Famitsu 04/02/2020 interview: Fukuhara Tetsuya and Kimura Yuito

The latest issue of Famitsu has an extensive interview with Fukuhara Tetsuya (director, Granblue Fantasy) and Kimura Yuito (producer, Granblue Fantasy) in its 6th anniversary special. They talk about a range of topics from Granblue Versus‘ reception to future projects and what’s coming up in year 7. Let’s dig in!

Update 4/4/2020: Famitsu posted an extended version of this interview online – new additions are marked in this salmon color to make it easier to skim.

Famitsu interviews with Katou Emiri (Sierokarte) and Takagi Miyu (Mirin) – February 20, 2020 edition

On the more casual side of things, the Feb 20, 2020 issue of Famitsu spoke to Katou Emiri and Takagi Miyu, the hosts of their weekly GBF stream, for their thoughts on Granblue Fantasy Versus.

Famitsu interview with Fukuhara Tetsuya – February 20, 2020 edition

Weekly Famitsu magazine sat down with Fukuhara Tetsuya (“FKHR”, director of Granblue Fantasy and Granblue Fantasy Versus) as part of their cover feature on Granblue Fantasy Versus, and we’ve translated his interview here!

Fukuhara Tetsuya and Kimura Yuito interview – Famitsu 04/11/2019

(translated from the 04/11/2019 issue of Famitsu by @vibratingsheep, all mistakes are Sheep’s. All bolded phrases were highlighted in the original interview.)

The Granblue Fantasy style built over 5 years

Famitsu: When you look back at the last 5 years, what stands out?

Kimura Yuito (KMR): I left the Granblue Fantasy team for a time, but when you consider the time we were in development, I’m right at 5 years now.

Fukuhara Tetsuya (FKHR): I’ve been here since we started development, so it’s been about six and a half years for me. You could say that I’ve given this game my 30s.

Fukuhara Tetsuya Interview – Famitsu 12/15/2018

(translated from the original Famitsu interview by @vibratingsheep, all mistakes are Sheep’s)

The significance of taking Granblue to consoles

Famitsu: You just announced Granblue Fantasy Versus and showed off the latest build of Granblue Fantasy Relink. Why did you direct so much energy and effort to making console versions of Granblue Fantasy?

FKHR: On a business level, I want to keep the whole game industry healthy, so that’s one reason. Granblue Fantasy is our company’s biggest IP, and as a fantasy RPG it fits very well in a console setting.

Famitsu: You feel like you already have a strong mobile game, do you think that it will fit nearly as well on consoles?

FKHR: There are some people, especially young ones, who have only ever played games on smartphones and don’t know how fun console games can be. The opposite is true as well, with people who only play on console or who drifted away from gaming and are unaware of how advanced mobile gaming has become. And of course, people who play both platforms are welcome. We hope to bring them all as many new and enjoyable gaming experiences as possible.