Mahjong Watch News
Professional people talk
Living with Mahjong #5-3
Daisuke Takahata
Sega NET Mahjong MJ Director
September 23rd 2015
We in <MJ> are still planning to produce many interesting events!
Continued 5-2
Mr. Takahata is currently in charge of the director of the app version of <MJ>. He is also in charge of directing collaboration events that combine the app version and the arcade version, such as the Akagi CUP, Saki CUP, Sammy CUP, and the Cyber Agent CUP.
"In the game industry, the genre of smartphone games is still in development, and I think that only those of high quality will survive. Therefore, it is important to think of how to develop something new while increasing the usage rate of already existing games."
The age group that plays <MJ> is mainly between late twenties and early thirties, but compared to other games, mahjong games a wider age group.
"Arcades themselves are on the decline, so sales in arcade games have fallen. Content competition is intense in smartphone games. Raising the compatibility between Mahjong games and smartphones is still difficult. I feel that it is also important to think about how to connect related fields.”
To Those Thinking of Joining This Industry
“The fun thing about this industry is the application and not the theory. This is why I want those fresh out of school to play a lot. I want them to be able develop games while imagining how much fun the people who will play these games will have.”
“My experience is a unique one in this company, if not in this whole entire industry. The reason why I am able to keep a job like this is because of my connections with those who run arcades that have my games. Therefore, I think that my mission is to give back to those shops as a developer.”
What is Your Favorite Movie?
“I like ‘007 Mission Impossible’. I like how they shoot their guns.”
What is Mahjong to You?
“It’s my job and it is a tool to make connections. It’s also made me more patient.”
What is Your Favorite Quote?
“My favorite quote is ‘This world is made up of money and connections.’ This is a quote from the BBQ shop owner in Kobe that specializes in cow tongue. I only need enough money to live and connections are the positive personal connections you make with people.
Final Thoughts from the Writer
Just because a product sold a lot, this does not mean that the path taken does not matter. In mahjong, it is analogous to say that winning the round isn’t everything. There are cases where the goals for the development team and sales team differ from one another. Each group has different views, so this is inevitable. However, if there is a person who understands both, it is possible to come up with common grounds that satisfy both.
While listening to Mr. Takahata's story, I remembered the popular character of the detective drama "Odoru Daisousasen", Heihachiro Waku (played by Chousuke Ikariya). Waku was a detective that understood and acted upon the intentions of the central office, but also acted with the best intentions for the actual scene.
SEGA NET Mahjong MJ Official Site
Writer: Junsei Fukuyama (Janseihour)
Photo: Taroo Kawashita (Mahjong Watch)