Interview | Killaware Talks Lux-Pain on Nintendo DS, Wants Sequels

Mr. Kazuhiro Yamao, Producer at Killaware: It was in development for 14 months, from the very start to completion. Our main team stretched to around 10 people but there were many staff from other companies involved. I advise you check them all in the end credits after completing the game! *laughs*

AR: What was the main inspiration behind idea of the game? And can you talk about the storyline, please?

KY: I think this game is a kind of "antithesis" against the distortion of the current education or the recent crimes that occur amongst young people. It's not as if the "Silent" described in the game, corrupting our minds, is a fictitious thing. It might well be a part of our everyday life and we may well find that accidents are happening because of our own "Silent".

AR: Why did you bring it to DS instead or a different system, and what sort of audience do you think will be attracted to it?

KY: The DS was chosen because the action of players reading the minds of others by means of the Sigma process was perfectly suited to the touch- and dual-screen functionality. I believe anybody who has previously enjoyed their youth will like Lux-Pain and will definitely be able to have fun it.

AR: Please can you explain how the game makes use of the various DS features?

KY: As I explained above, I think we are utilising the DS features to express the tension of the game's fear, especially by having the unique system of reading the other people's minds by scratching the touch-screen, as well as showing the expression of people's internal thoughts or mental condition on the upper screen. In addition to this there is also the battle system that is like a touch-action puzzle.

AR: Can you talk about how the game has sold in Japan so far? And if specific sales cannot be given, are you at least allowed to say whether it has met or exceeded both company and personal expectations?

KY: So many consumers have enjoyed this game in Japan but I want many more people to enjoy this game. I hope people around the rest of the whole world will find this game equally as enjoyable!

AR: Do you think that Capcom's Gyakuten Saiban series helps games like Lux-Pain by expanding the audience for adventure games on DS? Or does Capcom have a monopoly over the genre on DS, making it harder for anything other than the GS games to be successful?

KY: Lux-Pain is completely different from the Gyakuten Saibai series, in terms of both the game overview and its aim. Besides, we shouldn't define the genre of "Adventure" as just one category, because "Adventure" is not a genre which just one game can dominate. Conversely, I think the more success Gyakuten Saiban achieves, the more opportunities there will be for the Lux-Pain series to expand.

AR: How long, approximately, do you it would take an average gamer to complete the game?

KY: About 20 hours to get to the first ending, I suppose.

Yen Hau, Rising Star Games: As the game relies greatly on relations with Non-Playable Characters, it does mean that you will get different answers/feedback from them depending on their reaction to you. This means there are different endings depending on your actions throughout the game.

AR: Did you ever consider any Wi-Fi aspects, such as downloadable content to maintain user interest after the game is completed? (If not, please explain why)

KY: We intentionally decided not to have it this time. We designed this game so you can play again and again even without those functions and I wanted to deliver this game to the consumers as quickly as I could.

AR: Will there be multiple paths through the game to achieve different endings and increase replayability?

KY: We have indeed prepared a number of endings and there are so many extra factors that you can enjoy this game again and again.

AR: What are your future plans, as far as this classic brand of adventure gaming is concerned? Is there any plan to make more games under the Lux Pain name on DS?

KY: Our next game "Another Time Another Leaf" is going to be released in Japan soon. And I do hope everybody in the UK will enjoy Lux-Pain too so that we can develop the sequels we have planned.

AR: And do you want to make a 'Lux Pain' on Wii or WiiWare in the future?

KY: We currently have no idea whether or not to port or develop this title on platforms other than DS.

KY: This is the school detective game with a pop culture and cute style atmosphere. The high school girl lead character solves various mysteries with "another self" seen in the mirror, one that dates back to the past. The theme and system in this game is totally different from Lux-Pain but you will still be able to taste the original "KILLAWARE" flavour in this game. This is going to be released in April in Japan.