, born in 1970 in Fukuoka, is a Japanese game designer. He is the CEO of the company
CyberConnect2
is a Japanese video game development studio mostly known for its work on the ''.hack'' series, along with a series of fighting games based on the ''Naruto'' franchise. They are also known for creating the ''Little Tail Bronx'' series (e.g. ''T ...
. He developed multiple games including the ''
.hack
''.hack'' (pronounced "Dot Hack") is a Japanese multimedia franchise that encompasses two projects: Project .hack and .hack Conglomerate. They were primarily created and developed by CyberConnect2, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. ...
'' franchise as well as adaptations of the
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series including ''
Naruto
''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'' and ''
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...
''. Besides developing games, Matsuyama has participated in directing two ''.hack'' films as well as voicing a character from the series.
Early life
As a child, Matsuyama was interested in anime and manga. He dreamed of becoming a
mangaka
A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan.
Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist bef ...
for the ''
Weekly Shonen Jump Weekly, The Weekly, or variations, may refer to:
News media
* ''Weekly'' (news magazine), an English-language national news magazine published in Mauritius
*Weekly newspaper, any newspaper published on a weekly schedule
*Alternative newspaper, als ...
'' magazine. When growing up, he graduated from a university in Fukuoka. Following his graduation, Matsuyama joined a manga club. He went to
Kyushu Sangyo University
was founded in 1960 in Fukuoka City, and currently has twenty departments and six graduate schools. It is a private university.
Undergraduate Faculties and departments
*Faculty of Economics
**Department of Economics
*Faculty of Commerce
**Depar ...
but had not decided what would be his job. Believing he was naive, Matsuyama became an employee for a cement company. He later joined a friend who was working for
Taito
is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It b ...
in Tokyo. Around this time, Matsuyama decided to work for a game company. They gathered in Fukuoka, and started the company called CyberConnect.
By the time he became a developer, the manga ''
Naruto
''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'' was his favorite series but he stated that other series including ''
Bleach
Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
'', ''
Beelzebub
Beelzebub ( ; he, ''Baʿal-zəḇūḇ'') or Beelzebul is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name ''Beelzebub'' is associated with the Cana ...
'', and ''
One Piece
''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chapte ...
'' were among second best.
Career
He gathered with designers of action games from Taito including ''
Psychic Force
is a 1995 fighting arcade game created by Taito which was ported to the PlayStation in 1996 and 1997. The PlayStation version was released by Acclaim in North America and PAL regions. The game is a 3D fighter which combines the normal features ...
'' and ''
RayStorm
is a 1996 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Taito. It has been ported to several consoles, including the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Xbox 360. Players control a starship, the R-Gray, in its mission to de ...
''. Despite being originally an illustrator, Matsuyama became a game designer. CyberConnect, now composed of ten people, worked on ''
Tail Concerto
is an action-adventure platformer developed by CyberConnect and published by Bandai for the PlayStation. It is the first installment in the ''Little Tail Bronx'' series, which takes place in a steampunk fantasy world of floating islands populate ...
'' and ''
Silent Bomber
is a 1999 arcade style action video game for the PlayStation, and the second game developed by CyberConnect. ''Silent Bomber'' is based on the classic top down shoot 'em up genre but with a twist: Instead of shooting the enemy, the player blow ...
'' which brought him difficulties due to time demand. The team was disappointed with the low sales of these two games.
In 2000 the CEO of CyberConnect left the team. This led to the company changing their name to CyberConnect2. Still composed of ten people, the company ought to create a new video game that would not be demanding within the company. Matsuyama commented on their audience, stating that the players will not look after the amount of designers behind a game, but instead the content produced.
''.hack''
Matsuyama played a key role in developing the concept for the ''
.hack
''.hack'' (pronounced "Dot Hack") is a Japanese multimedia franchise that encompasses two projects: Project .hack and .hack Conglomerate. They were primarily created and developed by CyberConnect2, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. ...
'' series. A number of core ideas, including "slaying dragons or being a thief in London" were explored, but these were rejected in favor of an "offline/online game".
