From Complying to Trolling: The Story of a Mischievous Developer

The video game industry can be quite harsh on its developers. We know very well the crunch, this illegal practice which consists of making employees work far too long hours and with unbearable pressure. It is now denounced, but unfortunately it is still common among certain important publishers. This obviously causes serious mental health problems, but games in production also fall victim to this process. However, the crunch is not widespread and certain small studios or creators escape it. This developer has even become one of the biggest trolls in the industry, doing as he pleases.

A few words about Stellar Blade

To mark the release of Stellar Blade, exclusively on the PS5, the game's creative director, Hyung-tae Kim, spoke with IGN. However, he was not alone: ​​he was accompanied by Yoko Taro, creator of the Nier and Drakengard license. The two men continued to throw flowers at each other, expressing their mutual admiration. For example, Kim explained that NieR Automata and the character of 2B were one of his main sources of inspiration for his new game. Taro responded that Stellar Blade was on par, if not superior, to his own work. “The quality graphics and character designs are incredible. Cool male characters and cute female characters are unique to Mr. Kim's style and I are really attractive,” the Japanese explained.

Square Enix's most stubborn creator

An interview with Yoko Taro is never complete without the creator's quirky and absurd humor. So he couldn't help but use his second degree. When asked how he finds the balance between business and creativity, he admits to having his own technique.

“At first, I listen to what is expected of me, but then I stop” -Yoko Taro

When asked how he came up with his heroine's iconic design, he simply explained that he wanted to “create a style of game with less competition.” This is not the first time that his answers have been a little offbeat: in the past, he had already explained that when designing 2B, he wanted above all a character that was easily cosplayable. In 2017, at PAX East, he this time responded, “I really, really like girls.” In the IGN interview, the Japanese also claims to be obsessed with Kim's sales. It goes even further when he talks about his sources of inspiration for Automata, especially after the ton of compliments he received from Stellar Blade's executive director. “Thank you for praising the story of NieR: Automata. But in reality, it's simply an Evangelion-style story, so there's not much originality”Taro said.