Interview
What does the company YUKE’S create? In addition to the pro wrestling games it is known for, YUKE’S has also worked on titles such as Earth Defense Force: World Brothers and Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn, and has also created CGI for live events such as “ENSEMBLE STARS!!” and “PolaPoriPosuPo”. At its core, YUKE’S uses outstanding technology to express “people” in 3D.
By yu-min17
By Takeuchi Hakushu
YUKE’S is a long-established game maker which started in 1993. Many game fans may recognize YUKE’S as the company that has developed and distributed professional wrestling titles such as New Japan Pro Wrestling Toukon Restuden (Power Move Pro Wrestling), The Pro-Wrestling, and the SmackDown vs RAW / WWE2K series.
However, were you aware that in recent years, YUKE’S has also developed (or contributed to development of) console games such as Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers, Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and in addition has worked on numerous AR and XR projects?
In the XR space, YUKE’S has produced high-quality CGI graphics for live events such as “ENSEMBLE STARS!! DREAM LIVE” (starting from -Brand New Stars!!-), “PolaPoriPosuPo”, and “Hypnosis Mike-Division Rap Battle- 3DCG LIVE”, each of which have been enjoyed by many fans.
YUKE’S has focused on development in recent years, meaning there have been only a handful of opportunities for it to appear in the public eye—but nevertheless, YUKE’S is confident in its technical and development capabilities. In this article, we interviewed six creators who play a central role in development to find out what kind of aspirations and visions YUKE’S has in promoting its future business.
※Members
Norifumi Hara
Yokohama CS Business Department
Executive, Yokohama CS Business Department Head
Osamu Hashimoto
Yokohama Branch CS Business Department
Game Design Senior Director
Naoto Ueno
Yokohama Branch CS Business Department
Producer and Game Design Senior Director
Selected Works: Real Steel, Pacific Rim The Video Game, Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers Series, WWE 2K Series, etc.
Tomohiro Shibuya
Yokohama Branch CS Business Department
Game Design Senior Director
Selected Works: Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers Series, etc.
Shin’ichi Miyamoto
Osaka Branch CS Business Department
Project Director
Selected Works: Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn (YUKE’S assisted in development), Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics™ (YUKE’S assisted in development), UFC Undisputed Series
Shunsuke Hanabusa
Osaka Branch CS Business Department
Deputy Director and Producer
Selected Works: Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn (*YUKE’S assisted in development), ARP, WWE 2K Series, UFC Undisputed Series
An established developer who has been making wrestling games for over 30 years is expanding its business to include XR, Metaverse, and other content.
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――First, please tell us what kind of company YUKE’S is.
Hara: YUKE’S was founded on February 26, 1993. The impetus for founding YUKE’S came from president Yukinori Taniguchi’s desire to express “people” using digital technology. At that time, dots were the most common way to express people in games, but Taniguchi wanted to use polygons to express people. The first challenge YUKE’S sought to solve was how to express people using such inorganic shapes, and how to impress people with such work.
――Hara-san, you joined YUKE’S sometime after its establishment, right? What was your reason for joining YUKE’S?
Hara: I was working on Tetris at my previous job, and Taniguchi was working on Puyo Puyo. At the time, we had no idea that a game called PuyoTeto would later be released (laughs), but since we were both working on puzzle games, we had a lively conversation, and that’s when I asked Taniguchi about his plans. I had been working in 2D for a long time, so I completely understood Taniguchi’s desire to impress people with 3D graphics. I joined YUKE’S because I shared that same desire.
――And that is what resulted in YUKES’ famous work, New Japan Pro Wrestling Toukon Restuden (Power Move Pro Wrestling)?
Hara: That’s right. That was the origin of using polygons to express people. Since then, for 30 years, we have continued to love and involve ourselves with pro wrestling games.
――Although the name YUKE’S is irrevocably connected with pro wrestling games, there is more to YUKE’S than that, correct? In recent years, YUKE’S has been expanding its business in a truly multifaceted way.