Matsuyama said that this would give young gamers an opportunity to experience online play without paying monthly fees or needing powerful Internet connections.
The developers looked at a number of
massively multiplayer online role-playing game
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
s such as ''
Phantasy Star Online
''Phantasy Star Online'' is an online role-playing game (RPG) developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega in 2000 for the Dreamcast. It was the first online RPG for game consoles; players adventure with up to three others over the internet to ...
'', ''
Ultima Online
''Ultima Online'' (''UO'') is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released on September 24, 1997 by Origin Systems.
Set in the '' Ultima'' universe, it is known for its extensive player versus player combat system. ...
'', and ''
Final Fantasy XI
also known as ''Final Fantasy XI Online'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), originally developed and published by Squaresoft and then published by Square Enix as the eleventh main installment of the ''Final Fantasy ...
'' for inspiration, and drew influences from the prior works of character designer
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
is a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio.
Personal life
Before Gainax was founded under the official name (it was originally called Daicon Film), Yoshiyuki served as animator o ...
(''
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, also known simply as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996. ''Evangelion' ...
'') and scenario writer
Kazunori Itō
is a Japanese anime screenwriter and artist who is well known for his work in the ''.hack'' franchise and his writing for the 1995 ''Ghost in the Shell'' movie. Itō supervised the writing for the novel, '' .hack//Another Birth'' which was writ ...
(''
Ghost in the Shell
''Ghost in the Shell'' is a Japanese cyberpunk media franchise based on the seinen manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. The manga, first serialized in 1989 under the subtitle of ''The Ghost in the Shell'' ...
'').
Itō noted that casting the player into the role of a subscriber of ''The World'' creates a unique story-telling situation which draws the player deeper into the plot. Matsuyama theorized that the act of transferring saved data across the four volumes would help to create a sense of the human drama embodied by the games' story and invest the player into the narrative.
Development for ''
.hack//G.U.'' began in October 2002, with Hiroshi Matsuyama as director.
As in the previous games, Matsuyama also appears as a character that the player meets, this time being Piros the 3rd. Matsuyama claimed that ''Rebirth'' was longer than the four games of the first series combined and that the three ''.hack//G.U.'' games would not be "three parts to the same game". Matsuyama considered Kite as a relatable character and thus wanted the next game to feature a different take of lead character for ''.hack//G.U.'',
Haseo
, real name , is a fictional character in the ''.hack'' franchise first introduced as the main character in the video game trilogy '' .hack//G.U.'' in 2006 by CyberConnect2. He is also the lead character in the anime television series '' .hack//Roo ...
. While ''.hack'' and ''
.hack//Sign'' were conceived as two ongoing an connected projects, Matsuyama wanted to do the same with ''.hack//GU''. However, Matsuyama wanted both ''.hack//G.U.'' and ''
.hack//Roots'' to feature the same lead character, Haseo. However, he found it might come across as challenging to make the writing make both stay true to the original writing. The director also designed the character's hair to make it come across as an immature high school student. When doing this, Matsuyama conceived the idea of the Haseo's Xth form from the third game of the series that would affect not only his PC's body armor but also his hair to come across as a subtle change in his growth. Still finding difficulties in writing this, Matsuyama received help through writer Tatsuya Hamasaki who wrote the part of the series' script.
For the CGI movie, ''
.hack//G.U. Trilogy'', Matsuyama wanted him to be given more realisitic expressions, resulting in alterations to his design. Matsuyama wanted the film to deeply focus on Haseo and Atoli's relationship.
Additionally, with the film Matsuyama wanted to give Haseo another design as he felt retelling the story with the same abilities the character possessed would not attract returning fans. This was called "B-st Form" which occurs when Haseo loses his control when believing Atoli is killed. In trailers of the film, Haseo's B-st form was kept in secret to the point he joked they might be different characters.
He also directed the 2012 film ''
.hack//The Movie''.
