Saturday 2 Jan 2001.
Now it's already in early 2001 as it's almost reached the end of the weekend, the cold winter air still lingering outside as people slowly prepare for another working week, but there are things that started new which are the new TV shows called The Tech Talk in Japan. This TV show and also uploaded on their youtube is the show from a group called "Teknio" from japan and this program is just starting like last month, yet it already gained quite a lot of attention from tech enthusiasts and even casual viewers who are curious about how things actually work behind the scenes. Some even say this show feels different compared to normal television programs, as it doesn't just entertain but also educate in a very engaging way, making complicated topics feel simple and interesting.
This program are focused on Tech Industry software or hardware as they already talk a lot of stuff prior to this starting from making television , to creating a trains and not just that they also cover how specifics it is like the Television topics is "What Make Good Television" or when its train "For Train is it more fast or balance" something like that. They don't just speak at surface level either, sometimes they go deeper into engineering choices, design philosophy, and even the trade-offs that companies have to make, which is something rarely shown on public TV. Because of that, many viewers start to see technology in a completely different perspective, understanding that behind every product there are countless decisions and compromises.
And now this episode for the first ever in this year is called "How Fast You Can Make Video Games." a topic that immediately caught attention especially in Japan where the gaming industry is rapidly growing, and they are inviting some video game developer from one of Japan, Buriko soft , a video game developer lead from Buriko soft which is a veteran of the industry in Japan and his name is Nayuta Mase. Not only that, Buriko soft itself is already known among gamers as a solid developer, so having one of their lead developers come into a discussion like this makes the episode even more anticipated, as people are curious to hear the reality behind game development speed and whether the public expectation actually matches what happens inside studios.
Nayuta Mase is a guy in his middle 30s with a fairly normal hairline, not too sharp but also not receding, giving him a very grounded and realistic appearance, and he is also wearing glasses that slightly reflect the studio lights while he sits there calmly. He is also wearing a simple hoodie, something that makes him look more like a typical developer rather than a public figure, which actually fits his personality quite well as someone who spends most of his time behind the scenes. Meanwhile the host of this "Tech Talk Japan" is not just one person but two or three people working together, creating a more dynamic discussion atmosphere, first is Yasushi Sakaguchi who has a very confident presence, then the female host Aya Izumi who brings energy and clarity to the conversation, and then Takumi Minami who often acts as the analytical one among them. The three of them are really tech experts and they all love video games as well, not just casually but deeply, understanding both the player side and the developer side, that's why they truly understand what they are doing and can guide the conversation properly without making it feel shallow. Their chemistry is also quite natural, occasionally joking with each other while still maintaining a professional tone, making the show both informative and enjoyable to watch, and then without further ado the show finally began with the camera slowly focusing on the guest and hosts.
Aya then talks to the camera with a bright smile, her tone clear and welcoming as the studio lights slightly reflected in her eyes "Welcome everyone! In this episode of Japan Tech Talk, we will talk about "How Fast Can You Make a Video Game!" a topic that many of you have been curious about, especially with how quickly the gaming industry seems to move these days. And now we are invited by a video game expert named Nayuta Mase, someone who has been deeply involved in the industry for many years. Hello Mase-san, thank you for joining us today, we are really glad to have you here." She slightly turned her body toward Nayuta as the camera followed her movement, giving a more natural transition into the conversation.
Nayuta smiled calmly, adjusting his posture slightly before speaking. "The pleasure is all mine, Izumi-san, Sakaguchi-san, Minami-san. I've been a big fan of this show since last month. I think what you all are doing here is really interesting and also important for helping people understand technology better." His tone was polite yet genuine, not overly formal, showing that he was comfortable despite being on camera.
Yasu immediately grinned, leaning slightly forward as if energized by the response. "Hahaha, that's reassuring. Hearing that from someone in the industry really means a lot to us. Thank you." He then quickly continued, clearly eager to dive into the topic. "Now we want to ask you, just to give our audience a bit of context—how experienced are you as a video game developer? We want to understand how deep your involvement has been so far."
