The director of Fire Pro Wrestling World (Fire Pro W), Tomoaki Matsumoto, drinks with other Fire Pro-loving guests and talks about the game in this segment. For the commemorative first match, Takashi Kobayashi (ZEX) and Toshiaki Tamura (ZEX), the development producer and development director of FPW, join the fray. The talk gets heated as the key members of the development team appear right off the bat!

The Road to Fire Pro's Revival

――

For our first interview, we have the development team for Fire Pro Wrestling World (referred to as "Fire Pro World" hereafter) here with us today. Fire Pro is back after 12 years, but could you give us details on how this came to be?

Matsumoto

I guess because we love Fire Pro. [laughs]

Everyone

[laughs]

――

Have talks about making a new Fire Pro game been under discussion for a long time now?

Matsumoto

We've been talking about it forever. I've submitted proposals for Fire Pro about five times since I joined Spike Chunsoft eight or nine years ago. During those times, Kobayashi helped me with the financial side of things like figuring out how much it would cost to make.

Kobayashi

Ever since we finished Fire Pro Returns (2005, referred to as "Returns" hereafter), discussions about making a new game would come up and fall off practically every year. It's been a long road.

Matsumoto

Yes, it has. Fire Pro proposals would come up every year around spring, so it became known as a seasonal tradition within the company. [laughs]

――

Were you given a reason when the proposals didn't go through?

Matsumoto

They didn't give any specifics, but I believe it was simply a matter of whether or not it would be profitable enough. We are a business after all, so even though the management side also loves Fire Pro, it may have been difficult for them to give the green light.

――

But after nine years, the project got approved on the fifth try. What do you think was the deciding factor for receiving the go-ahead?

Matsumoto

The growing size of the Steam market was definitely a major factor. The market became big enough for the company to see its potential, which made us more willing to give it a try.

――

So instead of the PlayStation®4, it was originally planned to release only for Steam?

Matsumoto

That's correct. But I told them, "No no, there are fans in the console market waiting for Fire Pro too!" So they shot back, "Can we do it?!" [laughs]

Everyone

[laughs]

――

Was everyone happy when the project got approved?

Matsumoto

Absolutely! But above all, I was surprised by the company's bold spirit when they gave the approval. I was moved, really. The Steam market may be growing, but no one knows what will happen or if Japanese players will even get on board. I have to say, it takes real courage to give the green light in these circumstances as Mr. Sakurai (*1) did. I respect that.
*1: Mitsutoshi Sakurai, CEO of Spike Chunsoft

Kobayashi

I was actually still a bit skeptical when I first heard the project was approved. [laughs]

Matsumoto

They've been tricking us, claiming, "We'll do it, we'll do it," for about nine years, after all.

Everyone

[laughs]

Kobayashi

But once we realized that we were really going through with it, there were cheers of joy in the office. Everyone was shouting, "Can we do it?!" [laughs]

Tamura's Participation Was an Unexpected Miracle

――

The first Fire Pro in 12 years is a pretty big deal, but the fact that so many of the previous Fire Pro team members came together again is incredible too.

Matsumoto

It's quite a miracle. When we first started planning out the project, Tamura was working on something completely different.

Tamura

That's right. When Matsumoto and Kobayashi first talked to me about it, I had to refuse because I was too busy with other work. After a few months had passed, I thought the project might have been shot down again... [laughs]

Matsumoto

But this time, it was different. [laughs]

Tamura

After a while, they approached me again and asked me to help because the project seemed like it would actually take off. It just so happened that the contract for my other job was ending around that time. So if the project started when they first brought it up, I actually wouldn't have been able to participate.

Kobayashi

The timing was perfect.

Tamura

Being the tenth Fire Pro title, this will be a commemorative game for me on a personal level too. For 12 years, I was disappointed that it was ending on the ninth title, so I'm thrilled to be involved not just to help, but as part of the main team. Although I did have to cancel my vacation plans. [laughs]

Everyone

[laughs]

Matsumoto

It was good timing for us to bring this up during his contract renewal period. See, a normal person would have just renewed their contract, but he was foolish enough to say, "Fire Pro? I'll do it!" And I mean that as a compliment. [laughs] I was impressed.

