DICE 08: Matsuura on violent games, exploring the music game genre

Masaya Matsuura made a name for himself when he introduced the Parappa the Rapper series and set off a growing trend in the rhythm-based video game genre. The founder of NanaOn-Sha talks about the potential of the now flourishing game genre and how developers should explore its vast potential. You can read about his interview in the full article after the jump.

You can’t talk about the rhythm video game genre without tipping your hat off to NanaOn-Sha founder Masaya Matsuura. The creator of rhythm game hits like Parappa the Rapper and Vib Ribbon discussed future plans for creating more games with similar themes and how other developers should follow suit during the recent DICE Summit 2008.

Matsuura admitted that he took a chance by creating a game with such an off beat genre when he released Parappa the Rapper. However, he was happy to see that music games now have their own niche in the video game industry.

He also stated that he was against the idea of video games which use violence as a way to establish superiority. Matsuura voiced out his opinion by saying: “I donÂ’t think the future is bright for our industry if we continue making games that rely on physical attacks as a way to determine superiority”.

Instead, he focused his attention on making games based on music as a way to attract gamers into the video gaming fold. Games such as his upcoming Major Minor’s Majestic March will play on the person’s emotions as well as his other senses for a more enjoyable gaming experience.

He ended by advising Western developers to somehow shift their attention on how they focus the theme of their games. He wanted to see games which extend an understanding of the industry and how people can all appreciate it instead of simply wasting its potential.