The way he phrased it felt natural yet intentional, setting up the discussion smoothly while keeping the atmosphere relaxed and engaging.
Then Nayuta nodded and began to explain his experience, taking a brief moment as if organizing his thoughts before speaking.
"I've been with Buriko Soft since it was established, around 1992—late 1992 to be exact, right when ZEPS 1 from ZAGE was starting to rise. Back then, the industry itself was still finding its shape, so everything felt uncertain, but at the same time, it was incredibly exciting to be part of something that was growing so fast."
He paused slightly, maintaining a calm expression before continuing.
"Since then, I've gained quite a lot of experience, especially playing a major role as a lead developer across many of Buriko Soft's projects. We've worked on quite a number of titles—if I'm not mistaken, around eleven games since our first release. Each project was different, and each one came with its own challenges, whether it was technical limitations, design problems, or team coordination."
Nayuta adjusted his glasses subtly, his tone becoming a bit more grounded.
"Because of that, I've seen a lot of what goes on behind the scenes in game development. Not just the final product that players see, but the entire process—the struggles, the revisions, the decisions, and even the failures that never make it to the public. So I would say I have a fairly deep understanding of how things actually work on the developer side."
Takumi Minami nodded, then asked, "How difficult is it to make a game, like from scratch, Mase-san?"
Mase nodded once, taking a short breath before answering. "Extremely difficult. The moment you start from zero, you're not just 'making a game'—you're building an entire idea into something real. First, you have to plan what kind of game you want to make, what type it is, and what kind of experience you want players to feel."
He leaned slightly forward, speaking more deliberately. "Usually in this stage, we use a lot of references from other games—not to copy them, but to understand what works and what doesn't. Then we start brainstorming, throwing ideas around, discussing mechanics, themes, and direction. After that, we move into creating the draft: basic game design, early character concepts, core gameplay loop, and also the story foundation."
Nayuta paused briefly, letting the weight of the process sink in before continuing. "And even just these early steps can take months to finalize. People often underestimate this part because nothing 'playable' exists yet, but this is where everything is decided. Even back in the early 8-bit era, this stage already took time. Now, even though technology has improved, the scale of games, graphical quality, and overall content length have also increased significantly."
He adjusted his glasses slightly as he finished. "So in reality, this phase still takes months. At Buriko Soft, we usually handle this planning and drafting stage for around three to four months before we even move to the next phase, and that's only if things go relatively smoothly."
Aya nodded, taking a moment to process the explanation before speaking.
"Three to four months just for the draft… I see. Aside from the amount of work itself, what really makes this planning phase take so long?"
Her tone carried genuine curiosity, clearly trying to understand what happens behind the scenes rather than just the surface-level answer.
Mase nodded slightly before answering, his expression turning a bit more thoughtful.
"Probably revision… that's the biggest factor. When we're drafting, we constantly come up with new 'ideas.' But having ideas is only the beginning—we then bring those ideas back to the team and discuss them again."
He made a small hand gesture as if outlining steps in the air.
"We ask questions like, 'Is this plausible in terms of gameplay?' or 'If we add this, will it affect the lore or create inconsistencies?' Every idea has to go through that kind of filtering. And sometimes, even ideas that sound really good at first don't hold up after discussion."
Nayuta leaned slightly forward, emphasizing the importance of this part.
"Then, if the idea is accepted, we still need to integrate it into our existing core design and draft. That takes time, because we're not building from zero anymore—we're modifying something that already has structure. One small change can affect multiple systems, so we have to be very careful with it."
He paused briefly before continuing in a calmer tone.
"We can't rush this phase. If we rush it, the problems will just appear later during development, and fixing them at that stage is far more costly."
A faint smile appeared on his face as he added,
"And then there are disagreements between leaders. That's completely normal. If Leader A believes idea A is the best, but Leader B insists idea B is better, we have to resolve that first. Sometimes it takes long discussions, sometimes testing, and sometimes compromise."
He finished calmly,
"Only after those disagreements are settled can we move forward. Otherwise, the project just keeps going back and forth, which wastes even more time in the long run."
Yasu's eyes widened slightly as he leaned forward, clearly intrigued by the explanation.
