Shinji Mikami wants his Ghostwire: Tokyo studio to be known for more than just horror
And hopes to make smaller-scale games too.
Tomorrow sees the launch of Ghostwire: Tokyo on PC and PS5, marking the third consecutive horror game release from developer Tango Gameworks, but studio founder Shinji Mikami says he wants the company to be known for more than just horror games in the future.
"At the moment, we are still seen as a studio that specialises only in survival horror," Mikami admitted in a recent Famitsu interview (as translated by VGC), but while the former Resident Evil series director says it's "nice" to have that reputation among fans, "we also want to be viewed as a studio that can create a wider variety of games."
To that end, the developer - which is now a first-party Xbox studio following Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda - is already working on its first non-horror title. Evil Within 2 director John Johanas is leading the project, which Mikami went as far as to describe as "the complete opposite" of horror. "It's a really good game," he added, "so keep your eyes peeled."
Mikami says he hopes Tango will ultimately be able to "produce a masterpiece every ten years", but added he wants to see the studio making smaller titles alongside the big-budget games it's currently known for - in part so he can help nuture new game development talent, which he believes is easier when working in smaller teams.
"Although we are a studio that makes games," he explained, "we also want it to have the aspect of a game school where staff can learn how to make games. We want to make it a place where you can grow as a creator and develop your skills and core while working from the bottom up."
"In recent years, commercial considerations have meant that we have had to develop in large teams," Mikami continued. "However, thanks to the emergence of game subscription services over the past few years, we feel that it is now possible to make games on a smaller scale."
For now, though, the studio is firmly in big-budget mode as Ghostwire: Tokyo - a more action-focused twist on the horror genre - readies for its PS5 and PC release tomorrow, 25th March.
"While it frustrates me that Tango didn't make the most of its wonderful conceit," Eurogamer contributor Vikki Blake wrote in her review of the new game, "I can say that - dull combat aside - exploring Shibuya never bores. With one foot in the present and one very much mired in its Folklore-y past, Ghostwire: Tokyo feels simultaneously both faded and fresh."