Throughout the Busan Indie Join Pageant 2026 held in South Korea from August 14 to 16, former PlayStation government Shuhei Yoshida held a lecture to indie recreation builders, providing perception on how to decide on a writer and efficiently pitch your recreation (as reported by 4Gamer). As a part of the presentation, Yoshida additionally cited anecdotes from his personal profession as an advisor to publishers, together with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 writer Kepler Interactive.
When requested how a lot recreation publishers care about chasing tendencies, Yoshida says that, in his expertise, it tends to depend upon whether or not the particular writer picks up video games which might be almost completed, or spends a number of years constructing tasks from scratch. The previous is commonly aware of pursuing tendencies, whereas the latter shouldn’t be – provided that no matter is fashionable in the mean time is anyhow sure to be outdated by the point of launch.
Yoshida illustrates this level with an episode from the event of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. As an advisor to Kepler Interactive, Yoshida performed a demo of the sport about two years previous to its launch. He was instantly impressed by the fight, which he describes as a “mixture of turn-based JRPG mechanics and real-time motion inputs paying homage to The Legend of Dragoon” (which he was the producer of).
Nonetheless, regardless of being personally impressed by the gameplay, Yoshida noticed an inclination for turn-based JRPGs to be dismissed as outdated on the time, so he suggested the builders at Sandfall Interactive to not label it as one. “It’s extremely well-made, however it might be higher to not name it a turn-based RPG. That alone may trigger gamers to miss it.” Consequently, the branding was adjusted to phrases like “reactive turn-based battles.”
After Expedition 33 grew to become a breakout hit, Yoshida says, publishers have apparently began receiving a gradual stream of pitches for turn-based RPGs. He sees this story as a first-rate instance of success not being assured simply by pursuing market tendencies.