Summary
Tekken’s executive producer Katsuhiro Harada may only stick around for one more entry in the long-running fighting series, as per a recent statement from the veteran. Harada has been attached toTekkenin one way or another over the past few decades.
Ever since the first game came out in 1994,Tekkenhas consistently received favorable scores and risen in popularity exponentially, becoming virtually synonymous with the fighting game genre. In total, the Bandai Namco-owned franchise has spawned 11 entries in the span of around 30 years. For a major chunk of that time, Harada has been a part of the proceedings acrossmultipleTekkentitles, with his latest involvement being in this year’s installment,Tekken 8. After spending a long time working on the franchise, an update was recently shared about the Japanese game producer’s role in the future of the series.
In an interview withVG247, Harada said that him and fellow producer Michael Murray “might have only one moreTekken” in them, owing to factors like aging and “how that plays out in Japan and development.” While recalling the number of years he has under his belt while working onTekken, the executive producer said that there might be a new team taking over eventually given most of the current devs have already been there for decades. Acknowledging the possibility of the game changing after his departure, Harada said that the game could get “more casual” like theSmash Bros.games.
Franchise Veteran Comments on Tekken’s Future
Underlining the importance of having a power balance between the creative and the business teams working on theforthcomingTekkengames, Harada revealed being “quite worried” about the creative side of things losing out to the business aspect once veteran creators decide to step down. He said that there must be members on the creative team that “know the game well and know what it needs to be.” The executive producer mentioned that the people concerned with the finances are “naturally quite strong” and that there must be someone on the creative team “strong enough to be on the same kind of floor as those people.” Further, he added that it can be challenging to maintain this “delicate balance,” which he acknowledges is needed to ensure the company’s survival.
Besides talking about the future of the series, Katsuhiro Harada also touched upon the likely reasons for the long-lastingsuccess ofTekkencompared to other 3D fighting gamesof its time. He opined that the “three pillars,” which include the creative side, the marketing side, and the community side, have been key towards providing longevity to the franchise. Even though the longtime devs are still at the helm, Harada’s statements suggest fans should be ready for a possible change in direction forTekkenwhen new creatives take control down the years.
Tekken 8
WHERE TO PLAY
Tekken 8 brings the fight to the latest generation of consoles, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Feel the power of every hit in Tekken 8, the latest entry in the legendary fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco. Utilising the power and realism of Unreal Engine 5, Tekken 8 pushes the envelope for fighting games by taking full advantage of the power of the latest generation of consoles. Ground-breaking new features, breathtakingly detailed character models and dramatic environments make this one of the most visually stunning and immersive titles in the genre yet. Tekken 8 picks up after the gruesome battle that ended in Heihachi Mishima’s defeat in Tekken 7, focusing on a new rivalry, pitting father against son as Jin Kazama stands in defiance against Kazuya Mishima in a city-shattering face-to-face showdown.
