LogIn"Everything I make is influenced by Evangelion."
Square Enix
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the beloved NieR franchise. Recently, publisher Square Enix invited NieR creator Yoko Taro and producer Yosuke Saito to share memories about creating these unforgettable games.
Speaking about the inspirations for NieR: Automata, the creator gave the credits to Neon Genesis Evangelion, saying, "Definitely Evangelion." He further said that not only is this game inspired, but also "everything I make is influenced by Evangelion." His answer echoes what he previously stated, that the plot of NieR: Automata is "just a retelling of Evangelion" that somehow found its way to the market.
The interview continued with the topic of the challenges he faced while working on NieR: Automata. Surprisingly, the biggest challenge wasn't related to game design or development, which are generally viewed as tricky and complex due to the various crucial challenges that arise. Instead, the major difficulty was a struggle that almost got him fired:
"Probably the biggest challenge for me was that even though I hadn't signed any contracts about specific work hours, I was told that I needed to come into the office at 10am every morning, and as I continued to ignore this instruction, I was almost fired."
Last May, it was revealed that Yosuke Saito was working on a new project with Yoko Taro and series composer Keiichi Okabe. At the time, he said, "It might be NieR, it might not be NieR ." It seems quite likely that it could be related to the NieR franchise, as it was teased in an interview with the gaming outlet 4Gamer later in the year:
"2025 is the 15th anniversary of the "NieR" series, so I'd like to do something! What should I do? I don't know about the next game, or how it will be... I've heard a lot of people's expectations. It's a difficult decision..." (via machine translation.)
Even if this doesn't promise a new game, no need to be disappointed as Yosuke Saito once promised that the series will continue as long as its creator, Yoko Taro, is alive.
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