Heihachi, Guest Characters, and the Future of Tekken 8 - EVO 2024 Interview
Summary
TLDRIn this engaging interview, the Tekken 8 team discusses the surprising return of Heihachi as a DLC character, influenced by fan and developer sentiment. They also delve into collaborations with Chipotle and Nike, highlighting the importance of mutual benefits and fan engagement. The conversation touches on game updates, the evolution of Tekken's mechanics, and the potential for future innovations in fighting games, including AI integration and community-driven features.
Takeaways
- 😀 The return of Heihachi in Tekken 8 was not initially planned but was decided later due to fan engagement and the character's popularity.
- 🎮 Tekken 8's story arc between Heihachi and his son, Kazuya, was intended to have a final conclusion, but the character's return was influenced by the game's reception and the 30th anniversary of the franchise.
- 🔍 The 30th Anniversary logo of Tekken subtly hints at Heihachi's return, with devil wings forming his silhouette when viewed from a distance.
- 💪 Tekken 8's version of Heihachi will emphasize his powerful play style, with potential new moves influenced by story hints related to monks.
- 🤝 Tekken has partnered with brands like Nike and Chipotle, aiming for collaborations that benefit all parties involved, including fans.
- 👟 The collaboration with Nike was facilitated by mutual interest in sneakers and the recognition of Kazuya as a sneakerhead, appealing to the fighting game community.
- 🌟 Tekken 8 has been well-received, with sales exceeding expectations and the game system being refined based on player feedback.
- 🔄 Post-launch updates to Tekken 8 have included adjustments to the game's heat mechanics to enhance defensive options and improve the overall gameplay experience.
- 🎉 The fighting game genre is evolving, with Tekken 8 looking into community aspects and team-based battles as potential areas of growth.
- 🤖 AI features in Tekken 8, such as ghost data and AI opponents, offer players a way to identify and practice improving their gameplay.
- 👾 The future of fighting games may include more community interaction, team-based elements, and innovative uses of AI to enhance the player's journey.
Q & A
Why was Heihachi brought back as a DLC character in Tekken 8?
-Heihachi's return was not a lie; the team focused on the story arc between him and his son Kazuya, intending to show a final conclusion. However, after Tekken 8's release and positive fan engagement, it was decided to bring Heihachi back, especially since it's the 30th anniversary of the franchise.
What hints were given about the Tekken 8 version of Heihachi's playstyle?
-Heihachi has always been a very powerful character in the series, and Tekken 8 will recreate that. The story hints at his connection with the monks, which might influence his moveset.
How did the partnership with Nike come about?
-The partnership with Nike happened because many team members, including Nakatsu, are sneaker fans. Nike was aware of Kazuya's sneakerhead status and had fighting game fans on their side, making it a win-win situation for everyone involved.
What has been the general reception of Tekken 8 by fans and in terms of sales?
-Tekken 8 has been well-received, with sales outpacing Tekken 7. The game has attracted new players and, over time, even long-time fans who initially had concerns have come to appreciate the game more.
What changes have been made to Tekken 8's core systems since its release?
-Updates have been made to enhance defensive options and address feedback from players. However, no sweeping changes to the game system are planned, with the focus now on fixing bugs and making quality of life improvements.
Are off-the-wall characters like Gon, Mokujin, and Panda likely to return to Tekken?
-The strategy behind character inclusion hasn't changed, but the team has focused on making each character unique rather than having 'compatible' characters with similar move sets. While it's not ruled out, having a roster of 60 characters is not viable.
What are the challenges of including guest characters in Tekken games?
-Aligning the right conditions, such as the IP owner's willingness, timing, and fan interest, is crucial. Additionally, coordinating schedules with famous actors for voice recording can be challenging.
What is the team's perspective on the rise of Creator League tournaments?
-The team appreciates these events as they bring together professionals and content creators, expanding the fighting game community and introducing new audiences to the genre.
How has launching Tekken 8 on console and PC without an initial arcade release impacted development?
-It has intensified the development process as the team had to provide and polish all game systems and features from the start. However, it also allows for easier global community feedback.
What does the future hold for the fighting game genre according to the Tekken team?
-The team envisions more community-oriented features, team-based battles, and enhanced AI companions that can help players identify and improve their weaknesses, potentially leading to new ways of interacting and enjoying fighting games.
What is the significance of the 30th Anniversary logo in Tekken 8?
-The 30th Anniversary logo subtly incorporates Heihachi's silhouette, hinting at his return, and is comprised of devil wings in two different styles, symbolizing the iconic characters of the series.
