Yoko Taro Says NieR:Automata Was Made for Japan

The website AV Watch published an interview with Shuhei Yoshida, former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios and a PlayStation icon. In this interview, Yoshida mentions NieR:Automata as one of the Japanese games that helped open the international market for Japanese titles.

Yoshida explains that during the PlayStation 3 era, there was a period when Japanese developers tried to create games aimed at Western audiences, adopting elements that resembled Hollywood productions. The goal was to achieve success outside Japan, but these games often failed because they lacked a distinct and original identity. For international audiences, these attempts seemed generic and inauthentic.

The turning point came during the PlayStation 4 era with the release of NieR:Automata in 2017. According to Yoshida, Yoko Taro, the game’s director, did not create NieR:Automata with the global market in mind or with strategies to make it an international success. However, the game was unexpectedly well-received overseas.

This success made Japanese creators realize something fundamental: they didn’t need to imitate the West to sell their games globally. On the contrary, there was a large audience interested in the unique aesthetics, storytelling, and style of Japanese games.

With NieR, the industry understood that not only was it valid to continue making games with a strong Japanese identity, but that this was actually the right approach. Developers abandoned the idea of copying Western trends and refocused on creating authentic experiences based on their own culture and creativity.

Yoko Taro Says NieR:Automata Was Made for Japan

Yoko Taro later became aware of Yoshida’s comments and provided more details about NieR:Automata‘s development, saying:

“I’m happy that NieR is being praised, but I specifically remember producer Saito saying that we should make this game for the Japanese audience and not worry about the Western market.”

Yoko Taro continues: “Basically, what happened was that he told me, ‘Yoko-san, I think it’s impossible to make a game for the international audience, so do your best to make one for Japan!’ or something like that. At least, that’s what I remember…”

And there you have it—NieR:Automata was a game made with Japanese tastes in mind, yet it captivated the rest of the world. Even today, the game continues to be highly praised for many reasons that most people are well aware of.