''Naruto: Ultimate Ninja'' series
![Paris Manga 13 - Hiroshi Matsuyama - 001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Paris_Manga_13_-_Hiroshi_Matsuyama_-_001.jpg)
Hiroshi Matsuyama, one of the creators of the game ''
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm'', commented that the staff wanted to try to remove the borderline between the anime and actual gameplay. They wanted to reach an effect where people actually look at the scenes as anime rather than a game. The core concept of the game is that of a one on one battle. Though the storyline from the game is based on the first 135 episodes of the anime series, the producers picked out key areas within the story, effectively forming a line from the first to the 135th episode.
Matsuyama said that one of the most important battles he wanted to create in the sequel was the fight between
Sasuke Uchiha
() is a fictional character in the ''Naruto'' manga and anime franchise created by Masashi Kishimoto. Sasuke belongs to the Uchiha clan, a notorious ninja family, and one of the most powerful, allied with . Most of its members were massacred ...
and his brother,
Itachi. Itachi was Matsuyama's favorite character and he felt emotional while developing the fight. Besides including the cast of ''Naruto'' in their older forms, the game features
Lars Alexandersson
is a fictional character from the '' Tekken'' fighting game franchise by Bandai Namco Entertainment. First introduced in the 2008 arcade game '' Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion'', he became the main protagonist in the story mode of ''Tekken 6' ...
from the ''
Tekken
is a Japanese Media mix, media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The franchise also includes film and print adaptations.
The ...
'' fighting series. His design attracted Matsuyama who asked the ''Tekken'' staff if he could include Lars. Members from both the ''Naruto'' and ''Tekken'' games'staff were surprised by how well he fitted in with the cast. Although Lars does not have a story in the game, Matsuyama expected gamers to enjoy playing as him in regular battles and online gameplay.
Matsuyama refrained from including
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
in the game.
Because some young gamers were unable to play ''Storm 2'' due to the price of consoles, a spin-off game, ''
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact'', was released on the handheld
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
console so that it would be more accessible.
Matsuyama also said that Naruto's Rasenshuriken was his favorite technique in the entire series due to its sounds as well as how the character executes it. Matsuyama also participated in the 2012
Paris Marathon
The Paris Marathon (french: Marathon de Paris) is an annual marathon hosted by the city of Paris, France. It is the marathon with the second-most finishers in the world, behind the New York City Marathon.
The marathon begins along the Champs ...
while
cosplaying
Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...
as Naruto to celebrating the release of a new video game.
For the spin-off ''
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution''
Masashi Kishimoto
is a Japanese manga artist. His manga series, ''Naruto'', which was in serialization from 1999 to 2014, has sold over 250 million copies worldwide in 46 countries as of May 2019. The series has been adapted into two anime and multiple films, vi ...
was the man responsible for new character "Mecha-Naruto" upon being suggested by the staff to include a new character. Kishimoto decided on adding a character that would bring a big impact to worldwide level which resulted in Mecha-Naruto. Matsuyama was surprised when seeing the new character.
''
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4'' was developed for next generation consoles as a result of demand in video game marketing.
Matsuyama gathered multiple members from the video game ''Revolution'' finding them suitable for developing ''Storm 4''. Due to the departure from the previous generation of consoles, Matsuyama aimed to create a highly appealing ''Naruto'' game as he claims he is a big fan of the manga himself and wanted to give it a proper ending in video game form. In retrospective, Matsuyama reclaims having been surprised by reading the manga's final volume which inspired him to do the game. Upon seeing the final product, Matsuyama felt emotional over seeing the final fight between Naruto and Sasuke. Matsuyama also made his own sketch of two fighters, aiming to put them the video game, promising gamers they would enjoy the emotions delivered by the fight.
''Asura's Wrath''
''
Asura's Wrath
is an action video game developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Capcom. It was first announced at the Tokyo Game Show in 2010, and was released worldwide in February 2012. The game was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
The game follows ...
'' was an action game CyberConnect2 developed with
Capcom
is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
which was influenced by multiple anime series like ''
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...
'' and ''
Naruto
''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
''.
''Final Fantasy VII: G-Bike''
The idea to create a mobile game based on ''
Final Fantasy VII
is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Published in Japan by Square, it was released in other regions by Sony Computer Entertai ...