Outlines
👾 Heihachi's Return in Tekken 8
The developers discuss the decision to bring back Heihachi as the third DLC character in Tekken 8. They explain it wasn't a lie when Heihachi was thought dead in Tekken 7 but felt the fans missed him, and the timing was right for the 30th anniversary of the franchise. They hint at future details about Heihachi's playstyle and how the character will use the new heat system.
🤝 Tekken's Collaborations with Chipotle and Nike
The developers elaborate on partnerships with Chipotle and Nike. These collaborations came about through mutual interest and the right conditions, benefiting both brands and the fans. The Nike partnership was inspired by a shared love for sneakers among the development team and the fighting game community. Similarly, Chipotle's support for the fighting game community made it a natural fit.
📈 Tekken 8's Reception and Updates
The developers reflect on Tekken 8's reception six months post-release. The game has outpaced Tekken 7 in terms of performance and has garnered support from both new and veteran players. They discuss addressing community feedback, particularly enhancing defensive options in the game. The developers believe the current game balance is solid and no major system changes are planned.
🎭 Unique Characters and Guest Appearances in Tekken
The developers address the inclusion of unique characters and guest appearances in Tekken. They clarify that characters like Kuma and Panda have been fleshed out to be more unique, rather than being mere skins of other characters. They also explain the complex process and timing required for guest characters to be featured in the game.
📹 Creator-led Team Tournaments
The developers share their thoughts on creator-led team tournaments, such as the Sage Jam Slam and CR Cup. They appreciate the format where professional players lead teams of content creators and non-FGC streamers, bringing new audiences to fighting games. They enjoy seeing the journey of new players becoming more engrossed in the game.
🎮 Console and PC Launch without Arcade Release
The developers discuss the challenges and changes in developing Tekken 8 for console and PC without an initial arcade release. They explain that creating and polishing the entire game at once is intense but acknowledge the benefits of easily accessible global feedback. Despite the challenges, they appreciate the connectivity and feedback from the community.
🌐 The Future of Fighting Games
The developers speculate on the future of fighting games, emphasizing community aspects and evolving player interactions. They mention potential innovations such as more team-based battles and enhanced AI companions to help players improve. They believe these changes will make fighting games more accessible and enjoyable for a broader audience.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Heihachi
💡DLC (Downloadable Content)
💡Story Arc
💡Tekken 8
💡30th Anniversary
💡Heat Mechanics
💡Rollback Netcode
💡AI Companion
💡Community Aspect
💡Guest Characters
💡Fighting Game Community
💡Tekken 7
Highlights
Haachi Mishima's return in Tekken 8 as the third DLC character was not an intentional lie but a decision made after fan engagement and the game's release.
The decision to bring Haachi back was also influenced by the 30th anniversary of the franchise, wanting to include the most iconic characters.
Story hints and the 30th Anniversary logo contain clues about Haachi's return, including devil wings and a silhouette resembling his face.
Tekken 8's version of Haachi will emphasize his powerful playstyle and potentially incorporate elements related to the monks from the story.
Partnerships with Chipotle and Nike were formed under conditions beneficial to all parties, including the fans.
Tekken 8 has been well-received, with sales exceeding expectations and a positive community response, especially from new players.
Changes to Tekken 8's heat mechanics were made post-release to enhance defensive options and improve the 3D fighting experience.
No sweeping changes are planned for Tekken 8's core systems, but quality of life improvements and bug fixes will continue.
The absence of certain off-the-wall characters in recent Tekken games is due to a focus on unique character movesets rather than removal.
Guest characters in Tekken games require alignment of various conditions, including timing and the IP owner's interest.
Creator-led team tournaments are appreciated for their ability to reach new audiences and grow the fighting game community.
Launching Tekken 8 on console and PC without an initial arcade release has intensified development but also improved community feedback.
The next step forward for fighting games may involve more community aspects, team-based battles, and innovative AI features.
AI in Tekken 8 can help players identify weaknesses and practice, potentially changing how players interact with and improve in the game.
The core of fighting games, the strategic chess match between players, is not expected to change but will be supplemented by new features.
