Toshihiro Nakaya On His Love For ‘Virtua Fighter’ And The Future Of The Series

Toshihiro Nakaya, Sega’s IP supervisor for the “Virtua Fighter” and “Super Monkey Ball” series.

SEGA

There is a new one virtual warrior While on the road playing the game, I spoke with Sega’s Toshihiro Nakatani about the future of the beloved fighting game series.

Nakaya’s full position at Sega is Director of Intellectual Property Promotion for the RGG Studio Business Unit. This means he is primarily responsible for business development, external partnerships, licensing and community management.

However, in reality, he served as head of the intellectual property department. virtual warrior and super monkey ball series and serves as chief producer Virtual Fighter 5 REVO

Before that, I wanted to learn more about Nakatani and what attracted him to working at Sega.

“I was born in Kochi Prefecture on the Japanese island of Shikoku in 1974. It’s a coastal mountainous area full of natural beauty, which meant I spent most of my childhood outdoors playing baseball and fishing. My parents also ran a toy store, so I grew up with model kits, radio-controlled cars, tabletop games, and video games. In a world where I could play any game at any time. Growing up in a family, I can still vividly picture the envious looks on my classmates’ faces. Since I was passionate about rugby as a teenager, I didn’t spend a lot of time playing video games at home. Instead, I would play competitive action-based games in the arcade. New games brought unprecedented visuals and effects, making each game its own unique experience.

“My upbringing probably played a big role in me wanting to work in the entertainment industry. That said, I wasn’t particularly gifted in programming or art, so rather than working as a developer, I was drawn to the business side of the industry.

“In the mid-90s, when I was graduating from college, there was a major employment crisis in Japan known as the Employment Ice Age. I applied for a lot of jobs, but with no luck. Eventually, I was lucky enough to receive an offer from Sega, a company I had loved for a long time. As a new employee, I gained experience through ride management, equipment sales, arcade product management, and marketing. Fast forward to 2021, and I landed my current position at RGG Studio.

“Since I grew up with various consoles and hardware, one of my earliest memories is playing games on the Sega SG-1000. I later moved away from consoles and spent most of my time in arcades. When I was a student in the 90s, Sega was one of the hottest arcade game developers. They pioneered action-based games using huge arcade cabinets, and these games were popular not only in Japan but around the world. In the console market, I am particularly fond of the Sega Saturn. and its huge library of fun games.

“Another major attraction to Sega was my desire to work in Tokyo. I envisioned myself being in a big city, working for a large company in a market that was booming and expected to grow significantly. To my surprise, the headquarters at the time was actually located near Haneda Airport, quite a distance from central Tokyo. Embarrassingly, I only found this out on the day of the interview.”

Nakatani’s list of gaming credits is quite long, but I wonder what Sega games are most important to him. Naturally, this is a virtual warrior game.

“virtual warrior 3no doubt. It was released in 1996, the same year I joined Sega. It used the Model 3 arcade system board, marked a major leap forward in 3D graphics, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it was one of the first games ever to depict realistic human characters. It also introduces a dedicated dodge button, which innovatively allows players to strategically maneuver over the uneven terrain of the stage.

“I was working when the arcade launched, and I actually had a shift on launch day. You could feel the anticipation as players waited for the cabinets fresh off the truck to power up. The intense, head-to-head matches that followed filled the room with energy, and it left a lasting impression on me. That’s what drives me to stay at Sega, and even 30 years later, it felt surreal and exciting to be so directly involved with the game. virtual warrior.

I’m curious about Nakaya’s thoughts here virtual warrior staying power as a gaming franchise.

“I believe virtual warrior Continuous innovation and technological leaps have won the favor of many fans. The original broke new ground as the world’s first 3D fighting game, featuring smooth, realistic character animation never seen before. virtual warrior 2 Pushing the boundaries further with better graphics and more realistic combat resulted in a surge in popularity. Arcades across Japan are filled with virtual warrior 2 Competitors and top players became legends in the community, laying the foundation for modern esports.

“Each new entry is a bigger leap forward. virtual warrior 3 Take advantage of cutting-edge graphics technology, Virtual Warrior 4 Connecting amusement parks across Japan with online games, and virtual warrior 5 Automatic comments introduced. These games were revolutionary for their time, and these innovations continued to surprise players, reflecting Sega’s core values. This makes virtual warrior One of the core series that defines Sega. “

After the presentation, Nakaya was keen to talk about the future of the company. virtual warrior series.

“At The Game Awards in December 2024, we announced a brand new entry in the series, New virtual fighter project. As part of a long-running series, we wanted to deliver a new gaming experience while staying true to its roots, especially in terms of the innovation and realism the series is known for.

“Over time, buying games online and playing against them in real time has become the norm for gamers around the world. The platforms available are becoming wider, from consoles to PCs, and player preferences continue to diversify. Games are no longer just about playing, watching live broadcasts and supporting famous players have become part of the culture. In response to these changes, RGG Studio aims to provide a virtual warrior The game can be fully enjoyed in both Versus and Solo modes, and is as engaging to watch as it is to play. Finally, through virtual warriorwe want to encourage communication between players and create experiences that bring people together.

“This project will be the first game in the series to be available on consoles at launch. Therefore, we plan to encourage as many players as possible to give it a try. We also plan to share clearer gameplay footage New virtual fighter project Stay tuned for further updates in the near future. “

Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage Now available on Nintendo Switch 2.

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