In english dans le texte !
Question: Namco made headlines last year by signing an investment deal with Enix and Square. What are your reflections from 2001?
Haraguchi-san: It was our second year working on the PlayStation2, and we welcomed the release of Nintendo´s GameCube in September. Ace Combat 4 sold well on the PlayStation2, but with the emergence of other consoles such as Microsoft´s Xbox our development plans will continue to expand.
Question: Can you shed some light on Namco´s GameCube plans?
Haraguchi-san: As previously announced, we plan to release Soul Calibur 2 simultaneously on all three consoles. Outside of that, we´re working on several GameCube titles which are targeted for early 2003. Development on the next chapter in the Ridge Racer series, for example, is coming along smoothly. It should be a great year for Nintendo´s console, with the release of Mario Sunshine and Capcom´s Biohazard titles.
Question: While the Xbox won´t be available until late February, what are your plans?
Haraguchi-san: We´re very interested in its online capabilities. Particularly, what impact the Xbox will have on expanding the ADSL market in Japan. Microsoft is challenging developers to create completely new types of games by harnessing the power of their console.
Question: What are your plans for the online market in regard to both the PlayStation2 and Xbox?
Haraguchi-san: We´re cooperating with Square on the development of their online network ´PlayOnline.´ We´re planning two online titles at the moment, an RPG and a strategy game, but I can´t go into specifics regarding them yet. Since the PlayOnline service is compatible with PlayStation2 and PC, it would be relatively easy to release the games in those formats.
Question: Do you think online gaming will revolutionize the market?
Haraguchi-san: I don´t think people will draw a distinction between standalone and network compatible games anymore. Having online compatible features will be the norm. Initially we´ll see traditional features like chat or tournaments, but if the networks are fully realized we´ll see downloadable movies, music, and interactive television. We plan to continue researching the online gaming market.
Question: Can you elaborate on your PC plans?
Haraguchi-san: First and foremost, we plan to release games for the PlayStation2, GameCube and Xbox. Titles like Soul Calibur 2 will be released on all formats since transplanting won´t be difficult. PC development maybe expanded as well, it depends on the hardware.
Question: What are Namco´s goals for the year?
Haraguchi-san: To deliver new titles for the GameCube and Xbox, and market all our titles globally - North America, Japan, and Europe.
