SLITTERHEAD
As I moved into my 40s, and the later stages of my career, I noticed a significant shift happening in the industry. Many of my former colleagues and friends, who had been part of larger companies, were leaving to establish their own studios. This wasn’t entirely new – but when you reach your late 40s, you face critical decisions. It’s often a choice between climbing the corporate ladder within a company or going solo.
Seeing friends venture into the indie scene, I felt that it was a more appealing option for me because, ultimately, I wanted to create games. Furthermore, Sony was in the process of restructuring, especially within Japan Studio where I was based. In larger companies, you often sense the winds of change blowing, and it seemed like a suitable time to explore new opportunities.
I thought I might end up working on my own or collaborating with other companies, as I didn’t envision establishing a studio. However, as the pieces fell into place and people started to move in different directions, I spoke with some colleagues and producers at Sony and we realised that we could create something together. It was unexpected but it turned out to be a great opportunity, and I’m thankful for it.
As we are reaching the final stages of development for Slitterhead, I feel that it’s an appropriate time to share more details about the project [and the decision to] go back to my roots in horror. I’m fully aware that developing a survival horror game in today’s market is challenging, given the abundance of horror games available. However, I’ve been striving to create something that sets itself apart from the traditional survival horror experience. It’s taking a shape that’s different from my previous work, incorporating elements and themes that are genuinely horrifying. While I cannot predict how players will perceive it, I believe we are crafting something unique, far from generic, and imbued with a new and distinct feel.
“IN LARGER COMPANIES, YOU OFTEN SENSE THE WINDS OF CHANGE BLOWING”