Japansoft: An Oral History

John Szczepaniak
3.84
50 ratings 8 reviews
An innovative and beautifully designed history of the nascent Japanese videogame industry, as told by those who were there, Japansoft: An Oral History offers intimate insight into the games, companies and human experiences which forged a whole new culture. Comprising interviews with lesser documented 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 their time. A re-edited digest of game journalist John Szczepaniak’s three volume series, The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers, this edition adds brand new, specially-conducted interviews with figures including Dylan Cuthbert (Star Fox), Manami Matsumae (Mega Man, Dynasty Wars) and Keiji Yamagishi (Ninja Gaiden, Tecmo Bowl). This publication is a pseudo-sequel to the critically acclaimed Britsoft: An Oral History, seeing editor Alex Wiltshire (Edge, Minecraft Blockopedia) 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. Enhancing a book already rich with insightful interviews are anecdotal illustrations by iconic Japanese illustrator Yu Nagaba, never-before-seen period photographs, rare press adverts and an illustrated guide to the key computers and consoles that defined the early Japanese game industry.
Genres: HistoryVideo GamesNonfictionGaming
288 Pages

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