Katsuhiro Harada, the director of Tekken 8, has revealed the impact of threats, even in jest, made by purported fans on the morale, costs, and character inclusions in the game’s development.
Harada shared an example of a player who jokingly threatened to harm him if a specific character, Eddy, was not included in Tekken 8. Harada emphasized that even seemingly harmless jokes can have serious consequences for the gaming community, citing several losses they experience as a result.
One of the consequences is increased security at events, which drives up operating costs and puts additional burdens on players attending these events. In extreme cases, event organizers may request Harada to cancel his attendance.
Furthermore, Harada mentioned that company founders, board members, and lawyers take threats seriously and may ask him to remove characters or features from the game to mitigate risks. This is more likely to happen when threats are framed as representing a larger group of fans, using the word ‘we’ instead of ‘I’.
Harada stressed the importance of understanding that developers make decisions based on the team’s judgment, not on the number of threats or demands. Excessive threats, fake information, hoaxes, or misleading behavior from enthusiasts can demotivate the development team and hinder fan requests from becoming reality.
Harada’s statement highlights the negative impact of threats, even in a gaming context, and the need for a respectful and constructive relationship between game developers and fans.