Hara: Yes, that’s correct. While pro wrestling is our origin and specialty, it is not the extent of our business. Apart from various other genres of games, we have also taken on the challenges of various other businesses such as pachinko, live performances, XR, and Metaverse.
All of these ventures are still rooted in the company’s ideal of expressing “people”. We provide a place where people can enjoy entertainment through human communication. With this as our fundamental principle, we are currently trying to develop new businesses in various fields.
―― I really admire your energy to take on new challenges, but some fans may be concerned that the development of pro wrestling games, which has been your flagship, may take a back seat.
Hara: No, no, there is no need to worry about that! Just last year we developed AEW: Fight Forever (published by THQ Nordic), and we will continue to express our love for pro wrestling.
We are proud to have some of the best creators at YUKE’S here today, and while they are the ones who are taking the initiative to try new things, almost all of them have experience in developing wrestling games. For YUKE’S, pro wrestling is like the backbone that supports the company. Hence, our goal is to retain the experience of pro wrestling, while also challenging new things. The aim is to do both simultaneously.
――That’s great to hear. By the way, I know that YUKE’S has branches in both Osaka and Yokohama, but how many people do you have on the development team in total?
Hara: We have about 180 employees working on development alone. There are always multiple lines running, with various titles being developed at the same time.
▲ In the office, there is a space that resembles the type of steel cage used in professional wrestling. This is actually a free space which employees can use for work. This space contains lights and other equipment and can serve as reference for designing lighting during game development.
YUKE’S is involved in the development of various games, from Earth Defense Force: World Brothers to Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn, as well as Granblue Fantasy: Relink.
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――From here on out, I would like to invite all the creators to join the discussion. First, could you tell us about the appeal or characteristics of YUKE’S?
Miyamoto: Earlier it was mentioned that we are currently developing in several fields, but I would like to point out that for many of these fields, YUKE’S had been developing ahead of the market, without any precedents. For example, wrestling games with polygonal characters were nonexistent at the time YUKE’S was developing the first one, and YUKE’S created it from scratch.
Hara: Back when PlayStation (hereafter, “PS”) had just been released, I was given the chance to participate in its launch, and was very grateful for such an opportunity.
Miyamoto: We have been working on online games since the days of PS2 and Dreamcast. I believe that it is YUKE’S mentality of attempting something new that allows us to take the initiative on technologies that are not yet major players in the market, and that this is one of the defining characteristics of our company.
Ueno: I think another one of our strengths is our range of work. We can make anything, whether the source material is animation, a Hollywood film, or a sport. Some studios specialize in a specific genre, but YUKE’S is ready to take on any challenge.
―― Looking at YUKES’ past achievements, in addition to pro wrestling games, you have also created the Earth Defense Force: World Brothers series, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn. In the XR domain, you have handled live event CGI creation for “ENSEMBLE Stars!!”, “PolaPoriPosuPo”, and “Hypnosis Mike” as well. I was surprised at your sheer variety, and found myself constantly saying “oh wow, they’ve worked on this, too.”
Hara: It’s comments like these that encourage us to keep doing what we’re doing (laughs).
――Were you approached by other parties to take up these assignments?
Hara: Of course, for some projects we were approached, but in many instances we ourselves have approached the client. I mentioned earlier that the purpose of this company is to express people in 3D, but that technology isn’t limited to being used to animate professional wrestlers (laughs)—it can be applied to a wide variety of things. This explanation is often enough to convince other people of our prowess, and this has allowed us to undertake many new challenges.
―― Compared to the past, I think there are far more opportunities now to animate characters in 3D. That must translate to increased demand for YUKES’ technology!
Hara: We started with how to make polygons look human-like, and then moved on to things like how to animate muscles and create facial expressions. I think it’s this hard work that everyone has put in that has brought us where we are today.
Ueno: We also tried our hand at creating voxel characters.
Hara: Sometimes you just feel like making something cute and stylized (laughs). Ueno took on many new challenges with the Earth Defense Force: World Brothers series.
