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'Tekken X Street Fighter' is on hold for now
There's a chance Tekken X Street Fighter will never see the light of day. Or it could, but not anytime soon. In a recent interview with GameSpot, Tekken's game director Katsuhiro Harada revealed that development for the highly anticipated crossover is on hold until further notice. "When we develop fighting games, we try to keep the core community in mind as well as the wider audience that wants to play these games," he explained the circumstances behind the decision.
'Project Treasure' is a free-to-play, 4-player action game for Wii U
Katsuhiro Harada, famed lover of sunglasses and director of the Tekken series, announced a new game for Wii U from Namco Bandai. Codenamed Project Treasure, the four-player co-op game for Wii U will focus on hunting for treasure and fighting enemies. Unlike Harada's Tekken games, Project Treasure is targeted a broad audience. Harada emphasized that the Dimps-developed game is designed to be "accessible." Project Treasure will be available as an eShop download.
Tekken 7 may allow two characters to fight from the same side
In a recent tweet, Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada revealed a new feature being tested for Bandai Namco's upcoming 3D fighter Tekken 7. "BETA TESTING NOW> New Rendering Camera System "Both players can play on LEFT SIDE (or RIGHT SIDE) for TEKKEN7," Harada tweeted. Initially this idea seems confusing, but the image Harada included - which can be seen, in part, above - makes the new feature clear. Harada's team has linked two Tekken 7 arcade cabinets and programmed the game to rendered mirrored images centering on the two fighters for each display. The effect is that both players are fighting from the same side in the same, real-time match with data being shared between the two cabinets, hopefully with very little lag. However, the utility of this feature is questionable, especially for anyone outside of Japan. Players who prefer to fight from one side or the other may embrace the option (assuming it makes its way successfully through beta testing), but as the system requires an elaborate grafting of two undoubtedly pricey Tekken 7 arcade machines it will only appear in larger, well-funded arcades. Given the collapse of the arcade market in the West, this effectively renders the mirrored system exclusive to Japan and a few locations scattered throughout North America that might buy the system purely for its novelty. [Image: @Harada_Tekken]
Tekken 7 director reveals new fighter, tries to clear up Lucky Chloe confusion
A Saudi Arabian fighter by the name of Shaheen will be joining the Tekken 7 roster, according to a tweet made earlier this week by game director Katsuhiro Harada. There's little other information to go on, but Harada also notes that Shaheen's design and name were "inspired by foreign student[s] from Arabic counties and [the] Saudi embassy." If you're worried that negative reaction will keep Shaheen out of the West in the same way that the character Lucky Chloe was driven away, don't be; it turns out Harada was joking about that. Er, maybe. In response to Harada saying Lucky Chloe would be exclusive to EU and Asia regions and that he would make a musclebound skinhead for US players, an angry Twitter user turned out some harsh stereotypes of the Japanese. Harada responded with the following: "Many spammers/haters attacking us (That was an extreme prejudice and tons of dirty words. Of course I hate this happen), then I said just counter 'sarcasm/joke.'" It's hard to tell if Harada means that he was only joking about American stereotypes or if the joke he's referring to is Lucky Chloe's supposed region exclusivity (the language barrier doesn't help). When another Twitter user called him a "silly goose" and thanked him for releasing Lucky Chloe, Harada tweeted a winking smiley face with its tongue sticking out. So ... yes? [Image: Bandai Namco]
Blame the Internet: Tekken 7's cat girl won't visit America
Apparently a human woman dressed in pink cat accessories is too outre for fans of a fighting franchise that stars both a cybernetic Robin Hood and a kangaroo wearing boxing gloves, as the developers behind Tekken 7 have responded to Internet outrage at the game's latest fighter by claiming that she won't appear in American versions of the game. The character, named "Lucky Chloe," was revealed during a recent livestream celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Tekken franchise. Shortly after, series producer Katsuhiro Harada was alerted to a thread on NeoGAF where a number of commenters slam the character design. "God I hate her already," reads a typical comment. Frustrated by the backlash, Harada tweeted, "Are you 'Western' only one bulletin board? Hello small world. I'll make muscular & skinhead character for you," in reference to the stereotypical American love for overtly muscular beefcake male characters. He then stated that American fans don't need to be so upset because Chloe is only one of the game's many characters, and she wasn't included to appeal to Western sensibilities anyway. He then noted that Chloe will be "exclusive" to Europe and East Asian territories. Tweets are not guarantees of future plans, though, especially when made in the heat of the moment. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Tekken team's Project Morpheus demo is voyeuristic
