An innovative and beautifully designed history of the nascent Japanese videogame industry, as told by those who were there, Japansoft takes readers inside the games, companies, and human experiences which forged a whole new culture. Comprising interviews with game developers at companies including Sega, Enix, Capcom, Hudson Soft, and Nihon Falcom, Japansoft: An Oral History offers fresh and diverse perspectives on many of the defining games of our time. A deep dive into the beginnings of the videogame industry in Japan, this book documents a much-loved era of creativity that defined the industry for decades. Enhancing a book already rich with insightful interviews are anecdotal illustrations by iconic Japanese illustrator Yu Nagaba, as well as never-before-seen period photographs, rare press ads, and an illustrated guide to the key computers and consoles that were landmarks of the early Japanese gaming era. A reedited digest of game journalist John Szczepaniak's three-volume series, The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers , this book adds specially conducted interviews with figures including Harumi Fujita ( Bionic Commando ), Noritaka Funamizu ( 1943 , Area 88 ), Manami Matsumae ( Rockman ), Nasir Gebelli ( Final Fantasy , Rad Racer ), and Tomohiro Nishikado ( Space Invaders ). Japansoft is a pseudosequel to the critically acclaimed Britsoft: An Oral History , seeing editor Alex Wiltshire and leading design agency Julia return with a multilayered and eclectic publication that offers a unique reading experience through interlinked interviews that can be read in any order.
Japansoft: an Oral History