Ueno: For the Earth Defense Force: World Brothers series, we were very fortunate to be in charge of all development. The task of creating a game with “voxel-style art” was given to us by D3 Publisher, but it was YUKE’S who proposed everything from character design to game concept and scenario. The members among our staff who loved the original Earth Defense Force series joined up and were given creative freedom, so although there is also an official mainline series, it felt like we were making a fan version of the game (laughs).
Hara: Even D3 Publisher’s producer was on board with this plan.
Ueno: Which gave us a ton of freedom in creating the game!
――As expected, D3 Publisher is generous in that respect! You mentioned there are members of your staff who love Earth Defense Force. How do you organize your in-house teams for game development?
Ueno: Very few of our teams have fixed members. Normally each project is tailored to suit the client’s needs, and teams are selected on a project-by-project basis.
Hara: Of course, if someone is fond of a particular title, we try to include that person. As a rule, we try to include as many people as possible who have the necessary skills.
Hanabusa: I have an example of this as well! YUKE’S used to produce “ARP(*)”, and I loved watching their live AR performances. I belonged to the Osaka branch, so I used to drive to Yokohama every time to see them.
*ARP was an AR dance/vocal group that fans could interact with in real time at live performances. They were active from 2016 to 2022. These events featured AR performers being projected on a stage as CGI and performing live.
Hara: We told him that if he liked them so much, he might as well join the team. And so he did (laughs).
Hanabusa: After that, I was put in charge of the operation, and stayed in Yokohama for its entire duration.
Hara: There isn’t any clear differentiation between the Osaka and Yokohama branches. Some people from Yokohama may end up working in Osaka depending on which title they are involved in.
―― So it sounds like staff members can move between offices rather freely. I also want to mention that, speaking from the previous impression I had of YUKE’S, I would not have expected you to develop an RPG. Could you talk about your involvement in Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn?
Miyamoto: Originally, we were only in charge of porting the PS5 and XBOX Series X|S versions of the main Tales of Arise game. Since then, they came to trust our technical expertise and entrusted us with the development of its DLC. I oversaw level design, battle implementation programming, cut-scene creation, as well as other aspects of the project.
――I am sure you were presented with many new challenges and discoveries, right?
Miyamoto: When I actually started working on it, I felt that there were many areas where our expertise could be utilized. For example, the sense of how to make the game enjoyable, and expressing satisfaction in an action game were areas that were not that different from our usual game development. Of course, I also learned a lot from working with Bandai Namco Studios.
Hara: You sound cool and confident saying that now, but at the time you were under a lot of pressure, weren’t you? (laughs). Looking back on it and hearing you say such profound things makes me realize how dependable you are.
Miyamoto: It was in fact a continuous process of trial and error. And now that it’s over, I can look back on it with confidence (laughs).
Can the world of Ready Player One already be a reality with today’s technology?!
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――Next, please tell us what challenges YUKE’S will be undertaking next.
Miyamoto: There are still many console game genres we have yet to attempt, so I would like to expand our repertoire even further. For example, now that we have experience with RPGs, I would like to work on open world games that take advantage of 3D technology.
Ueno: Each director taking on new challenges in completely different genres is nice, but I would also like to take on another big project where we all work together, like we did
when making the WWE series.
Hanabusa: Now that we have a truly versatile staff, it is nice to have a mix of various media that includes not only games, but also areas such as live performances and XR.
Ueno: Hara and I often talk about how we want to provide a metaverse-like space where everyone can communicate and play together, without boundaries between the real and virtual worlds.
――No matter how good the technology is, I feel like a metaverse will not succeed unless the content is strong. I feel that this is where YUKES’ expertise in entertainment is needed most.
Hara: You’re absolutely right! It is a world highly suited for entertainment.
Ueno: Shouldn’t we be talking about Ready Player One(*)?
*The 2018 film directed by Steven Spielberg.
Hara: Should we?
――I would love to hear your thoughts (laughs).
Hara: When other YUKE’S members ask me what direction this company will take in the future, I tell them that I want to make Ready Player One a reality. I think we are entering an era where creating such a world is no longer a fantasy.
