At the Gamescom Asia 2023 event held in Singapore over the past weekend, we had the privilige to conduct an interview with Mr. Kenichi Hashimoto, the person in charge of Capcom's upcoming game, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy. With the Ace Attorney series having a long and global fanbase, Mr. Hashimoto, as the producer, provided us with some exclusive behind-the-scenes insights about the game's development. Dive into the full interview below to learn more:
Q1: The Ace Attorney series draws heavily from the Japanese legal system, but given the differences in laws across countries, foreign players may not be well-versed in the legal framework depicted in the game. What challenges have you encountered when trying to make the game accessible to a global audience?
Hashimoto: In essence, although the Ace Attorney series incorporates legal elements, it doesn't revolve solely around the legal system; it's just one of the settings within the game. We aim to provide players with diverse settings and let them explore the intrigue of solving mysteries. When it comes to localizing the game for different countries, adapting the legal aspects to each region hasn't proven to be overly challenging.
Q2: In terms of fan feedback and suggestions, is there a specific instance where a piece of input stood out as particularly memorable, intriguing, or significantly influenced the game's development?
Hashimoto: We consistently monitor fan feedback, and while it's not my personal experience, the planner for the current Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy observed that fans of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice (Ace Attorney 6) paid close attention to very subtle details related to the game's time span. It was fascinating to see how these minor details could impact how fans engaged with the game, and we were delighted that they could notice these subtle elements we incorporated into the game.
Q3: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is the third compilation in the Ace Attorney series, following Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. Can you tell us what sets this game apart and the different approach taken during its development?
Hashimoto: Indeed, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is the third collection in the Ace Attorney series. In developing this game, we were well aware that fans had been looking forward to this game for quite some time. So, we wanted to do more than simply bringing the games to newer platforms; we aimed to add something new to the experience. That's why we've introduced features like the Art Library and Orchestra Hall.
In simpler terms, we believe that just porting the games to newer platforms wouldn't be enough for the dedicated fans of the series. Therefore, we've made comprehensive improvements, including higher resolutions, more voiceovers, and more, so that players can revisit and fully enjoy the trilogy.
Q4: What difficulties did you encounter while bringing the trilogy together?
Hashimoto: One of the challenges we encountered was the process of adapting the older games to our Capcom RE engine, particularly in terms of ensuring thier compatibility with our current engine.
Other than that, as all three games in the trilogy were originally designed to form a single cohesive story, it wasn't particularly difficult to link them into a single game. This concept of creating one continuous narrative was largely pre-planned from the outset.
Q5: Given that the games were originally developed for the Nintendo DS, was it a complex process to adapt DS-specific features, such as dusting for fingerprints, to other platforms?
Hashimoto: Yes, it was quite challenging. Games on the Nintendo DS utilized two screens, which made it tricky for us now to consolidate everything into a single screen. We had to redesign the user interface and make adjustments to some gameplay systems. It was also quite challenging for us when developing the newly added Story Mode, where the game runs by itself without player interaction. Making the minigames run automatically was a hurdle we had to overcome, and it took trials and errors before we successfully implemented the Story Mode.
Q6: The Ace Attorney series is often regarded as the gold standard for localizations. Could you elaborate on the success of the series’ localization process, considering that many fans might not be aware that the setting and character names differ between the original Japanese version and the English version of the games?
Hashimoto: The current localization approach for the Ace Attorney series was established approximately twenty years ago, dating back to the very first entry in the series. During that time, internet access was not as widespread as it is today. The developers working on localizations at the time recognized that a literal translation of Japanese names and terms for American or European audiences wouldn't be very comprehensible. This approach laid the foundation for how the Ace Attorney series is localized.
Our aim has always been to make sure that players from various language backgrounds can fully understand the in-game terminology and fully enjoy the experience. This philosophy remains consistent in the current Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, which has been a collaborative effort involving our development team, the localization team, and external translation teams. We have always wanted to provide easily understandable translations, enabling players from diverse backgrounds to enjoy the game based on their own knowledge of the world without needing additional knowledge in law and related topics.
Q7: The inclusion of Chinese dubbing in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy was a pleasant surprise for Chinese players. Could you shed light on the typical preparations and challenges involved in deciding to add a new language to a game?
Hashimoto: We made a firm decision to include Chinese dubbing and localization for this game during the early stages of development. In the case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, the Chinese language option was introduced later as a language patch. We believe that by including it at launch, players from Chinese-speaking regions can fully enjoy the game from day one, which is why we decided to do so for Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy.
Q8: Was the team aware of the resurgence in popularity of Geiru Tornado and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice, especially among the Western audience?
Hashimoto: Absolutely, we were well aware of it. In fact, we even included her in the trailer to spice things up for the fans.
Q9: Considering that two of Capcom's games are set to launch on the iOS platform, and we feel that the Ace Attorney series is actually very suitable for mobile gaming, is there a possibility of bringing Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy to the App Store in the future?
Hashimoto: The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is already available on iOS, so there's potential for Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy to make its way to the App Store. However, I must emphasize that this is still under consideration, and no final decision has been made at this point.
Q10: Do you have any message for both long-time fans and newcomers to the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy?
Hashimoto: For long-time fans, we're excited to present this trilogy on new-gen platforms, allowing you to experience the game with higher resolution and additional voiceovers. We invite you to compare how the game has evolved from its original versions, especially the transition from the older Nintendo DS games to the enhanced experience on the latest platforms.
To newcomers, we hope you'll dive into the game and enjoy it with its fresh new graphics on these modern platforms. Whether you've played these games before or not, we genuinely hope that you will have a great time playing our games.
To sum up our conversation with Mr. Kenichi Hashimoto, we're grateful for the insights and enthusiasm he's shared regarding the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy. It's clear that the game is set to offer something new and exciting for fans of the series, especially considering that the games are now coming to the latest platforms, distinct from the original Nintendo DS, thus we're eagerly looking forward to what's in store in the world of justice and mystery offered by this upcoming trilogy.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is slated for release on January 25, 2024, and will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam).
