Ryosuke Horii Encourages Team Conflicts to Enhance Game Development

Ryosuke Horii, the director of the Like a Dragon series at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, believes that conflicts among team members can enhance game development. In a recent interview with Automaton, Horii highlighted the importance of “healthy and productive fights” within the studio.

Encouraging Debates for Better Outcomes

Horii explained, “If there are no arguments nor discussions, you can expect no more than a lukewarm final product.” He stressed that disagreements are beneficial as long as they are controlled and lead to productive outcomes. “It’s all about having healthy and productive fights,” he added, noting that such conflicts push the team to consider diverse perspectives and improve their ideas.

Horii also mentioned that the studio’s philosophy is to accept ideas based on their quality rather than their source. This merit-based evaluation process helps maintain a high standard of creativity and innovation. “We accept opinions based on how good they are, not based on which team suggested them,” Horii explained. Conversely, poor ideas are “mercilessly” discarded to ensure the game remains focused on quality and player experience.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio plans to host an online presentation next month, where fans hope to learn more about the studio’s upcoming projects.