Yutaka Ito, Technical Manager at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and lead programmer for the Like a Dragon series, shared how the studio has reduced overworking in recent years. Ito recognized the existence of demanding work schedules in the past but pointed out changes in the industry and at the studio that have improved the work-life balance for developers.
According to Ito, one important factor is the move towards releasing games worldwide simultaneously on different platforms. This means that developers need to carefully plan and test the game throughout its creation to make sure it works well on all platforms and in different languages. As a result, last-minute changes are less likely to be made, which in the past have led to excessive work hours for the development team (Thanks, Automation Media).
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Ito explains that the requirement for detailed task management because of multi-platform releases has resulted in clearer deadlines and a more predictable workload for developers. Efficient leadership is also important in this situation, as leaders must make clear decisions about which features to include and which to leave out when revisions or additions arise during development.
The option to issue updates after a game is launched also plays a role in creating a less tense development process. This flexibility enables developers to resolve issues and make changes after the game’s release, potentially lessening the urgency to fit everything into the initial release date.
Despite these changes, Ito recognizes the ongoing challenge of delivering top-notch games on schedule. He highlights the studio’s dedication to meeting deadlines while maintaining quality, but acknowledges the difficulty in consistently achieving both goals.
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“Game development is often associated with busy schedules, no breaks and all-nighters. Indeed, in the past, we would often work ourselves very hard, but in recent times, this is not the case anymore. Work style reforms were one thing that contributed to this…”
Yutaka Ito
Ito’s remarks match previous statements from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio about their development process. In an earlier interview, studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama described the studio’s effective “one-team system,” which enables them to work on several games at the same time. This system assigns staff members to particular task categories instead of assigning them to a single project from beginning to end.
