Pokémon Pokopia’s secret weapon? Dragon Quest Builders 2 creatives who decided they could “contribute” to Game Freak’s original idea
Crafting expertise.
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Pokémon Pokopia is almost here, and we’re confident it might be a hit, especially after learning Minecraft-like persistent servers are part of the game. Now we’re just hoping it delivers on all its promise when it launches on 5th March. Wanna get more hyped tho?
Famitsu’s massive interview with key creatives on the game had already given us plenty of interesting tidbits, and the latest (via Automaton) confirms the project enlisted Omega Force (a Koei Tecmo studio) only after a group of developers saw and was instantly fascinated by Game Freak’s original vision for Pokopia.
As reported before, it was game and map designer (now senior director) Shigeru Ohmori’s work on Ruby and Sapphire placing grass patches and vegetation that first inspired the idea for a simulator which encouraged player creativity and was all about creating a world for the Pokémon to live in. The concept wouldn’t evolve until “more than 20 years” later, when Ohmori delivered a game prototype and promotional video that prompted Game Freak to take the pitch more seriously.
Producer Kanako Murata confirmed to Famitsu that Koei Tecmo was brought in after some of its key Dragon Quest Builders 2 creatives saw Ohmori’s materials, which “provided such a clear picture of the game’s vision” that Omega Force felt they could contribute massively to it alongside Game Freak. The rest is history, and we’re about to play the final result soon.
The new report also highlights the development team and Game Freak worked together “over the course of 3 to 4 months before commencing development in earnest,” which apparently didn’t take very long either; game director Takuto Edagawa and art director Marina Ayano (DQ Builders 2 veterans) stated “all involved parties” solved the core problems and more unique ideas before entering full development.
A time frame wasn’t revealed, but it sounds like Pokémon Pokopia has ultimately been one of those projects where everything comes together nicely and the finish line was never too far away. Will it be the cozy life sim of many fans’ dreams? I sure hope so.
Pokémon Pokopia is almost here, and we’re confident it might be a hit, especially after learning Minecraft-like persistent servers are part of the game. Now we’re just hoping it delivers on all its promise when it launches on 5th March. Wanna get more hyped tho?
Famitsu’s massive interview with key creatives on the game had already given us plenty of interesting tidbits, and the latest (via Automaton) confirms the project enlisted Omega Force (a Koei Tecmo studio) only after a group of developers saw and was instantly fascinated by Game Freak’s original vision for Pokopia.
As reported before, it was game and map designer (now senior director) Shigeru Ohmori’s work on Ruby and Sapphire placing grass patches and vegetation that first inspired the idea for a simulator which encouraged player creativity and was all about creating a world for the Pokémon to live in. The concept wouldn’t evolve until “more than 20 years” later, when Ohmori delivered a game prototype and promotional video that prompted Game Freak to take the pitch more seriously.
Producer Kanako Murata confirmed to Famitsu that Koei Tecmo was brought in after some of its key Dragon Quest Builders 2 creatives saw Ohmori’s materials, which “provided such a clear picture of the game’s vision” that Omega Force felt they could contribute massively to it alongside Game Freak. The rest is history, and we’re about to play the final result soon.
The new report also highlights the development team and Game Freak worked together “over the course of 3 to 4 months before commencing development in earnest,” which apparently didn’t take very long either; game director Takuto Edagawa and art director Marina Ayano (DQ Builders 2 veterans) stated “all involved parties” solved the core problems and more unique ideas before entering full development.
A time frame wasn’t revealed, but it sounds like Pokémon Pokopia has ultimately been one of those projects where everything comes together nicely and the finish line was never too far away. Will it be the cozy life sim of many fans’ dreams? I sure hope so.
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