Transcripts
[Music]
so I guess to start this off uh why did
you lie to us why how how is how is uh
haachi coming back from the dead and uh
you know what what made you want to
bring heihachi back as the third DLC
character for Tekken 8
oh he didn't mean to lie or anything
about that it was uh you seven the
really focused on the story arc between
heach and his son kazia and so we really
wanted to show that kind of a final
conclusion and uh he seemed to die uh at
that point right but then after that
happened uh ticken 8 uh was released and
we put a lot of effort into the story
and the fans really seemed to be engaged
with that and as that was happening we
were kind of feeling that the players
kind of missed him as well uh obviously
we did too so uh it was kind of decided
later on that uh we would do that so it
wasn't a lie and then also uh the timing
is right since it's the 30th anniversary
of the
franchise and so we need all three of
the
machines the most iconic in the series
right so you know after the fact uh we
did kind of make the preparations uh you
know Raina kind of that uh link that she
has to hiachi uh and then
also uh the the logo of the 30th
Anniversary if you look closely at it uh
you can see that it's comprised of uh
devil wings two different uh Styles but
if you take a step back and look at it
it actually looks like the silhouette of
hiashi's face right so we were doing uh
some of the preparations uh in the
background I know it's early um but can
you tell us a little bit about how this
Tekken 8 version of hiachi will be
different from previous iterations and
maybe like how he'll use heat to his
Advantage uh like you uh imagine it is a
bit too early to be talking uh many
details about this character uh but to
give some hints um he's a very powerful
play style uh throughout the series so
we tried to recreate that in Tekken 8 uh
so the focus is on that but also if you
saw little story hints about the the
monks in the the footage uh and what he
has to do with them and uh that maybe
will dictate some of his move set as
well so there's some hints there uh we
hope that you look forward to hearing
more about
it so another thing that you've
announced is this partnership with
Chipotle and Nike you talk a little bit
about how both those deals came
about it really is uh several different
cases um sometimes uh they approach us
other times it's something that we ask
of them uh but there needs to be you
know the right conditions such as uh
it's a win for us it's a win for them
but more importantly a win also for the
fans so for example uh with the Nike
thing uh you know nakat and I are both
big sneaker uh myself and him uh are
fans but there's a lot of people on the
uh team as well that love Nike and so it
just happened that uh that's something
that there's a lot of sneakerheads in
the fighting game Community as a whole
and then also on the Nike side uh we
found out they really uh knew uh about
kya's uh being a sneaker head and we had
a lot of fighting game fans on the Nike
side so it was a win-win for everyone
and then also you know like Chipotle as
well uh they've been supporting the
fighting game Community uh it's a good
match with Gamers uh in their franchises
and and then also if it's something the
fans are enjoying obviously that's good
for us from our side as well so it came
about that hey that's a a win for
everyone let's do it so although the
start is different you know the the
conditions are pretty similar so we're a
half a year into Tekken Eight's life
cycle how happy are you with how the
game has been received by fans and then
separately how have the sales so far met
with your own
expectations after the game released uh
it's been 6 months like you said we're
we're happy with uh how the title was
performing it's uh continued at a faster
Pace than the Tekken 7 uh also
considering that compared to the other
fighting game titles uh we we haven't
done the previous generation of of
Hardware it's only on the current
generation so uh that considered as well
I think it's it's doing well and then
also from the community's perspective uh
you know the game has been released and
uh it was supported a lot by new players
uh some of the uh people who've been
with the series for a long time uh you
know they voic some some concerns Etc at
the beginning but uh those opinions
Chang over the time we've noticed during
tournaments progressing Etc people had
more time with the game even the more
advanced players uh kind of got a handle
on it and so their opinion has seemed to
change in the past three months and I
would add the same you know we had to
make a brand new game it had to feel
like a proper installment so uh nakatu
and his team really changed the game
system a lot and uh really clarify the
key concepts of the characters and and
their strengths and weaknesses and also
we did it update recently uh that
addressed some of the things that the
older players didn't like maybe
enhancing some of the defensive options
Etc so I think the game's really in a
good place currently many of the core
mechanics of Tekken 8 have changed since
the game was first revealed like
specifically I remember how the heat
mechanics worked a little bit
differently when I first saw it now that
you've had 6 months since releas release
and have heard feedback from both casual
players and top level Pros do you
envision any more sweeping changes to
the core systems in teen8 uh or even
some new
additions like you said uh We've made
some changes to the heat system uh after
release uh the reason being
that although uh the concept was clear
and we felt we achieved it that uh it
was very fun to be on the offense and to
open up your opponent and to be with to
do damage Etc uh was quite uh
exhilarating but uh we realized that
some of the elements that people liked
about 3D fighting game being able to
have the defensive options of uh side