Bandai Namco Director Katsuhiro Harada and the team behind the Tekken series put together a demo for Sony's VR hardware, Project Morpheus, though it's just about the furthest from a fighting game you can get. The demo is called Summer Lesson and it's an interactive tour through a Japanese schoolgirl's bedroom, schoolgirl included. In the introductory video, we see players look around the sunny room, nod yes or no to the girl's questions, and make her pull back in discomfort when the viewing angle gets too invasive. Yes, really. See a video of the demo (from the Sony Computer Entertainment Japan & Asia event) below (skip to the 55:40 mark). Summer Lesson will be playable at Tokyo Game Show, which kicks off on September 18. [Image: SCEJ]
Harada: Tekken X Street Fighter 'still in development'
Remember Tekken X Street Fighter, Bandai Namco's crossover fighter that was announced in 2010? Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada sure does, because it's still in development! Also, because he's probably bombarded with questions from fans concerned it's becoming the next The Last Guardian. Thankfully, it doesn't sound like that's the case, as Harada stated during a San Deigo Comic-Con panel that TxSF is "proceeding" and "still in development," according to a report from Polygon. Harada explained that between Tekken 7, Rise of Incarnates and the ongoing free-to-play efforts Tekken Revolution and Soulcalibur: Lost Swords, finding space for TxSF is a matter of timing. Maybe you just had a flashback to August 2013, when Harada said that Bandai Namco was "looking for the right time" to release TxSF while reassuring us it was still in development. In the 2013 statement, Harada noted the recent release of Street Fighter X Tekken, Capcom's take on the series crossover project, as a reason we hadn't heard much about TxSF. Considering how similar the titles are conceptually and in name, that makes plenty of sense. With 11 months between this statement and the last however, it's tough to still consider SFxT a recent release, so hopefully we can catch a glimpse of a new trailer or something soon. You know, after Bandai Namco finishes everything else it's working on. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Tekken 7 story, art details from Comic-Con, Lars confirmed
The Mishima clan has got some issues to resolve, and based on details shared by producer Katsuhiro Harada through a translator at Comic-Con, it seems like Tekken 7 will help the family finally get it all out in the open. As reported by Polygon, Harada said Tekken 7's plot will answer a few Tekken mysteries, such as why Heihachi chucked his son Kazuya off a cliff. It was revealed that Tekken 7 will feature the work of seven guests artists, including Yusuke Kozaki (Fire Emblem: Awakening), Mari Shimazaki (Bayonetta), Ninnin (Duel Masters) and Kenichiro Yoshimura (Anarchy Reigns). Sporting a redesign by Ninnin, Lars was also confirmed to be among Tekken 7's playable roster. Considering Lars is the son of Heihachi and the half-brother of Kazuya, two prevalent characters in the Mishima clan's storied history, it makes sense for Lars to be around when the Mishima drama starts wrapping up. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Seen@Namco Bandai HQ: Harada and Hoshino's business tactics
Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada (right) and SoulCalibur series producer Masaaki Hoshino (left) were both heavily armed during our group interview session at Namco Bandai HQ this week. While neither of them explicitly said so, we figure it had something to do with fighting game rival and Street Fighter producer, Yoshinori Ono.
Tekken Revolution downloaded 2 million times, franchise to-date units crest 42 million
The Tekken franchise ain't doin' so bad for itself, according to a few humblebrags dropped by series producer Katsuhiro Harada during our recent visit to Namco Bandai HQ. "In three months we've achieved two million downloads," Harada said of Namco Bandai's free-to-play, PlayStation 3-exclusive spinoff Tekken Revolution. "The Tekken franchise," he added, "has told 42.5 million copies worldwide to date – making it the top in the genre – and 20 million of those or more have come from Europe." Harada also pointed out that "most of the user audience" for Tekken Revolution exists in the United States, with the Japanese audience "a close second," and that these results are "different from the traditional numbers" typically seen with packaged Tekken releases.