'' came from Square Enix producer Ichiro Hazama. Square Enix designated Hiroshi Matsuyama of CyberConnect2 as the game's director with oversight by Square Enix executive producer
Yoshinori Kitase
is a Japanese game director and producer working for Square Enix. He is known as the director of ''Final Fantasy VI'', ''Chrono Trigger'', ''Final Fantasy VII'', ''Final Fantasy VIII'' and ''Final Fantasy X'', and the producer of the ''Final Fa ...
.
Matsumaya described the early submission and evaluation processes with Square Enix's newly-established game screening department as "bumpy".
In an aside during an interview, Matsuyama revealed that he asked Square Enix producer
Shinji Hashimoto if he was interested in a ''Final Fantasy VII'' remake, but Hashimoto was not. Matsuyama interjected, "Well, if ''G-Bike'' is released and becomes a hit, let's make a ''Final Fantasy VII''
emake.
''Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot''
''
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot'' was supervised by Matsuyama who aimed to develop more anime based games following its release.
Commentary
Matsuyama claims that "Within the video game industry there are four things that are necessary: there is planning, there is graphics, there's sound, and then programming. These four things become the cornerstones of a video game."
Matsuyama expressed difficulties in featuring characters' deaths. He notes that while Harold from ''
.hack
''.hack'' (pronounced "Dot Hack") is a Japanese multimedia franchise that encompasses two projects: Project .hack and .hack Conglomerate. They were primarily created and developed by CyberConnect2, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. ...
'' is dead during the narrative, the one portrayed in the game is an A.I. whose original version was never seen. Similarly, the cast from ''.hack'' and ''.hack//G.U.'' do not die during the games but instead fall into comas when infected with a virus. However, with the release of the licensed game ''
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2'', Matsuyama found himself forced to write a death for the first time in his career since it was already executed in the
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
version of ''
Naruto
''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
''. In this game, the character of
Jiraiya
Jiraiya (自来也 or 児雷也, literally "Young Thunder"), originally known as Ogata Shuma Hiroyuki (尾形周馬寛行), is the toad-riding protagonist of the Japanese folk tale Katakiuchi Kidan Jiraiya Monogatari (報仇奇談自来也説話, " ...
dies in combat and the designer felt himself with the obligation of making it impressive towards the gamers and show a major impact despite being fiction. Matsuyama further reflected the anime's 133rd episode of ''Naruto'' to be one of his favorites not only for the action sequences between
Naruto Uzumaki
() is the titular protagonist of the manga ''Naruto'', created by Masashi Kishimoto. As the series progresses, he is a young ninja from the fictional village of Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf Village). The villagers ridicule and ostracize Naruto on ...
and
Sasuke Uchiha
() is a fictional character in the ''Naruto'' manga and anime franchise created by Masashi Kishimoto. Sasuke belongs to the Uchiha clan, a notorious ninja family, and one of the most powerful, allied with . Most of its members were massacred ...
but also the emotional value displayed.
Matsuyama has also talked about other games. He stated he would like to develop ''
Mega Man Legends 3
''Mega Man Legends 3'' is a cancelled video game set to be the sequel to ''Mega Man Legends 2'' and the fourth game in the ''Mega Man Legends'' series. It was announced for the Nintendo 3DS on September 29, 2010, during a Nintendo press conferenc ...
'' as he was disappointed in the game's cancellation. He also criticized Sega that stop marketing their products if a person connected with their work is arrested as it happened in the first release of ''
Judgment
Judgement (or US spelling judgment) is also known as ''adjudication'', which means the evaluation of evidence to decision-making, make a decision. Judgement is also the ability to make considered decisions. The term has at least five distinct u ...
'' due to
Pierre Taki
, better known by his stage name , is the front man for Japanese synthpop group Denki Groove, which consists of himself and Takkyu Ishino. As of 2001 he was involved in an exhibit called Prince Tongha with Hideyuki Tanaka in New York City. He als ...
being arrested in late 2018.
References
External links
Official Twitter accountHiroshi Matsuyamain ''
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
''
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsuyama, Hiroshi
Living people
Japanese video game producers
Japanese video game directors
Date of birth missing (living people)
Place of birth missing (living people)
Year of birth missing (living people)