Tamura

The other party was asking me to renew my contract, so I had to apologize profusely. [laughs] But they knew I had worked on Fire Pro, so they understood and gave me their blessing.

――

So it was an amicable transfer, as they say in pro wrestling.

Tamura

Exactly! Although cases like this are rare.

Matsumoto

That's all the more reason for us to keep it going. We can't let it end with one. There's still much to be done, and we're hoping you can help.

Tamura

I'll do my best. [laughs]

――

It's exciting to see people band together because of their passion for Fire Pro. Like it's destiny or something.

Matsumoto

It really is. This time, it feels like we were meant to make this game. With Fire Pro Wrestling G (1999), Tamura was the main planner and I was working under him, so he's like a mentor to me. Our positions are different this time, but Tamura is at the core of the project again, so I feel like he can just work his magic if I ask him for help with anything.

Tamura

I don't know about that. [laughs]

――

Were you worried about not being able to put a team together even if the project was approved?

Matsumoto

At first, we were all fired up about whether or not we'd even be able to make a new title. But once we got approval, it hit me and I thought, "Oh crap, will we even have a team?" [laughs]

Everyone

[laughs]

Matsumoto

But people did join in the end, so I'm glad it worked out.

The Difficulties and Effects of Development

――

The hardware is a lot different now since there's been a 12-year gap in development. For the consumer, it skipped a generation from PlayStation 2 to PlayStation 4. So I imagine you faced many issues since starting development, right?

Tamura

The graphical side of things was a big hurdle, as you might expect. Since the conception stage of development, we've known that we wanted to preserve and express that familiar Fire Pro look from previous games. But our resources from Returns were unusable because of problems with resolution size.

Matsumoto

If we used them as is, they would have looked like nothing more than small, weird-looking lines. [laughs]

Tamura

Back then, whenever there was a change in resolution size, we would just make the sprites four times bigger and clean them up a bit. But these days, the resolution size is on a different level from when we were using sprite art, so we couldn't really draw things by hand anymore. The methods we've been using are no longer viable. So we thought of enlarging the art and putting a filter over it, but that doesn't come out quite right either.

Matsumoto

Simply enlarging the art would make jagged parts stand out too much, and using a filter to hide those parts would make them look too blurry.

Tamura

Even when using a program to adjust the filter, we would run into issues like weird lines appearing unexpectedly. So we do have some room for improvement when it comes to working on the presentation.

――

But at this point, the quality is already shaping up to make me think, "Now this is Fire Pro." It's back after 12 long years, and it's just oozing with that Fire Pro feel. I'm sure you've been getting a lot of feedback from players.

Matsumoto

Oh yes, a lot.

Kobayashi

Yes, we've been getting great responses from all over the world.

Tamura

It made us truly happy to see that.

Matsumoto

We've also been getting questions basically every day from overseas fans. But I don't understand English, so Google Translate has been working at full capacity.

Everyone

[laughs]

Matsumoto

But when I use Google Translate, the Japanese gets messed up and I don't understand what they're trying to say. So I communicate with them by asking Dave (*2) to translate, then tell him what I want to say in Japanese for him to translate back to English.
*2: David Kracker, Community Manager of Spike Chunsoft

Lasting Impressions from Player Feedback

――

Out of all the comments you've received since announcing Fire Pro World, are there any that left an impression on you?

Kobayashi

So many people have told us, "I've been waiting for this."

Tamura

There were also many comments from people that played Fire Pro a long time ago, and they're glad to see it come back, which made me very happy. It was a different time back then, but I had the impression that we didn't get much feedback from our players when we made Returns.

Matsumoto

Social media wasn't a thing back then either.

Tamura

We could look at specific message boards or see what people wrote on their personal websites, but that was the extent of it. These days, you can run into all sorts of feedback while just casually browsing. It's amazing to see just how many people have something to say about Fire Pro.