Namco 'looking for the right time' to discuss Tekken X Street Fighter
Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada told Siliconera today that Tekken X Street Fighter is still in development, with Namco waiting for the right time to present it after it announced the game almost three years ago. "We will say first off that the game is still in development, so you don't need to worry about that. There are several reasons why we haven't released any updates. One of the reasons is, Street Fighter X Tekken was released. That still had updates until recently." Harada added that Street Fighter X Tekken managed to cultivate a new audience, one that wasn't already invested in either of the titular fighters it draws from. "That was very unexpected, but quite cool. It's something we want to take care and grow. Rather than throw out our title right away while those people are still interested in [Street Fighter X Tekken] we are looking for the right time because we are still developing [Tekken X Street Fighter]." The last update Harada provided on the game was back in March, when he announced Namco was looking at "changing and considering platform strategy."
'Female Vampire' wins Tekken Revolution fan vote
A poll on Facebook asked fans a few weeks back which of several proposed concept characters they would like to see fully realized in Tekken Revolution. The poll narrowed it down to three potential fighters and, during a presentation at Comic Con last weekend in San Diego, fans selected a winner in "Female Vampire." Attendees were able to choose from "Female Vampire," "Sexy Tekken Force" and "Shin Kamiya," the top three winners of the original Facebook fan poll. Then, by a show of hands, "Female Vampire" emerged victorious. The Tekken Revolution development team will work to add her to the roster immediately, with a planned entrance penciled in for sometime in the fall. Tekken Revolution is a PS3 exclusive free-to-play version of Namco's long-running fighting series. A significant update, which will add a practice mode, new playable characters and customization options, is planned for later this month in North America.
'Tekken Revolution' is PS3 exclusive, free to play, launching this Tuesday
Tekken Revolution was revealed earlier today by a trailer tucked away 19 minutes inside of a video segment on Gamespot. The game, which is both free-to-play and a PlayStation 3 exclusive, will be available this Tuesday, June 11. Aside from the fact that Paul, Bryan, Kazuya and Lars are all featured in the footage shown, little else is known. Tekken ringleader Katsuhiro Harada previously dismissed an Australian Classifications Board listing for the title as being in reference to a new version of Tekken Card Tournament. That, coupled with the fact that no user interface is shown in the Revolution footage, is enough to keep us from assuming that this is a fighting game – it could just as easily be a high-def, ultra-pretty version of Namco Bandai's existing, mobile free-to-play competitive card game set in the Tekken universe. With E3 breathing down our necks, we expect to learn more soon.
Tekken Revolution rating a 'new version of Card Tournament,' says producer Harada
A new ratings board listing for a game called 'Tekken Revolution' is something of a false alarm, claims Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada. The rating, which emerged this week on the Australian Classifications Board, points towards a game from Namco Bandai. However, Harada says the listing is a "description mistake" relating to a registration of a new version of Tekken Card Tournament, the free online card-based game."I think Someone confuse [sic] Platform or Game Genre," Harada tweeted.Sounds like Harada isn't talking about a revolution for his fighting series, then. Maybe he's just doing a few revolutions of joy at Card Tournament notching a million downloads just four days after being released.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2's Saudi Arabia stage changing to remove accidental usage of 'Allah'
You'd think that Tekken Tag Tournament 2's dancer-filled Snoop Dogg stage would be the most controversial arena of the lot, but the game's "Saudi Arabia" stage has created a stir of its own through usage of imagery that may be offensive to Muslims.The issue stems from the level's floor texture; a pattern of repeating stars that each contain the Arabic script for "Allah." This design element was a complete accident, according to TTT2 producer Katsuhiro Harada. "We didn't know that," Harada tweeted in response to players that informed him of the script's meaning. "We will change stage design data as soon as possible. We couldn't read that."No further specifics were given vis-a-vis when or how the update will be made available, or what the pattern will be replaced with. Personally, we're hoping for more Snoop.
