ABOVE: The
developers used
collages as well as
their own printing
methods, while
creating the game.
RIGHT: A sketch of
a river scene helps
with composition.calligraphers and other cultural
consultants will help lend our game
an authenticity that we might not
otherwise achieve on our own.”
Williams adds: “We’ll continue
to seek feedback but the positive
reception we’ve had when speaking
with Japanese friends and companies
we’ve been in discussions with so far
has been really encouraging.”working outside our native culture.”
Williams gives an example from
working with a translator on the
Japanese text for the demo: “We
thought we had everything covered
until learning that we had used
the Japanese font equivalent of
Arial... not exactly fitting for
the style of the game!
Working with Japanesecountry carries the risk of
appropriation or exoticism. I ask how
Williams and Morgan are handling
this.
“In deciding to use Japanese
artistic and cultural traditions as the
key references for the game we’re
well aware that proper research,
understanding and testing are
needed,” says Williams. “We’ve been
careful to represent ukiyo-e as not
just a visual medium but a tradition
with a culture and history attached.
Above all, a key principle for us has
been to make sure that including or
referencing any element in the game
should never be solely aesthetic—
embellishments must ‘belong’ in the
game world we’re building.”
The studio is also in early talks
with a Japanese publisher who has
offered to provide cultural advice
during development. “We think
working with people who deeply
understand aspects of the cultural
context this artform exists within is
really important. And as two British
developers we had to admit to
ourselves that it’s easy to
misinterpret things when