GTP: Could you explain why you decided to open Polyphony Digital’s new offices in Fukuoka and Tokyo? How is the company structured now?
KY: The answer is quite simple – it is because of the nuclear accident at Fukushima. After it happened, I calculated how much the radiation would spread, and it turned out there would be a significant amount of radiation in a 500 kilometer radius around Fukushima, which would lead to people having to leave Tokyo.
I had everyone with small kids or families move to Fukuoka. Considering all the different cities in the area, Fukuoka was a prime location.
GTP: There has been much discussion and debate in GTPlanet’s community regarding GT5’s Standard and Premium cars. Could you explain how you came to the decision of which cars would be Premium and which would remain Standard, such as the Bugatti Veyron?
KY: It wasn’t a matter of making a decision, we just didn’t have time to do it! There is still a possibility that some Standard cars may become Premium in the future.
GTP: In an interview last year, you mentioned that some Standard cars may be upgraded to Premium status in the future. Do you still have plans for this, or will GT5’s future DLC focus on adding new car models to the game?
KY: I think that we should focus on adding new cars to the game.
GTP: Could you offer any hints about what else may be coming in the future, or how frequently new content may be released?
KY: We’re continuously working to make more and more content for the game, and I think what’s really important is the reactions of our users. We’ve had our DLC and our 2.0 update, and the reaction has been really good so far, but we want to look at the overall feedback to see what we should do from here on, and adjust accordingly.
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