stepping or using that 3D uh environment
uh to your advantage strategically uh
was a little bit weaker perhaps than it
in past installments so with the update
like we were mentioning uh we enhanced
those features a little bit more uh so
we currently think that the game is in a
good place and uh there no further uh
we've already announced this to the
player base as a whole but uh we don't
plan on uh making any sweeping changes
to the game system itself uh uh we plan
on proceeding with this although we'll
continue to be fixing uh bugs and things
like that uh and also like we talked
about today more uh about the product as
a whole you know adding new features or
making quality of life improvements uh
trying to make it the be best Tekken we
can since it is uh after all the 30th
anniversary of the series
so Tekken has historically been a series
that has included some kind of
off-the-wall characters like gone moku
Jin Roger Alex Kuma uh and Panda since
Tekken 6 though it's only really been
Kuma and Panda representing that kind of
character archetype uh do you think
Tekken as a Series has largely outgrown
those types of characters or is there a
chance that you could see we could see
those characters come
back so
the strategy the thinking behind the
franchise hasn't changed it's not like
uh we're intentionally uh removing those
characters per se uh but if you really
take a close look at uh how they were
back in those
iterations uh it was more of like uh
they were we call them compatible
characters in Japanese which means like
uh the move set is another character and
it's just the skin is different right so
there are many of those characters in
the past not just the animals that you
mentioned um and over the series we've
tried to flesh them out and to do away
with that portion so making sure that
each of the characters are unique so
even if you have K and Panda there their
moves might be slightly different or the
rage arts or or whatever they're their
own unique character so uh that was the
main uh thinking behind that it wasn't
intentional that the other characters
are are not making an appearance uh that
said in in order to get everyone's
favorites and then also include
characters like that we'd have to have a
roster of like 60 some characters uh
which just isn't uh viable from a launch
and then also uh for the player base to
learn how to play against uh that number
of characters is is uh a lot so uh it we
wouldn't say they're not going to make
an appearance ever again that's just the
current state um so guest characters
have been important Trend in fighting
games and Tekken obviously no stranger
to them what are your thoughts in
general of having guest characters in
your games and do you do they come with
any sort of unique challenges that maybe
the average Tekken fan might not think
about as just from you know from the
perspective of a
fan there is some things that maybe are
behind the scenes that most people won't
notice that uh there's got to be a
variety of conditions that
align we want that particular character
in our game is the start uh does that uh
IP owner want their property in our game
and then uh maybe both say yeah that's
that's awesome but there's in timing
like uh for our franchise when do we
want that character to appear and for
them maybe they're like no we have plans
we can't have it until later or we have
plans that are coming later so it has to
be like right
now and then the fans the fans want to
see that in the game so uh this of
conditions that have to occur before all
this can work out to be in the game and
then I was just mentioned that even if
that happens which is the hard part
right and then if you're using like a a
famous character that has a well-known
actor attached to it and their schedule
is insane and you have to be able to
find time to get them into the studio to
record voice lines and things like that
so there's so many obstacles that have
to be overcome for that to happen so it
is quite a challenge
I wanted to ask you um if you were
familiar with the the recent rise of
Creator Le team tournaments like the
sage jam slam which you know I know you
you had a a thing with
yesterday oh the
razar oh my God oh my God um and the CR
cup um have you checked any of these out
and what do you think of the team format
of having teams that are led by
professional players but then the team
themselves are mostly made up of non fgc
streamers YouTubers and other content
creators he actually does watch those
events uh and he's a fan of uh some of
the YouTubers or or streamers as well
that maybe not uh might not be a FCC
person so he's aware of it and thinks
it's a really uh a great thing that's
happening because you have these Pros
who know their games quite well but you
have the streamers who haven't perhaps
played some of these games and they all
have their own communities who maybe
don't uh play fighting games uh that are
then become interested because of their
favorite streamer another thing that's
quite interesting that happens is that
even if uh some of these people watch
that stream and they find it interesting
maybe they're not even motivated to to
play the game themselves but they still
enjoy watching it and being a part of
the audience and enjoying that
experience so that's a a cool uh thing
to see uh fighting games reaching a new
audience but maybe they're not playing
it that's feel cool though I would say
the same thing you I mean I'm a close
friend of s jam and some of these people
and uh you know we're not directly
involved that often although we did make
an appearance uh it's great to see what
they're doing with uh the game and to
see the the journey for me especially I
was watching Lily Pichu and to see her
uh start off with no knowledge of Tekken
and then she just becomes so engrossed
and I see her face the hurdles that
beginner players uh face and then she
