Another round of Monolith Soft Kyoto development details
More development details on the Monolith Soft Kyoto team have emerged from CG World’s recent interview. You can find the latest batch of information below.
– Located near the famous local junction of Shijoukarasuma
– Staff members can look outside their windows to enjoy the summer festivities from the comfort of their office
– Most of Kyoto’s staffers are made up of artists
– Worked on Skyward Sword graphics in addition to Animal Crossing: New Leaf
– Laid-back atmosphere
– Director Yasuyuki Honne: “One of the big opportunities that put the appointed weekly hours into action came from the 2006 occupational safety and health act revision, which demanded a more thorough employee time management”
– Honne shares his beliefs that development styles which anticipate overtime work have already reached their limit
– Monolith Soft’s motto: “Zero overtime and creative work allowed”
– Monolith Kyoto still looking for new staffers
– Studio wants “people with the required skills of a CG artist, essential illustrative abilities and sense, along with great communicational skills”
– Studio stress that game development isn’t all about fun, but they would still like to have someone with a forward-looking attitude that can work in a lighthearted and fun manner
– Background designer Subaru Genbe used to work with Square Enix
– He joined Monolith Soft Kyoto last year
– Genbe has always been a fan of Monolith Soft and decided to change his job in order to be able to work with them and Nintendo
– “Playing and having fun is the most important part. It’s the key to bringing out the fun in graphics.”
– Those are the deep feelings they share at Nintendo, which he has learned since joining
– He has also learned to put his time to better use, thanks to the results of the appointed weekly hours
– “When the work starts to overflow, the leader immediately reviews the schedule accordingly. I spend my weekends on hobbies and polishing my skills using ZBrush at home.”
– Lenient schedule has given him free time to relax and brush up his abilities as a designer
– Object designer Rika Aoki worked with Nintendo on Animal Crossing: New Leaf
– “Not only have my skills grown as an artist, but I feel as if I’ve matured more as a person, as well. The appointed weekly hours allow me to work with a mental sense of stability.
– Aoki loves being able to visit crowded areas that are nearby, and enjoys walks in Kyoto’s shopping districts on weekends
– Over half of the studio’s members are from different areas outside the Kansai region
– They’ve nonetheless become tight-knit group who look forward to continue developing more titles for Nintendo while building the studio’s history, together, in their comfortable and productive environment.
