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This June, New Atelier Rorona is getting a Nintendo 3DS remake. In an interview with Dengeki, series director Yoshito Okamura discusses why Gust picked the 3DS to remake the game on, and what sort of audience they’re targeting with it.
While games like Bravely Default, Shin Megami Tensei, and Stella Glow specifically target the Nintendo 3DS’s older audience of 30-somethings, it appears that Gust instead hope to take advantage of the fact that a wide range of people from all age groups own the system. Okamura says that this is part of an effort to expand the Atelier series to a more diverse audience.
“Naturally, when you shift to a different platform, the age demographic changes as well. In light of this, we have the super-deformed versions of the characters,” Okamura says. “However, even if there are many Atelier fans in their 20s, the age range goes up to people in their 40s as well, since many fans from the Marie games are still supporting the series.”
“It’s true that we’d like for users from age ranges that weren’t touched by the previous games to play this title,” Okamura admits, when asked if he hopes that some of the 3DS’s younger userbase will be attracted to the game as well.
Dengeki also poses a question to Okamura about sex appeal. Ever since Okamura became the director of the Atelier franchise, the series has seen elements of sex appeal added to it, and Dengeki asks if there’s any truth to that statement.
“The sex appeal is more due to the scenario writers than to me,” Okamura replies.
Then, character designer Mel Kishida jokingly adds, “I’ve known Mr. Okamura for a long time but, he’s actually a rather pure person, you know. The kind that doesn’t like overly lewd stuff much.”
New Atelier Rorona for 3DS will be released in Japan on June 4th. Koei Tecmo and Gust have not yet announced a Western release for the game.