Matsumoto

Right after we made the announcement, a lot of people said, "Thank you for bringing it back." But we're the ones that should be thanking them for waiting all this time. But then, after a little while, they started saying, "I want this" and "I want that." And I just thought, "Here we go." [laughs]

Everyone

[laughs]

Kobayashi

For the previous Fire Pro games, the only place for players to interact with the community was 2chan. And rumors like "that wrestler is going to get added" or "that move will be included" would start going around even if we hadn't announced anything.

Tamura

This happens often on the Internet, but when someone posts something based on speculation, it would often get reposted as a fact. We were sweating nervously as we watched those threads. [laughs]

Kobayashi

After a game release, we would get complaints like, "You said that move would be in the game!" And we would think, "We never said that!" [laughs] This was a common issue before, but these days we see what fans are eagerly hoping for and take it as encouragement.

Matsumoto

We're able to get feedback directly from the players, and we want to know what they want, regardless of whether or not we can implement them.

Kobayashi

Sometimes, we would see a comment and think, "I thought they might ask for that."

――

It would be nice if you could tell them that it's in the game, but just not announced yet.

Tamura

A lot of times I would think, "Yes, I understand, but...!" or "I thought the same thing!" [laughs]

What's the Current Development Status?

――

I understand that when developing games, master builds need to be approved before the deadline. Back then, you couldn't just release an update post-release, so once a game was made, everything was final. So I'm sure there were plenty of times where you would think, "If only we could do that." Fire Pro World will be your chance to throw in 12 years worth of ideas you wished you could have added since Returns.

Matsumoto

That's true. I really wish...we had another 10 million yen.

Everyone

[laughs]

Kobayashi

That would be nice. [laughs]

Matsumoto

Now there are things like crowdfunding too. If we had another 10 million, we could add things like left-right asymmetric designs. In any case, there are many things we would like to do, so I hope it sells well.

――

So before the game is actually released, early access (*3) [ed. note: only for Steam version] will be available starting 7/10.
*3: A game that is available for purchase/download while under development.

Matsumoto

It's coming up soon. Is it going to be okay?

Kobayashi

You're asking us? [laughs]

Tamura

I guess so. [laughs] I can't say there aren't any issues to work out, but we're working as hard as we can.

――

This will be the incomplete version, so I hope the players can enjoy it for what it is and give feedback based on their experiences.

Matsumoto

Yes, we would definitely like to hear from our players. We won't just simply hear what they have to say, but we're willing and prepared to implement their feedback. So please, bring on your suggestions! When we see an idea online and think, "This sounds fun," we take notes and try to make it a reality.

――

So development has been moving along smoothly then?

Kobayashi

...You could say that. [laughs]

Tamura

We'll do our best. [laughs]

Edit Mode Improved!

――

The game is still in early access, but special rules like Deathmatch are playable, and the Edit Mode has been implemented too. It seems like you can get a lot of play time out of it already.

Matsumoto

Yes, I think so too.

Kobayashi

With this version, we've revised the things about Edit Mode that have been unpopular with our players since Returns.

Tamura

You mentioned changing the resolution size earlier, but to add to that, I hear the palette system no longer exists as a mechanism.

Matsumoto

One of the reasons for that is the Steam version isn't a console.

Tamura

There's no mechanism that lets you go, "This part is drawn with four colors, so I can change the color scheme or gradient by adjusting the color of the four cells." This is actually a big deal. So this time, we used the color picker to choose things like the hue and brightness of the gradient colors for each part.

Matsumoto

But with this method alone, we weren't able to add multiple colors on one part.

Tamura

That's when we decided to divide each part into smaller pieces. Like, with the lightning bolt design for tights, the green lines and the color-filled parts are separate. So you can do things like combine it with a flame design and make some funky patterns.

Matsumoto

Previously, we could make more advanced patterns; for example, by changing one of the colors of a black gradient to red or blue. But this time, we're able to create multiple smaller parts and layer them to form a design.

――

Sounds like there's a lot to play with in Edit Mode too.

Tamura

You can use up to nine layers to create a design, and each part can have up to nine layers as well.

Kobayashi

I think people who enjoy customizing things will thoroughly enjoy the new Edit Mode.

