[LEVEL UP KL] EXCLUSIVE: Hajime Tabata Unveils Vision for Malaysian Gaming at LEVEL UP KL

We had the opportunity to interview Hajime Tabata, the former COO and Head of Studio at Luminous Productions and current CEO of JP Games, during LEVEL UP KL. Tabata, known for his work on titles like Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy XV, shared insights on game development, the Malaysian gaming industry, and his latest projects.

Wan Hazmer, a Malaysian game designer who worked at Square Enix from 2010 to 2017 before establishing his own development studio, Metronomik, in Malaysia, assisted in conducting the interview. Hazmer served as the interpreter for this interview.

Returning to Malaysia

Returning to Malaysia after nine years, Tabata noted the country’s rapid urbanization, particularly the emergence of buildings taller than the Petronas Twin Towers. He also expressed his appreciation for local cuisine:

“Yesterday I had Hainanese chicken rice and chicken feet salad for lunch, which were both delicious. For dinner, the Nasi Goreng and Pisang Goreng really left an impression as well. Oh, and there was this dessert called Onde-onde, Metronomik got me two boxes, and I finished them all. They were just that good!”

Malaysian IP Ecosystem Project 2025

A significant portion of the interview focused on the ‘Malaysian IP Ecosystem Project 2025,’ an initiative Hajime Tabata discussed in his keynote speech. This project aims to create a publishing wing that can elevate Malaysian IPs to a global scale. Tabata emphasized:

“The ideal situation is to create a publishing wing that can elevate Malaysian IPs to a much more global scale, especially if they make a game that resonates with international audiences. My goal is to connect these developers with global publishers, ensuring they get the best possible exposure.”

He highlighted the crucial role of media in raising awareness about Malaysian games and suggested that MDEC (Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation) could play a pivotal part in establishing a Malaysian publisher: “I believe MDEC plays an essential role in supporting this initiative. For example, it could help establish a Malaysian publisher. While MDEC has already been supporting local developers, I think these are the next steps necessary to evolve the ecosystem.”

As our conversation about the Malaysian gaming industry drew to a close, Tabata’s enthusiasm for Malaysia was clear.

“Malaysia has so much talent, and if we can build this ecosystem, finding a publisher that can push their games to the international market could make the industry here as dynamic as China’s, where games have gone global. So, thanks to strong publishing networks.”

PEGASUS WORLD KIT

Tabata provided insights into his latest project, PEGASUS WORLD KIT:

“PEGASUS WORLD KIT isn’t exactly a toolkit meant for many developers just yet. Initially, it was designed as a kit to help enterprises integrate RPG elements into their solutions. 

Tabata delved into the future possibilities of PEGASUS WORLD KIT. His vision extends far beyond its current enterprise-focused implementation, aiming to democratize game development tools. “While I would love to make the kit available to the public right now, we’re still in the process of customizing a few things. I’d like to add more AI elements and UGC (user-generated content) features to make it more accessible and favorable for creators. Hopefully, by early next year, we’ll be able to release it for individual creators to use,” said Tabata.

As Tabata spoke about PEGASUS WORLD KIT, he explained how they designed the toolkit to foster a community of creators: “One of the key things we emphasize is ensuring that the tools support developers in collaborating with each other. We want a system where developers can help each other using these tools.”

Storytelling in RPGs

When asked about storytelling in RPGs, particularly regarding players skipping cutscenes, Hajime Tabata emphasized: “Allowing players to skip cutscenes is perfectly fine. It’s important to cater to different playstyles, ensuring that players have the option to skip if they choose to. Developers should focus on creating stories that are engaging enough to make players want to watch the cutscenes, even when replaying the game.”

He elaborated on the importance of narrative quality: “This highlights the importance of well-crafted narratives. Developers should focus on creating stories that are engaging enough to make players want to watch the cutscenes, even when replaying the game.”

