Katsuhiro Harada says his departure from Bandai Namco was driven by a desire to take a new creative path. After more than three decades at the company, the Tekken director joined VS Studio, a new studio backed by SNK.
As he approached 50, Harada began thinking about how to spend the remaining decade of his career. Games that once came out annually can now take five years to develop, he said, leading him to conclude that he might have time to make only one more game and should try something different.
Harada said he understood the risks of starting a studio amid industry layoffs and closures. After announcing his departure, he received several offers, with SNK’s standing out. He cited the company’s history in fighting games and arcades, his affection for its Neo Geo system, and the fact that discussions with its leadership focused on games rather than business or profit.
According to Harada, VS Studio has been promised autonomy over its decisions and operations. The team began with 10 people, who helped bring in other experienced developers. Harada said he was pleased that many of the people joining were over 45, arguing that experience can be an advantage in game development.
He described the smaller studio’s working style as a change from life at a major publisher: artists, engineers, directors and designers discuss ideas together, regardless of their roles. At the same time, he said VS Studio lacks the marketing resources and capabilities of a large publisher, leaving the team to make more decisions itself. That independence, he added, makes the work feel reminiscent of the 1990s.
Harada also discussed the pressures on the wider industry. He said high-budget games have become increasingly expensive to make, encouraging publishers to rely on established franchises, while the smaller gap in production quality between indie and AAA games has not solved the problem of helping players discover independent titles. Even small indie teams can make strong games and struggle commercially, he said.
For fighting games, Harada sees esports as a continuation of arcade communities, where players met in person to compete and share strategies. He said tournaments, streaming and community activity can keep a game relevant over time, but cautioned that prize money and audiences do not necessarily make esports a highly profitable business for publishers. He also warned that concentrating tournament operations under publishers could weaken the local communities and grassroots activity that support the genre.
Harada said AI could improve fighting games by making computer-controlled opponents feel more human and by helping match players according to their skill, habits and behaviour. He did not disclose what VS Studio is developing, but confirmed that the project is not a puzzle game.
Sources: GamesIndustry.biz.