overcomes them as she's uh playing
people online and then to see her face
new problems as an intermediate player
and to see that journey is really cool
and and to see her community experience
that and grow with her is just totally
awesome yeah and just like you know I I
love seeing it from this perspective of
seeing like the love of fighting games
in real time blossoming someone right
right um how how was it launching on
console and PC without an initial arcade
release and how has that you know
changed the the way you develop and you
know now how has it changed like post
launch updating of
it you know back in the day it was I
guess you could say a bit easier because
uh we start off arcade uh iteration
which just includes the battle portion
of the game uh so that allowed us to uh
put some time into polishing that
portion uh before moving on to the
console in which you start adding the
various modes and other features that uh
the console version received uh but
since we don't have that now it's like
you have to provide everything from the
start you have to do the uh brand new
game systems all the stuff that goes
into the console version uh you have to
polish them at the same time as well as
create it and it's just uh it's really
uh intense uh that said uh back in the
day with the arcades uh you know there
wasn't a uh worldwide connected internet
and in the fan base and all that so uh
the communities were really localized
and to get feedback it was very hard
you'd have to pretty much go to that
location where now uh although we have
to create everything at the start and
it's quite intense uh we're more easily
able to uh get feedback from the
community because they're connected to
each other across the the world H and
it's easier to access uh some of the
more advanced players as well to get
their feedback with the game so that
does help uh you know so there are the
challenges and drawbacks and and then
also the uh the feedback it's easier to
get but you're kind of like overwhelmed
of by it because before you're looking
at just the battle portion for the
arcade but when we release Tekken 8
without an arcade version you're getting
feedback about uh the balance of the
game uh the brand new
system some kind of characters maybe one
of the features of the game that people
there's so much uh that encompasses that
it's quite difficult to sift through it
and then decide what do you prioritize
cuz we can't do all of it at once right
and then final question I'm asking this
to all the fighting game developers and
producers that I'm talking to but what
do you believe is like the next step
forward for the fighting game genre we
just kind of overcame net code with most
most games coming out now having roll
back n code what what do you envision as
like any sort of new innovation or
technology that you think could improve
the genre and bring it into a new era of
fighting
games the like you said there's been the
various changes like roll back Etc that
have changed but what we're what he's
looking for in particularly is maybe
more of the community aspect and how
that uh changes because we've seen a
change outside of games just the
internet as a whole and how people
interact with each other and make
friends Etc uh that perhaps that will
somehow make its way into fighting games
uh and there's kind of an earli
iteration you know our fight Lounge uh
in Tekken 8 that you can experience that
to some degree uh but then also just the
the way that you play the game for
example currently it's normally a
one-on-one match is maybe ranked or
something like that where maybe we start
to see more of a team based battles
which are quite popular in areas like
Japan uh just seeing the way that uh
people interact with each other in a
fighting game not just directly in the
battle is something that will probably
evolve maybe perhaps the way that that
you cheer on someone in in the fighting
game uh you're not playing directly but
you're still enjoying it as you uh watch
them or maybe uh the way that you
interact with that certain group who are
playing the games online in some kind of
a Lobby Etc these are the areas he
thinks will maybe see changes uh in the
future there's a lot of possibility in
the AI features that we included for
example in Tekken 8 uh we can play
against uh more refined CPU character
because uh they may make Tendencies Etc
but uh the AI characters the ghost
example that we have uh they're very
uses it's not just to battle against
them uh it helps point out your flaws
and to help you practice and uh enhance
your weak areas or maybe it's a AI
version of yourself and allows you to
more uh take a step back and see your
own weaknesses more effectively uh and
so it kind of complement that what
herado was talking about uh that online
community and how you interact with them
but then you also have this kind of AI
companion to help you in your journey as
a player in their kind of uh inwoven as
as he sees it
he's joking that maybe from the AI
players when you beat them they're going
to start sending you salty messages like
real players I I agree with nakatu too
myself that I think the fun part of uh
fighting games and Har mentioned this is
not going to change it's that chess
between you and your opponent uh but we
see that it's often hard to get people
to who have no knowledge of fighting
games to get to that step where they
find out why fighting games are so
amazing so I think like nakatu and his
team some of the things that they've
done with the AI characters or I don't
think he talked about it today but uh
the the replay against you and opponent
where you can see that but then you can
practice a certain iteration I think
those kind of things where it helps
people get to that point where they can
enjoy the chess is some of the evolution
we're going to be seeing as
well for
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