Crisis Core: Overcoming Technical Challenges 

Tabata shared an interesting anecdote from his time working on Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, detailing the technical challenges they faced:

“One interesting story involves the PSP. Initially, on the developer side, overclocking the PSP was not allowed, and we were limited by its standard performance. No matter how much we optimized Crisis Core, it just couldn’t run smoothly. So I had discussions with Sony, and eventually, they allowed us to overclock the PSP to get it to run properly.”

As Tabata delved into the technical challenges of developing for the PSP, he explained the complications that arose with different PSP models. “With the PSP 2000, the overclocking feature was already integrated, so it wasn’t an issue. But with the PSP 1000, overclocking caused it to overheat, to the point where it became too hot to handle. So we had to find the right frequency where the game could run efficiently without overheating the device,” Tabata explained.

Hajime Tabata reflected on the experience during development: “There were many interesting moments during development, but this particular experience stood out the most. It involved not just the development team but also close collaboration with Sony.”

Collaboration and Diversity in Game Development 

The interview touched on Tabata’s friendship with Wan Hazmer, highlighting the importance of diverse perspectives in game development. Tabata explained how their collaboration began: “When Final Fantasy XV began, Haz was part of the Final Fantasy Versus XIII team. When that team was disbanded, we all transitioned to different teams. Around that time, Final Fantasy XV was restarted, and it was crucial for us to ensure that we captured the high expectations set by Versus XIII in the new project.”

When discussing Hazmer’s involvement in Final Fantasy XV, he reflected on the respect and camaraderie he shares with his colleague. “For Final Fantasy XV, we aimed to create a game centred around the idea of a journey. This required someone who could bring diverse perspectives beyond Japanese culture. Haz was perfect for this role because he not only contributed to the game design but also helped integrate foreign team members into the project,” said Tabata.

Hazmer, present during the interview, added his own perspective on working with Tabata:

“There’s something interesting about Tabby (Tabata) that many people might not know. We actually share some common traits. He once told me that my communication skills are great, but what’s more interesting is that both of us experience a bit of social awkwardness. It’s fascinating how we think alike in this regard. We can talk on stage and engage with people, but deep down, we often just want to stay home and play games.”

Hajime Tabata agreed, sharing insights into their collaborative approach: “Exactly! During the development of Final Fantasy XV, we approached meetings similarly. We tried to minimize the number of meetings and only held them in a designated meeting room when absolutely necessary. If a meeting was required, we aimed to keep it under one hour—30 minutes was even better. For discussions that involve the same team or discipline, we would prefer to have those conversations informally, rather than in a traditional meeting format.”

Quality and Cultural Diversity in Game Development 

The conversation also touched on how cultural diversity influenced the development of Final Fantasy XV. Hajime Tabata explained: “When people are passionate about their culture and want to share it, it adds depth and purpose to the project. This motivation enhances the overall experience of the game. For instance, this is why you see dishes like roti canai and teh tarik included in the game.”

As our conversation turned to the influence of Malaysian culture on game development, he shared an experience about his team’s reaction to seeing real Malaysian food: “I remember during our last visit to Malaysia nine years ago, when we finally saw the real teh tarik, my Japanese colleagues were amazed, saying, ‘Ah, so this is teh tarik! We’ve finally seen the real thing!'”

In closing, Tabata shared his views on game pricing and length, challenging the notion that longer games are inherently better: “I don’t believe that a game’s size or the length of playtime necessarily defines its quality. A game can be smaller in scale but still provide an exceptional gameplay experience, and that makes it a great game.”

Tabata’s perspective on game length drew an intriguing parallel to another medium. 

“Even when we talk about anime, we live in an era where people prefer to consume entire series quickly and then rewatch them, much like a fast-food culture. Of course, there are those who enjoy playing games for hundreds of hours and find joy in that.”

As our interview drew to a close, Tabata emphasised the importance of accessibility for new players: “However, if you’re aiming to attract new users, starting with the mindset that ‘longer playtime is better’ may actually make the game more difficult for them to approach. The length of playtime does not equate to the game’s value.”

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