Originally posted on 20 January 2016
Source: page 165-167

Destiny of a Dragon

What he wants to say to everyone

There are also things that Nagoshi wants people, however few or many, to feel, aside from young people hoping to become creators.

The meaning of continuing to fight. The importance of continuing on without fearing failure.

More and more people are avoiding coming into contact with others, scared of getting hurt. There are people who, though they have lots of names saved to their mobile phones, have no one they would call a friend.

Human relations are not straightforward. Sometimes we may hurt each other. Nagoshi himself has had more failed relationships with other people than he can count. But thinking back on it now, all of those failures made him grow. Meeting friends whom he could cherish dearly and rely on was also the result of pushing on ahead without fear.

This doesn't just apply to relationships. Many people fear failure at work and in their daily lives and flee from challenge. This country became materially enriched, making it possible to live a good life without any big challenges. However, he feels that it is important to be resolute and not forget your fighting spirit when faced with difficulty. The Ryu ga Gotoku project encountered all kinds of difficulties at its inception. Through the assembled staff's cooperation and facing these challenges head on, they were able to release it and grow it into a hit game.

―If you continue to fight without running, even when things get tough, and keep eliminating the obstacles in your path, a day will come when you will overcome them.

Perhaps the hard road along which Nagoshi and the team travelled was a long journey in order to prove this.

There is something he wants to ask people who compromise and settle for a moderate life, wondering 'is this what life is like?': Does a "soul" sleep in the depths of your heart, wanting something you don't have? A big success, the admiration of lots of people, the fulfilment of a dream... Is there something for which you hunger? Perhaps you always hunger for something, but run in fear of facing obstacles?

There is something Nagoshi wants each player to think as they pick up their PlayStation controller and fight alongside Kazuma Kiryu:

To live is to not run away.

He wants this to become a force that inspires the souls of those who play Ryu ga Gotoku, and the countless other new games that are yet to be created.

"Talking about the future of the gaming industry - 2"

"When I think about next-gen consoles, I wonder where games are going. For example, when you watch a blu-ray they really do look good, but aren't DVDs enough, too? I think the impact is gone from when we switched from videos to DVDs, where all of a sudden this single flimsy disc was all you needed. For the players, if they can't see what's coming next they won't really want it. If they can see what kind of experience they can enjoy with whatever comes after the PS3 I'm sure they'll probably buy it even if it's expensive, but if not then they won't. Game consoles themselves take a lot of money to make, so if they don't sell a few million units they won't make their cost back. It takes a lot of responsibility just developing a game, so I wonder if there's anything that can be done about it." (Nagoshi)

"Online games and courage"

"It takes courage to tell people things, but the same isn't true of the internet. Since people are using pseudonyms, they can say whatever they like without taking responsibility, whether they have courage or not. That part of the internet scares me, and I don't like it at all. So if I made an online game, I'd want to make it impossible to communicate irresponsibly. I wonder if you could make a game that forces you to take responsibility for your own words." (Nagoshi)

"About the word 'desperate'"

"At the time of Kenzan!, we used the word 'desperate'. Lately, it seems like people have begun thinking of it as a negative word. People on 2channel use it to make fun of people, for example. But I think 'desperate' is a great word, showing the way your eyes shine at the absolute best moment." (Nagoshi)

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