Overview

• Ryutaro Ichimura said in a ReHacQ interview, translated by Automaton, that Square Enix prioritized “safe” games and was “copying others,” though some coverage notes the publisher still releases unconventional titles.
• Ichimura pointed to Dragon Quest spin-offs like the Minecraft-like Builders and Pokémon Go-style Walk as examples, adding that internal proposals also riffed on PUBG and Line: Disney Tsum Tsum.
• He contrasted this approach with earlier Dragon Quest entries that introduced major mechanics such as three-person parties (DQ2), job-changing (DQ3), and AI-controlled party members (DQ4).
• He said Square Enix rejected his experimental idea for a game that would teach worldbuilding and story structure through play, where users could build Dragon Quest-style games.
• After leaving, he founded NetEase-funded studio PinCool in May 2023, which is developing the asymmetrical multiplayer prison break game Pritto Prisoner.