Matsumoto

You can use nine layers for pants alone, so you can make some pretty crazy things. [laughs]

――

Players may have a hard time starting a match with so much to do in Edit Mode. [laughs]

Matsumoto's Take on Fire Pro World's Points of Interest

――

The latest Fire Pro will be available for early access starting 7/10, but is there anything you'd like the players to pay attention to in particular?

Matsumoto

That would be the Online Mode, one of the main selling points of this release. You could only play with friends in the same room before, but now you can play with complete strangers. It may not be an MMA match, but I think it will be tense and exciting like a match against another organization. We're looking forward to seeing how players will react to this play mode being offered for the first time in the series.

――

Online matches are competitions against unknown enemies, after all.

Matsumoto

Exactly. You have to sort of read each other to determine if you'll be playing for showmanship in "pro wrestling style" or go for the win in "cement style" too. We did include an option to choose the playstyle between pro wrestling and cement, but everyone wants to win in the end, right? [laughs]

――

Yes, like when your opponent suddenly gets serious about countering your moves near the end of the match. [laughs]

Matsumoto

I'm interested to see how many people will appreciate the art of selling a move and have an attitude like, "I may have lost, but that was a great match!" And I myself am very good at Fire Pro, so there's a part of me that would like to run into players that are better than me.

――

I'm sure there are a lot of players that are confident in their skills.

Matsumoto

There are probably people out there that are stronger than me, so I'd like to play against them with cement rules. The ability to play against people all over the world is one of the great things about this title.

Tamura's Take on Fire Pro World's Points of Interest

――

What are the points of interest for you, Mr. Tamura?

Tamura

I'd like people to pay attention to the graphics. We did have some difficulties with the resolution size in regards to wrestlers, but we've been able to work on the backgrounds without worrying about resolution size. We've been making them in 3D like most other games, so it looks far better than previous Fire Pro games. That, and the ring entrances.

――

Ring entrances are one of the most iconic parts of pro wrestling.

Tamura

With the ring entrances for Returns, we just matched the wrestler's movements to the movies as they played. But this time, you can see them enter the actual arena that will be used for the match. Not only is there a pathway leading to the ring, but there's an actual entrance and stage where the wrestler will appear, with special effects like fireworks. The staff is working hard to make it look good, so I hope players will watch them at least once.

――

I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of improvement for the entrance scenes too.

Tamura

I do hope everyone enjoys them. If possible, I would like to add many more fine details.

Matsumoto

You aren't going to mention the robes?

Tamura

Can we can talk about that? [laughs]

Matsumoto

Go ahead!

――

I'd love to hear it.

Tamura

We weren't able to include it this time due to cost restraints, but we talked about adding robe parts. If we were to make various patterns to be used in a match, it would be too difficult to implement for all of the possible movements. But if we were to add it for entrances only, we could just make it as a single piece for the whole body, so it might be possible. We did have these ideas planned out, but there were too many other things that we needed to prioritize.

――

If there are enough players supporting the game, maybe that could be added later on.

Matsumoto

We've been getting more and more ideas all the time. There's always one thing or another that we need or want to add.

Kobayashi

It's not in 3D, so things like armor would be hard to add. [laughs]

Matsumoto

But in my opinion, the difficulties that come with it and the fact that it's not in 3D are all a part of Fire Pro. I'm not saying this as an excuse, but if it's too "proper," it just wouldn't be the same. It's a game from the golden age of 2D, so I think that's an essential part that we can't just abandon. We should also make entrance scenes unskippable instead of just hoping people will watch them at least once. [pause] Wait, why did it get so quiet? Did I say something I shouldn't have? [laughs]

Everyone

[laughs]

Kobayashi

But really, we'll do our best.

Matsumoto

As long as it sells, the sky's the limit.

Kobayashi's Take on Fire Pro World's Points of Interest

――

Now, Mr. Kobayashi, please share your highlights on this title.

Kobayashi

The game is releasing on Steam and PlayStation®4 this time. It may not seem like there are major differences from the previous Fire Pro games at first glance, but the hardware is quite different from the last game, so programming it was completely different.