――It is an extremely exciting idea, but it must be quite a challenge to make it happen?
Hara: I have been studying motion capture technology for a long time, and with the “ALiS ZERO(*)” real-time rendering engine we developed, we can capture realistic human movements behind the scenes and display them on screen in real time. In recent years, this technology is often used in live 2nd-gen IP and Vtuber performances, where movements by behind-the-scenes actors can be directly reflected in CGI. The aforementioned “ARP” is also an example of this. We already have the technology to allow someone to apply their movements to an avatar as they do in Ready Player One.
*The ALiS ZERO engine outputs captured motion data as CGI data in real time with high precision. This technology allows rendering in real time, displaying multiple characters simultaneously, and real-time compositing with live action.
――And this engine was developed in-house by YUKE’S? Not only does YUKE’S undertake a wide range of initiatives, what’s amazing is how seriously you approach each one.
Hara: This is also rooted in the idea of expressing “people”. What’s important in this context is the concept of being “in real time”. Since YUKE’S is a game developer, we want to focus on interactive play, not just the CGI aspect. For this reason, we need to focus on doing things in real time.
Hashimoto: I am often entrusted with unusual tasks within the company, and speaking of real-time features, I once created an app called Furefure, which features a rhythm game that can be played in real time along with a character’s live performance. In this game, you shake your phone along with the rhythm of the song, and your score is added to the score of the character you are cheering for. This app was also used at our ARP live performances.
We had to put a lot of effort into implementation, because with rhythm games even a delay of 1/60th of a second is unacceptable. Basically what I’m saying is that I’m good at innovating new ways of gaming on hardware and devices, so I’d encourage hardware companies to work with us (laughs).
――I like that you get straight to the point (laughs). But as I said before, in order to popularize the latest technology, it has to be fun. And I think this is something right up YUKES’ alley, because at the core you are a game company, rather than a technology company.
Hara: Exactly!
Shibuya: I’ll never run out of things I want to do at YUKE’S, but one thing to keep in mind when taking on new challenges is the importance of development speed. New challenges require lots of manpower and money. So the only way junior team members can work on them is to develop efficiently.
――Nowadays, game development is a very long-term process, right?
Shibuya: In the days of the NES, it was easy to release two new games in a single year. Now, development for a single game takes 3-5 years. While the number of games isn’t necessarily what’s important, I think one problem of the industry is that it is difficult for people to take on new challenges in a timely manner.
Miyamoto: In that respect, even though many companies use Unreal Engine, we have accumulated a lot of experience developing with our own engine. We can now apply that know-how to customize Unreal Engine, which speeds up the development process.
Looking for work that makes people happy
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――In your opinion, what are some strengths that YUKE’S possess that no other company has?
Miyamoto: As mentioned earlier, I think one of our strengths lies in us not having fixed teams. Instead, we assemble teams on a project-by-project basis, considering who is best for the job. In the case of Earth Defense Force: World Brothers, we are entrusted with creative decisions. Other times, we collaborate with the client’s development team. I think this flexibility is one of our strengths.
Ueno: Localization is also one of our strengths.
Hara: I have been dealing with overseas clients for quite a long time thanks to the pro wrestling business, so localization is something we’ve grown accustomed to. We’ve worked on versions for over 30 languages (laughs).
Hashimoto: We always assume, from the design stage, that a game will be localized. I think we have a good sense of how to develop things like UI while taking localization into account. Some languages will inevitably require more characters, which may not all fit on menus if this is not considered at the start.
――Do you ever undertake only localization tasks?
Hara: Yes, in some instances we do. Though we’d refer to that as a form of porting work.
――App games have become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Is YUKE’S primarily involved in console games?
Hara: The members speaking here specialize in console games, so that’s what we’ve mainly been discussing, but YUKE’S also works on app games, PC games, live shows, and XR. We are interested in attempting anything!
―― Nowadays, it is becoming essential for console games to also be compatible with Steam/PC. What does YUKE’S think of this and the resulting changes on the development side?
