Heihachi, Guest Characters, and the Future of Tekken 8 - EVO 2024 Interview

Summary

In 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

00:00

👾 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.

05:02

🤝 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.

10:03

📈 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.

15:03

🎭 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.

Keywords

💡Heihachi

Heihachi is a central character in the Tekken series, known for his role as the founder of the Mishima Zaibatsu and his ongoing rivalry with his son, Kazuya. In the video's context, his return as a DLC character in Tekken 8 is a significant event, as it was initially believed that his story arc had concluded with his apparent death. The script discusses the decision to bring him back, indicating a desire to meet fan expectations and celebrate the game's 30th anniversary.

💡DLC (Downloadable Content)

DLC refers to additional content that can be downloaded to expand and enhance a base video game. In the script, Heihachi is mentioned as the third DLC character for Tekken 8, which shows the developers' commitment to enriching the game's content and keeping the game fresh for players by adding new characters and features post-launch.

💡Story Arc

A story arc is a series of events that constitute a major narrative within a game or other media. The script discusses the story arc between Heihachi and his son Kazuya, which was believed to have reached a conclusion, making Heihachi's return in Tekken 8 a surprising twist for fans who followed the narrative closely.

💡Tekken 8

Tekken 8 is the latest installment in the Tekken franchise, a popular series of fighting games. The script revolves around the development decisions for Tekken 8, including character additions like Heihachi, and the game's reception among fans and its sales performance.

💡30th Anniversary

The 30th Anniversary in the script refers to the celebration of three decades since the inception of the Tekken franchise. The return of Heihachi and other iconic characters is tied to this milestone, emphasizing the significance of the occasion for both the game developers and the fans.

💡Heat Mechanics

Heat Mechanics in Tekken 8 refers to a game feature that allows characters to enter a state of heightened power and agility. The script mentions adjustments made to these mechanics based on player feedback, indicating the developers' focus on balancing gameplay and enhancing the player experience.

💡Rollback Netcode

Rollback Netcode is a technology used in fighting games to reduce latency and improve online play by predicting the outcome of moves before receiving confirmation from the server. The script notes that most games now include this feature, suggesting a general advancement in the genre's online capabilities.

💡AI Companion

An AI Companion in the context of the script refers to the artificial intelligence features in Tekken 8 that assist players in practicing and improving their skills. The AI can analyze a player's performance, offering insights and helping to identify areas for improvement.

💡Community Aspect

The community aspect in the script highlights the social dynamics within the gaming community, including how players interact, make friends, and engage with the game collectively. The developers are interested in enhancing these community interactions as part of the evolution of the fighting game genre.

💡Guest Characters

Guest characters are characters from outside the main franchise that are included in a game as a special feature. The script discusses the challenges and conditions required for including such characters in Tekken games, emphasizing the collaboration between different intellectual properties.

💡Fighting Game Community

The term refers to the collective group of players and enthusiasts who are passionate about fighting games. The script mentions partnerships with brands like Nike and Chipotle, indicating a recognition of the community's interests beyond gaming, and efforts to engage with them on multiple levels.

💡Tekken 7

Tekken 7 is the predecessor to Tekken 8 and is mentioned in the script as a point of comparison for the performance and reception of the new game. It provides a benchmark to measure the success and improvements of Tekken 8 within the franchise.

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