The following is the first half of an interview with the Japanese indie developer Pon Pon Games about the game A Healer Only Lives Twice. This interview focuses mainly on the game itself, while the second interview focuses on the developer and the state of the Japanese indie game development.
An Interview with Pon Pon Games, Part 1
Interview by: Douglas Schules; Translation by: Douglas Schules Daedalus Machine: A Healer Only Lives Twice is a basically a real-time strategy game with RPG elements. In this sense, it reminds me of Ogre Battle for SNES. What games influenced you? Pon Pon Games: As a starting point, I tried to make a simple game where the player had to carefully consider their actions two or three moves ahead using a crafting system similar to that of Final Fantasy 14. I think that a good point of similarity is that even in hopeless conditions, the player can advance depending on the command combinations entered. As you've already realized, I was conscious of the packaging of Ogre Battle when making the A Healer Only Lives Twice, as the main image of the game is of the two main characters confronting enemies in darkness. The image below is conscious of the packaging of Ogre Battle.
DM:
The game is unique in that players play as the healer, not the traditional role of the warrior. Can you explain the reason for this choice? PPG: That's because I like MMORPGs, and I especially like playing healers. As far as I know, there really aren't any games where you play exclusively as a healer. As in Dragon Quest V, though, there are many cases where the all-powerful recovery magic of the main character becomes crucial. In addition, I think that it's unfortunate that many game fans, particularly those who don't normally play online games, consider the recovery classes to be boring. In that case, I figured I'd make a game where you play the role of the healer to help them understand how much fun it can be. DM: How did you come up with the concept and story for the game? PPG: Because I'm a fan of the fantasy genre, I dreamed for a long time to make an RPG-like game that has various creatures. But, it's hard to make a large game right off the bat, so first I thought I'd begin with a smaller game that would take about two months to make. By doing this, I thought that the next time I make a game I will have a previous framework and assets to draw upon, and could more easily expand its size and scope. Thus, when considering a simple game that could be completed without any moving characters, I decided on the concept according to the reasons I listed above. As for the story, I had two considerations:
To satisfy these two conditions, I designed a story where characters return from a dead end. I also considered a simple introduction such as "After entering the dungeon, the entrance closes and their only option is to keep moving forward," but then because I thought it would become an adventure game instead of a survival game I decided to let the main characters confirm one time that there is nothing in the dungeon. DM: Can you tell us a bit about your background? Why did you become a game developer?
PPG:
When I was a high school student, I came across a programming tool that specialized in a game development called HSP, and I thought that by using this program even I could make games, so I started developing them. At university, I was a member of a game development circle but, after only a month, quit on a whim. After that, I continued to make games in my own way, both as a student and working adult. The turning point came with PlayStation Mobile, where even individuals could make and distribute games to the world. I felt the rise in opportunities for indie games, so I quit my job at an electronics maker and that's how I got here.
DM: PPG: In recent years, it seems like the proportion of overseas participants has increased. At the so-called "Doujin Soft Island" in particular, it feels like the ratio has radically increased. I guess the existence of games at Comiket has become widely known due to SNS and the like.
DM:
Do you mean that non-Japanese booths selling games at Comiket has increased, or that doujin games in general have increased? While I've seen many more people from outside Japan come to Comiket, the doujin games area has grown rapidly over the past six or seven years. PPG: Non-Japanese participants, that is to say "customers," have increased. I've attached an image to demonstrate what I mean.
As you said, the number of doujin game circles (that is to say booths) themselves have also increased. DM: Why did you decide to participate at Comiket, and what was your experience? Any advice for others wanting to sell there?
PPG:
I think the first time I participated in the Comic Market to sell something was at C80. Up until then, I distributed games at regional doujinshi booths and Comitia, and there really weren't many circles that dealt with games. So, because I felt like there was a mismatch I decided to participate at the Comic Market, the event with the widest scope. As for C90, I participated so that I could distribute A Healer Only Lives Twice, which was just finished.
Over the past few years, the number of circles that distribute games through download serial codes rather than disk has increased. I think that the average participant is losing resistance to that kind of distribution. From now on, those Circles participating at Comiket who feel a burden to make discs will probably also need to consider distribution by card. They seem surprisingly easy to make. DM: You said you've participated at Comiket since C80, what other projects are you working on and what have you done in the past? PPG: I'm not really working on anything outside of doujin games, although I occasionally lend a hand to circles that aren't involved with games. DM: The serial code distribution is actually quite new, but as an older gamer I am a bit on the fence. I mean, there's just something about good packaging that's part of the history of games. I noticed that you, for example, had physical packaging. Why? PPG: Well, with respect to A Healer Only Lives Twice, that's because in 2015 I decided that it was still possible to sell the game at doujin events and shops. And after moving to Tokyo, I saw some games being sold at events in DVD cases, and for many years I thought "I want to do that someday!" DM: I noticed that A Healer Only Lives Twice can also be bought on Steam. Have there been any problems selling the game there? Can you tell us about any difficulties you've had as a Japanese game developer? PPG: There really haven't been any problems selling the game on Steam. One of the benefits is that I can post a sign at my booth saying the game's available on Steam. There's been a lot of people who say, "When I get home I'll buy it on Steam." Although there are a lot of steps involved to be able to sell on Steam and I frequently receive inquiries from customers in other countries, Active Gaming Media (Playism), the publisher, has given me great support in these areas.
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