Miyamoto: Unlike game consoles, PC users have different hardware configurations, so tasks such as debugging have become quite difficult.
Hanabusa: For both PC and smartphone, hardware and specs can vary from person to person.
Hashimoto: The initial urge is always to make a game with the highest specs possible, but lately I’ve come to realize that in many cases, creating a game with lower spec requirements can also have its benefits. Some people are happy to hear they’ll be able to play a game on their home PC, so while more debug work is needed, I think it’s worth it.
Shibuya: Overseas users in particular can have a marked difference in hardware performance, so people often respond positively when hearing that lower specs will be supported.
Hara: We want to accommodate that demand, and allow as many people to play as possible. But at the same time…we also want to increase framerate as much as possible.
All (laugh)
Ueno: Balancing the two is always a struggle. The best would be having our development team’s PCs being separated into different configurations for accommodating different specs, but our system administrators would likely cry at the thought of such an extreme setup.
Hara: Even requesting setup of both a 2K monitor and a 4K monitor makes them cry enough (laughs).
Ueno: There are tons of similar requests…such as wanting to test in Windows 7, or wanting to test with a slow Wi-Fi connection. Preparing the required setup is not always easy.
Hara: It’s the same with smartphones. Some users are attached to a particular phone model, and don’t want to change it. Which puts the burden on us in figuring out what to do. We’ve had to scrounge up a lot of different types of smartphones…
――It’s interesting to hear in so much detail what goes on behind the scenes (laughs). There is plenty more I would love to ask, but how about we close with one last message from each of you?
Hanabusa: There are many stereotypes in the game industry. We want to break down these stereotypes in a positive way, and create and deliver new and exciting things. We look forward to continuing to serve not only longtime fans, but also those hearing about YUKE’S for the first time. And if anyone in the industry is interested in working with us, we would be happy to work with you!
Miyamoto: Having the opportunity to work alongside other developers while at YUKE’S has allowed me to grow immensely. I hope to continue to have other opportunities like this in the future, so please consider YUKE’S as a partner!
Shibuya: Personally, I want to develop something that will allow us to communicate more with game fans. I am sure such a thing will receive both positive and negative feedback, but it is something I would like to develop with everyone here at YUKE’S.
Ueno: Gaming is no longer just for young people. We will continue to love games no matter how old we get, so I believe the percentage of game lovers in the population will continue to increase. That is why I want to continue to provide content that can be enjoyed by a wider range of users than ever before, and I also want to create an environment at YUKE’S that will allow me to stay in the development field for a long time.
Hashimoto: Most people probably were not aware that YUKE’S has been involved in such a wide range of content. The first game I worked on after joining YUKE’S was a PS game developed for the North American market. I had never played any foreign games when I was a student, and knew little about them. Conversely, I’m certain there are many people who have never played a Japanese game. I want people all over the world to know not just about YUKES’ games, but about the other types of entertainment we’ve created. I want to make YUKE’S a household name.
Hara: I look forward to receiving a variety of requests from our users: what they want us to make, what they want to play, what excites them, what kind of live performances they want to see, who they want to meet, etc. Nothing is more rewarding to us than being able to satisfy these requests with our entertainment. We are determined to create things that will make people smile and that will inspire them, while having fun at the same time. We ask that you continue to support us—and to those of you in the industry, we look forward to working with you!
Copyright
©2019 YUKE’S ©2019 D3 PUBLISHER
©2003-2024 D3 PUBLISHER ©2003-2022 SANDLOT ©2019-2024 YUKE’S
Tales of Arise™ ＆ ©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
©2005-2018 Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. and its subsidiaries. 2K and the 2K logo are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. ©2018 WWE. All Rights Reserved. Developed by YUKE’S Co., Ltd. YUKE’S Co., Ltd. and its logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of YUKE’S Co., Ltd. “PlayStation family mark” and “PS4 logo” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. All other marks are property of their respective owners.
©Bandai Namco Amusement Inc.
©内田明理/YUKE’S
©YUKE’S
