Key figures talk about Japanese video game culture from the NES in the 1980s to e-sports today! Web site "GAME CHRONICLE" goes online!

All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA) released "GAME CHRONICLE," a website themed on the Japanese culture of games, on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, on its promotional media for foreign visitors to Japan, "IS JAPAN COOL? In addition, a video interview with 11 representatives of the Japanese game industry, who talk about behind-the-scenes development and the history of games, was also released at the same time.

■Website "GAME CHRONICLE
GAME CHRONICLE" is a website that views games as "Japanese culture" and conveys their appeal to the world. The website introduces the history of games in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s through 100 topics that symbolize each of the four eras.

The entire website is designed as a game, allowing visitors not only to browse but also to experience Japanese game culture in a fun way. Starting with the history of the evolution of hardware and software, arcade games, the latest e-sports, and traditional Japanese games, visitors can deepen their understanding of game culture by collecting items that represent various events in Japanese game history.

The development of Japanese games within "technological constraints"! Differences between the 8-bit 1980s and the present day!

The program also unravels the history of Japanese games by exploring a total of four stages: the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Each decade recreates the technological constraints of the time ("8-bit" in the 1980s, "16-bit" in the 1990s, etc.), allowing players to feel the technological advances in the game as well.

The game also allows players to collect items and learn about the history of Japanese video games.

In addition, there are a total of 25 items in each stage, and if all items are acquired in each decade, a total of 100 items can be acquired. The items consist of "hardware," "software," "arcade," "analog," and "e-sports," all of which are essential to the history of Japanese games.

■Video of interviews with 11 representatives of the Japanese game industry

At each stage, you can also watch "interviews" with developers and creators who represent the Japanese game industry, who talk about behind-the-scenes development and game history.

The developer of the No. 1 NES looks back on the factors that led to a major movement

Masayuki Uemura, the developer of Nintendo's "Family Computer" (NES), says, "Invader appeared in Japan at a time when there was little research on video games, and its realization on a microcomputer served as a bridge to video games. He added, "The NES is a great achievement. Katsuhiko Hayashi, editor-in-chief of the game magazine Weekly Famitsu, said, "The NES was a great achievement because it showed children how fun and interesting games could be.

The games themselves, and the communication that games expanded into, were made possible by the Famicom. The developer and the editor-in-chief each talk about why the Famicom became such a big boom.

No.2 The Revolution Brought by PlayStation to the Game Industry

Masayasu Ito, who was in charge of the development of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR, says, "We wanted to pursue reality and make it look like you were in a game world. The PlayStation is mischievous and playful, like a ball-box that comes out with all sorts of things," said Katsuhiko Hayashi, editor-in-chief of the game magazine Weekly Famitsu.

The PlayStation, which moved the world, had a strong developer's desire to change the world through hardware and services, always aiming to be at the forefront of the times. Today, the world of games has diversified. While everyone perceives games differently, the only thing they have in common is the desire to play something interesting. The two talk about games as a sport and as a culture.

No.3The Dawn of Japanese Games: The Birth of "Space Invaders

Tomohiro Nishikado, who developed the Invader game to "surpass American games," and Minoru Ikeda, manager of "Mikado," a game center in Tokyo where many retro games are still in operation. They talk about the appeal of invader games, the pride of Japan, from the perspectives of both developers and users. Looking at invader games enjoyed by people of all ages and from all countries, Mr. Nishikado says, "An interesting game is interesting for everyone, everywhere.

Invader games were created in search of ways to have fun with the limited technology available at the time. The game's popularity was due to the attention to detail and simplicity that made it so enjoyable. Through the Invader games, this movie conveys the "fun of games" that has remained unchanged over time.

No.4 Top Game Creators Talk about the Appeal and Potential of Games

An interview with two top game creators, Masahiro Sakurai, creator of the "Kirby" series and the "Super Smash Bros." series, and Kazunori Yamauchi, producer of the "Gran Turismo" series. Mr. Sakurai says, "One of the interesting things about games is that you take risks and get some kind of return. He talks about what his starting point is and the joys of being a game creator. Mr. Yamauchi also talks about his desire to create something beautiful in every part of the game, from the visuals and text to the beauty of the driving feel in the simulation.

What is the joy of being a game creator, and what is beyond games? This movie will give you a glimpse of the appeal and potential of games, which only top game creators can talk about.

No.5The evolution of arcade games in the world of arcade games

Ken Kobayakawa, development director of the music game "maimai," says that "the essence of music games is the emotion of fun," and Mitsuharu Fukazawa, producer of the "UFO Catcher" series, says that "the gameplay has not changed, but the way of playing has.

Mr. Kobayakawa, who decided to try to compete in the music game market, which was maturing, says that because it is a unique device, there are scenes that can only be found in Japan, and likewise, there are evolutions that can only be found in Japan.

On the other hand, Mr. Fukasawa said, "In crane games, which offer experiences that cannot be had in everyday life, it is important to create a way for people to enjoy playing with the prizes and to have fun before the prizes are taken.

For them, what is the essence of a game that is uniquely Japanese? What is its essence? They talk about the changes in arcade games, which are more likely to generate communication because they are realistic, and what they are conscious of when creating games.

No.6 Japan's first professional gamer reveals his philosophy of competition.

Daigo Umehara, Japan's first professional gamer, says that "what I do has not changed, but how society evaluates me has changed. Surprisingly, he says that his goal is not to become the world's number one, but to have the people he trains with in the same space unanimously agree that he is the strongest.

Although it is an individual competition, the destination to fight is the world. In order to become stronger, he changed the levers to buttons, and was concerned about the 2/60 second difference, and modified the buttons to be clear so that the sound of the button presses would not reveal his movements. Therein lies the professional gamer's attention to detail in his tools.

What does Mr. Umehara think of games and the future of e-sports? This movie gives us a glimpse into the mindset of Japan's first professional gamer.

No.7The Aesthetics of Gaming Hidden in Japanese Traditional Culture, Shogi

Zenji Hanyu has been competing in the professional world since he was a junior high school student, and in May 2019, he became the number one ranked professional Go player in the world in terms of total wins. He found Shogi, one of the many games he played, interesting because "you never quite get the hang of it even if you play a little bit," and for several decades after entering the world of Shogi, he says that "games are a part of human life.

With the advent of AI, which plays Shogi with a different sense of time than humans, Shogi, which has been regarded as a highly artistic pastime with its own unique aesthetics, is changing today. Mr. Hanyu himself says that he sees an unknown number of possibilities in the fusion of Shogi and technology. It is interesting to note that the best choice is not always determined by probability alone, and that doing the right thing all the time is not always the best choice. The content of this book is about the game of Shogi, a game in which the value of human existence is being questioned anew these days, and unravels the transformation of tradition while mixing in the interesting aspects that have remained unchanged.