Zogdog.com Forums: Zogdog.com Forums -> The Revolution Lifestyle Exclusive: Interview With Hudson Entertainment!

I recently had the opportunity to interview Hudson Entertainment who are known for many of their popular franchises including Bomberman and Bonk. In the interview we discuss Hudson's support on Nintendo platforms.




First off I would like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview with us. Could you please introduce yourself and explain what your role is at Hudson?

Sure thing. Folks call me John Lee. I’m the VP of Sales and Marketing here at Hudson, overseeing all of our product lines from console games to mobile games to music. Fun stuff.

Has the sales of Hudson’s Virtual Console games gotten the company interested in reviving some of the older game brands?

It’s definitely helped spark interest, and in many ways validated that these brands are still popular with our long time fans. Though, it’s still a challenge to evaluate what to bring back because the gaming scene has changed quite a bit over the last 15 years. We have to make sure we not only make our core fans happy, but also pull in new fans, the younger generation who will carry the Hudson torch for us into the future.

Several fans have been wondering if we will ever see sequels to Dungeon Explorer, Adventure Island, or Bloody Roar for the Wii?

Bloody Roar? Wow, that’s a throw back to the good old days. Don’t think that’s even up in our discussion pipeline, so you’ll have to keep dreaming on that one for now. Adventure Island would be great, and it comes up in discussions from time to time, but there are no firm plans in the near future. Dungeon Explorer is a possibility, because action RPGs are very popular in the US now.

How does Hudson feel about the joint development between their Japanese and American studios and what does Hudson feel about the future of such endeavors?

There have been some tremendous highs and tremendous lows working in a joint development scenario. American companies and Japanese companies make games in very different ways, and both have their strengths and weaknesses. If it all comes together, we make a great game, like Bomberman Live, the first game we ever developed in the US, with guidance from our Japanese counterparts. But it was hair-raising at times! Of course, this being our first time, there were some kinks to work out, so we’ll take that lesson with us into the future. Will we do it again? You bet! The reality is that gaming is going global. Hudson has been limited in the past by making games that fit the Japanese market, with just a handful ever making it to the US. For us to grow and build our fanbase, we have to start making some games that appeal to a more global audience. It’s a fascinating challenge, and at the end of the day, we love what we do, so it’s great.

Over the years the Bomberman franchise has seen significant changes in gameplay and design. We have seen everything from your typical Bomberman game to Bomberman: Act Zero which featured a more mature theme to Bomberman 64 which featured a more 3D look to it all the way to the newest addition to the Bomberman family, Bomberman Land Wii which focuses on mini game play. What does Hudson want to do in the future with the franchise? Has Hudson considered working on a pure multi player battle game similar to the design of the original Bomberman 64 with perhaps online support?

This is a very long question. And one that would require a really long answer over drinks. It is a very big opportunity that we are getting our heads wrapped around. What we have to look at is what kind of game do fans want from the Bomberman brand. He clearly is considered the KING of multiplayer. That is where we have to make sure the game is strongest. Even in our new Bomberman Land franchise, we really spiced up the single player game, making it fun and worthwhile, but even then, you unlock mini-games that you can then play in multiplayer mode. Bomberman is really all about competition. We need to think beyond traditional gaming rules and think more along the line of rules that govern league sports. Imagine a world where people can compete in a Bomberman league. They play games, they are ranked, and the top players face off in a playoff, with a winner crowned Bomberman player of the year. Even cooler would be to have a Bomberman Olympics every 4 years to see who is the best player in the world. That’s the vision we have, and we’re moving in that direction. Bomberman Live is really just the first small step in that grand vision. You now have online multiplayer gaming, with stats tracking, and even some tournament aspects. Gotta dream big!

While most developers mainly concentrate on the development of 3D games there are many gamers out there who have been asking for companies to develop some new 2D games. Would Hudson consider developing some new 2D games? Perhaps sequels to some of their older TG16 arcade games?

Yes, we would definitely do something like that, though you have to look at the right platform for it. 2D may not make sense for next-gen platforms, but could work really well on the Nintendo DS, or the new downloadable services like Wii Ware, or even mobile. We’ve been very successful in bringing classic games back onto mobile and reaching new fans that way.

Hudson has primarily been focusing on games that are more geared toward the casual market. Does Hudson plan on developing any games with more depth to them for more seasoned gamers?

That’s interesting insight; something we discuss often in the hallowed halls of Hudson. Arguably, Hudson does not focus on making epic games like Halo or Gears of War. We’re not typically trying to push system specs. Our design philosophy in games really goes back to the most fundamental rule of gaming – make a game FUN. Our games are generally very easily accessible. You instantly know what to do and how to play. But there are layers of gameplay that make our games appeal to the hardcore gamer. I would argue that our fans are very freakin’ hardcore. They’re the same ones that bought the Turbo Duo back in the day and know all the games we’ve released over the years. So, I wouldn’t say our games reach the casual market. They reach a very seasoned gamer, but our games are very accessible. They are easy to get into and enjoy. That’s the Hudson way!

There are a number of Hudson games going through the years that have never made it to the US. Could we see some of these games get released through the Virtual Console?

One step ahead of you, boss! We’ve already released a couple of games on the Virtual Console that never were released in the US. We’re evaluating other ones for the future, typically coming down to which ones fit the market. We also have to consider which ones require minimal translation, because we had tons of games released in Japan, but they would require lots of translation to be playable in the US.

And finally is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?

Lots more goodies coming out, so stay tuned! We often times engage our fans in our forums, asking for feedback and opinions, so stop by www.HudsonEntertainment.com and help us bring out games that you want!


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