Harada is pretty confident he can get Project X Zone localized
Katsuhiro Harada, producer extraordinaire of the Tekken series, is pressing Namco Bandai to localize Project X Zone, the SRPG 3DS collaboration among Capcom, Sega and Namco Bandai, set to launch in Japan on October 11.Harada is not only pressing Namco Bandai for a localization – he seems to think he can get the deed done."I proposed localization of Project X Zone," Harada tweets. He follows that announcement with, "Not decided yet, but It will be realized if I continue proposing."Everyone likes a man with confidence.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition features Nintendo-themed 'Mushroom Battle' mode
During a private pre-Tokyo Game Show event held at Namco Bandai's massive headquarters in the Shinagawa ward of Tokyo, we had a chance to experience a guided tour of the special (and fittingly bizarre) exclusive features coming to Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition.Though there are some ancillary new features that take advantage of the Wii U's hardware, the real meat of Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition's console-specific feature set is its "Mushroom Battle" mode, which incorporates power-ups and music from classic Nintendo games into standard Tekken matches. Mega Mushrooms, Poison Mushrooms and other classics litter the floor of a standard match, each performing their expected function when walked on by a character. The results are, predictably, completely hilarious and wacky.Absorbing mushrooms (or other power-ups like Invincibility Stars) changes the dynamic of the match, as larger characters do more damage and smaller characters move more quickly, for instance. We asked Harada if balance was a consideration while designing Mushroom Battle mode, and he told us that breaking the traditional conventions of Tekken is what makes the mode so entertaining.At present, it is unknown whether the mode will be online-enabled - in fact, Harada was unable to answer any questions regarding the Wii U's online infrastructure - but we're sure to learn more over the coming months.
Heard@ Tokyo Game Show 2012: Harada and Ono can never work together due to 'animal turds'
The friendly rivalry between Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada and former Street Fighter mastermind Yoshinori Ono is a long and storied one, though we've always suspected that, were their powers to ever truly combine, the fighting world would never be the same.As it turns out, it'd likely be the carpet in the Namco Bandai offices that never recovered: "I think he would be a positive asset to the company and on that front we definitely would want to hire him," Harada told us during a pre-Tokyo Game Show event earlier this week, after we asked if Ono would have a future at Namco Bandai, should the need ever arise."But personally working with him, I don't think we'd get very far in our jobs because we'd be too busy playing pranks on each other and putting animal turds around each other's desks. I think work would slow down a great deal if we worked together."
Tekken Tag Tournament 2's latest gimmick is Nintendo-specific
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 isn't above adding a few gimmicks to sell more copies – some may even call its tactics "fanservice" – but with the Wii U, its additions feel a little more innocent. Tekken leader Katsuhiro Harada describes one Wii U-specific mode for Tag Tournament 2 to Gamesradar:"There are going to be some modes that will be interesting, because they are very Nintendo-like," Harada says. "Some of this was shown at E3, where a mushroom drops down and Heihachi eats it and gets bigger. You know Nintendo fans hearing and seeing that just exploded with excitement."Harada can't go into more specifics about other Nintendo modes, but he describes the Snoop Dogg and swimsuit inclusions as "hooks," ways to appeal to new crowds."We tried to add several different kinds of hooks," Harada says. "One of them was Snoop Dogg, to appeal to people who wouldn't normally play Tekken – a more casual audience – and we got the desired affect with that. The swimsuits were just another hook to appeal to a different crowd. From the Japanese standpoint, it's an interesting costume that a lot of people would be interested in. We didn't know about the Western market that much."Apparently the American offices were confused by the swimsuit DLC at first, but the reaction to its trailer at Comic-Con convinced them it was just fine. As long as the swimsuits are an equal-species option, of course."We do have swimsuits for the bears actually. Even True Ogre has a swimsuit," Harada says.
Harada 'pulling back' on idea of Tekken characters in new Smash Bros.
Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada is "not really sure" if Namco Bandai should include Tekken characters in the next Super Smash Bros., he told NowGamer. Namco is co-developing Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS with Nintendo, and the title is a "big priority for the company," Harada says.Namco has "a lot of people" from many of its franchises developing Super Smash Bros., but fans have been most curious about Tekken staff involvement in the new game, Harada says."The fans, rather than asking about Tales or Gundam or some of our other franchises, the fans abroad saw Tekken as one of the key words and took off on that," he says. "We're not really sure at this moment but when thinking of the playerbase who is playing Smash Bros., maybe Tekken characters is something they wouldn't want, so I've been pulling back on that a bit. But I don't know."One of Tekken's characters, Heihachi Mishima, has been confirmed for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Sony's take on a Smash Bros.-style game. Namco's main staff is currently focused on finishing Tekken Tag Tournament 2, but it will support Super Smash Bros. in some capacity, Harada says. If any of the Tekken characters do make it into Super Smash Bros., we're personally hoping it's this one.