"Hmm… disagreement, I see. So after all this planning phase, if I'm not mistaken, it moves into the development phase, right? How long does that usually take?"
Nayuta nodded once, his expression turning more serious as he prepared to answer.
"Hmm… this is actually the longest part of the entire process. After the planning phase, we begin creating the core gameplay—the very foundation of the game. At this stage, our main focus is making sure the gameplay itself feels solid, responsive, and enjoyable."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"At the same time, we also continue developing the character design. But more importantly, we need to integrate those characters into the gameplay itself. It's not enough to just design them visually—they have to function properly within the game mechanics."
Nayuta slightly adjusted his glasses.
"Everything needs to connect. A character's movement, abilities, and even personality can influence how the gameplay feels. Because of that, integration becomes a complex process. One change in character design can affect gameplay balance, and one gameplay tweak can require redesigning certain elements."
He leaned back slightly, continuing in a calm tone.
"After we finish that stage, we move into testing and fixing. This is where we repeatedly play the game, identify issues, fix bugs, adjust balance, and sometimes even rework entire systems if something doesn't feel right. It's a very iterative process."
He exhaled softly before concluding.
"We usually group all of this under 'Development and Testing.' In total, this phase can take around ten months to a full year if everything goes smoothly and there are no major obstacles."
A faint, knowing expression crossed his face.
"But in reality, it often takes longer. If there are unexpected problems, delays, or major changes, the timeline can extend quite a bit. That's why this phase is considered the most time-consuming part of game development."
Takumi then asked, "A whole year if there are no troubles? And what if there are—what kind of problems usually happen?"
He leaned slightly forward, his tone more focused now, clearly wanting to understand the real difficulties rather than just the timeline.
Nayuta adjusted his glasses before answering, taking a brief pause as if recalling past experiences.
"Well… there are quite a few things that can go wrong. For example, sometimes we have to reverse parts of the design entirely. Something that looked good during planning—or even in early prototypes—might not work once it's fully implemented into the game."
He continued calmly, but there was a subtle weight in his words.
"Another common issue is adjusting gameplay in the middle of development. Maybe the balance doesn't feel right, or the mechanics don't deliver the experience we originally intended. When that happens, we can't just ignore it—we have to go back and rework it properly."
Nayuta exhaled lightly, as if remembering those moments.
"And the difficult part is that changes are rarely isolated. If you adjust one system, it can affect other systems as well. So what starts as a small fix can turn into a chain reaction. That's one of the main reasons development can take longer than expected."
He gave a small, understanding smile.
"Honestly, it's really tough when it happens—especially if the team has already spent a lot of time and effort on that part. But at the same time… it's normal. These kinds of issues are part of game development, and every team has to deal with them at some point."
The interview continued for quite a long time, and as the discussion went on, it became increasingly clear that Nayuta Mase was not only a good speaker but also someone who truly understood the depth of video game development. The way he explained each phase, from planning to testing, showed that his experience with a major studio like Buriko Soft was not just surface level but built from years of real, hands-on work. His answers were calm, structured, and easy to follow, yet they carried the weight of someone who had gone through the process many times. Even the hosts seemed more engaged as the conversation progressed, occasionally nodding along or reacting to his explanations. Because of that, the atmosphere of the show felt more serious and insightful compared to the usual tone. And just as the momentum of the discussion settled into a steady rhythm, Aya prepared to move into the next question, shifting the focus of the conversation once again.
Aya glanced toward Nayuta, her tone careful but direct. "Mase-san, what do you think of ZAGE? You're known for not really liking them—we'd like to hear your honest opinion."
Nayuta Mase let out a quiet sigh before he began to speak.
To be continue
Please give me your power stone and if you want to support me and get minimum 50+ advance chapter and additional 1 chapter a week for 4$ considering subscribe to my patreon patreon.com/Zaborn_1997
Or buymecoffee https://buymeacoffee.com/Zaborn_1997 which same with patreon
current Patreon/buymecoffe chap 1169
Also Join my discord if you want https://discord.gg/jB8x6TUByc