stepping stone to a bigger, more challenging release on another console, and so on and so forth.

Hiroyuki Maruhama: As stated previously, RPGs were not optimized for the PSP. What we want to accomplish is a seamless transition between the story and the action, have it all completely integrated. That hasn’t been accomplished yet with the PSP, and that’s what we aim to accomplish with Dragoneer’s Aria.

4)Whenever you’re making any kind of new game, what do you feel is the biggest challenge?

Yukihiko Hojo: The most difficult part as a creator is coming up with something all-new. Originality is difficult, especially when dealing with a hardcore fan. It’s hard to come up with new and exciting stuff.

Hiroyuki Maruhama: When you first start off, you have no idea what you’re going to make. What’s difficult is getting everyone involved in the creation process on the same page.

Static Multimedia would like to thank Yukihiko Hojo and Hiroyuki Maruhama for giving of their time and knowledge for this glimpse into not only Dragoneer’s Aria, but into a little piece of Hit Maker as a company. I had never heard of Hit Maker before March 29th, and I am looking forward to Static Multimedia’s coverage of Dragoneer’s Aria. As much as many may dislike the PSP, myself included, I’ve played a few titles and would love to see a game that achieves a more seamless flow for that system. From the looks of things, Hit Maker has done their best with this title and will hopefully continue the tradition of pushing the limits of each console they develop for. As their motto states: “Trends don’t happen…we create them!”

Look for Static Multimedia’s coverage of Dragoneer’s Aria in the near future and feel free to scope out some of the character artwork on our home page. Also, visit the official Dragoneer’s Aria website. Don’t forget to preorder on RosenQueen.com to receive a free artbook.