――

I was actually very surprised when I first heard that.

Kobayashi

We had to start everything from scratch again, so our programmers have been working very hard. You could say it's thanks to this that we were able to add new elements that haven't been in previous Fire Pro games. ...Oh, is this supposed to be kept off the record?

Matsumoto

...Oh, I'm sorry... I was in the middle of eating a sausage. What were you saying?

Everyone

[laughs]

Kobayashi

I was talking about the new movements that will be included in Fire Pro.

Matsumoto

We already announced new movements like ring slides, rope escapes, and strike contests, so it's all right.

Kobayashi

There's also that thing we're working on that caused the debacle during development.

Matsumoto

Ah, the blood effects. That was only mentioned briefly at the previous presentation.

Kobayashi

We were able to somewhat implement blood effects, but there was so much blood that it turned into a scene of a massacre.

Everyone

[laughs]

――

Like Hiroshi Hase in his match against Great Muta. [laughs]

Kobayashi

Tamura also mentioned this earlier, but the arena was renewed too. Players can now enjoy brawls, and not just at the ringside or pathway to the ring, but at the stage as well.

――

Can we fight in the audience seats too?

Kobayashi

Not yet, unfortunately.

Matsumoto

That's what I want to add more than anything right now! We put in the effort to make the spectators out of wrestler parts, too, so it would be great if we could throw them around.

Kobayashi

I don't think we have the funds for that... [laughs]

Matsumoto

How much would it cost to add spectator-throwing again?

Kobayashi

About 10 million yen, I think.

Everyone

[laughs]

――

You don't see spectators getting thrown around often in pro wrestling either. [laughs]

Matsumoto

A long time ago on "Pro Wrestling News," which was hosted by Akira Fukuzawa, they aired a scene where Stan Hansen hit an audience member with a lariat and made him do a backflip. [laughs]

Everyone

[laughs]

Matsumoto

Ever since I saw that, I thought, "I want that in Fire Pro!" I'm still really hoping that can be added in the game.

Kobayashi

I'm not sure if we'll be able do that, but I would like to add more things that can be done outside of the ring. Also, we actually changed all of the music. It's really cool.

Matsumoto

It's definitely awesome this time around.

Kobayashi

There aren't too many tracks, but the quality is so good that I'd like to make a CD and listen to it all the time. I can't wait for our fans to hear them.

Matsumoto

We should make a soundtrack.

Kobayashi

The signature Fire Pro theme song sounds even cooler now and the BGM for matches got modernized, so that's another thing that everyone can look forward to.

A Message for the Players

――

Online content available for the first time, improved graphics, programming made from the ground up, and brand new BGM—there are so many exciting things coming up!

Matsumoto

Really, I couldn't get through all of them if I tried. Not without getting more drinks in me, anyway. [laughs]

Tamura

In my position, I would get in trouble if I promise something careless and you hold me to it. [laughs]

――

[laughs] And finally, do you have a message for all the fans that are eagerly waiting for the new Fire Pro?

Tamura

This is the first Fire Pro in 12 years, and after being stuck on the ninth title of the series for so long, the tenth Fire Pro is a major milestone for me on a personal level. To tell you the truth, I feel like I'm happier than anyone else about this, and everyone on the development team has been very excited for its return. I hope all of our beloved fans can share this excitement with us as they play the game and pass it on to as many people as possible.

Kobayashi

It's been a very long 12 years. If the sales for this Fire Pro increase even a little, our dream plans like making the robe parts we talked about earlier might start to seem more realistic. So we would love for our fans to purchase the game, play it, and send their feedback to Spike Chunsoft. Fire Pro's journey doesn't end here.

Matsumoto

I like that: "Fire Pro's journey doesn't end here." We plan to continue working on this title along with the fans that have been patiently waiting for 12 years, so we encourage the players to participate. Please, help us make this new Fire Pro the best Fire Pro it can be.

――

So you'd like the players to join the process instead of just waiting?

Matsumoto

Yes, bring it on! Or as we like to say, "Can we do it?!" [laughs]

――

That's a great way to wrap this up. [laughs] Thank you very much!