Kenji Matsubara joined SNK three years in the past as CEO of a Japanese sport firm with a wealthy heritage in combating video games like King of Fighters.
This yr, on the Tokyo Sport Present, his firm confirmed off Deadly Fury, whose final installment as a online game was 26 years in the past. That is what it means to attempt to convey again the golden age of SNK. Matsubara was employed by a brand new set of bosses: the Saudis. The crown prince turned out to be a giant fan of SNK”s video games. The dominion of Saudi Arabia’s Misk Basis acquired SNK and Toei Animation as a part of a transfer into the sport trade. His mission was to develop the enterprise.
Matsubara was capable of develop the corporate from 200 individuals to 600 now, however he isn’t in an enormous rush. Slightly, the funding is a measured push that may convey again the corporate’s older franchises and launch some new ones as properly. The corporate has added a Tokyo workplace along with its Osaka staff, in addition to a brand new studio in China. Matsubara doesn’t wish to develop too quick, however he additionally desires to make a big affect on SNK’s future. He thinks it’s essential to develop however preserve the corporate’s tradition.
There are nonetheless extra methods to develop. The corporate may increase in Europe and North America because it seeks a bigger world footprint. Matsubara additionally mentioned the corporate’s latest teaser with soccer legend Cristiano Rolando may additionally draw numerous curiosity to the corporate’s video games.
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I met Matsubara eight years in the past after I final went to Japan for work. He was then working at Sega, and he was on a panel I moderated throughout a Tokyo go to and he jogged my memory of our encounter by displaying me an image. It slipped my thoughts, however he didn’t neglect. It was a pleasant private contact that gave me an perception into him. I interviewed him at SNK’s headquarters in Tokyo forward of the Tokyo Sport Present.
Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
GamesBeat: I believed it could be good to get some context for the way SNK has been capable of develop lately, particularly when a lot of the remainder of the sport trade has had a tough time. How has your technique helped result in a greater end result in the mean time?
Kenji Matsubara: I entered SNK about three years in the past. On the time we solely had our one workplace in Osaka. We didn’t even have an workplace in Tokyo. We solely had a few hundred individuals, so it was nonetheless a small firm. Nevertheless, not too long ago Saudi Arabia had bought the corporate. That helped us with our progress. They selected me to take cost.
Earlier than coming into SNK, I did numerous work with numerous totally different firms globally – American firms, Japanese firms. I had numerous expertise, however not working with Saudi Arabia at that time. That was a brand new expertise for me. Once I was chatting with the prince about why that they had bought SNK, it turned out he was a giant fan of our titles, even again within the ‘90s. A huge fan of our different IPs. He felt that at the time it was a golden age. SNK was one of the shining examples of a popular game company in that era. One of the reasons they became our parent company is that they wanted to bring back that golden age. That’s why they introduced me on, to have the ability to lead that cost at SNK.
After I turned CEO, I wished to guarantee that dream got here true, that imaginative and prescient the prince had for SNK, bringing again the glory days of SNK. We arrange a giant aim to be one of many high leisure firms in 10 years from once we first mentioned the plan. I wished to perform that one step at a time, moderately than simply going for this huge aim abruptly. Slowly planning and actions. In that 10 years’ time, we wish to turn into a much bigger firm, however from the beginning, for instance, we put collectively a three-year plan. A variety of my previous expertise helped with placing collectively these plans. I used numerous that have to determine how we’re going to realize that progress. It’s been two years now, and we’re nonetheless placing the plan into motion, arising with the subsequent steps.
To enter just a few extra particulars of that plan, particularly SNK has centered on combating video games for a few years at this level. Combating video games tend to have numerous hardcore followers on the whole, extra so than different genres. Now we have numerous followers who actually love these video games, however we have now so many alternative IPs at SNK, so many alternative sequence that we possibly haven’t been utilizing recently to make new titles. There’s numerous potential there. We wish to concentrate on different titles as properly, like motion video games, not simply combating video games, so we are able to notice our full potential. I wish to begin by making actions in these totally different genres and totally different IPs that aren’t essentially combating video games. Our growth groups are at the moment engaged on revitalizing totally different IPs and totally different genres we possibly haven’t touched shortly.
SNK has numerous potential and our dev groups have numerous expertise, however we have to begin by revitalizing the corporate – for instance, by using new guidelines or updating totally different rules. We’re telling all of the SNK workers about this nice potential we have now, however we have now to start out on issues like working with HR, working with every staff to guarantee that we’re a cohesive firm that matches into the brand new picture I’ve. We’re updating our greenlight course of for brand new titles and ensuring that there’s a greater stream, a greater construction to the corporate that we possibly didn’t have earlier than. There are fundamental firm guidelines and rules we have to preserve engaged on to ensure we obtain future progress and potential that I consider we have now.
GamesBeat: How many individuals work for SNK now? How have you ever enabled new groups to return collectively?
Matsubara: Now we have greater than 600 workers in the mean time. Now we have workplaces in Osaka and Tokyo in Japan. We even have a Chinese language studio, in addition to workplaces in Singapore, Korea, and Taiwan. For dev studios, we have now a studio in Osaka, two in Tokyo, and one in China.
For the Osaka studio, they proceed to work on our traditional IP, the video games everybody is aware of and loves. They proceed to make combating video games, since that’s a giant pillar for us, in addition to bringing a few of our IPs to new genres that they’ve by no means touched earlier than. That’s going to be a giant activity for them. For Tokyo, about two years in the past we began that studio. Tokyo is engaged on new IP, triple-A titles that includes brand-new IP for SNK. It’s not like Osaka, which is engaged on our beloved older IP.
We even have a retro studio engaged on retro titles. The retro staff began up very not too long ago. They’ll be making numerous remakes, reboots, and ports. That’s going to be their focus going ahead. The Chinese language studio is engaged on utilizing our current IP to make cellular video games, cellular variations of traditional SNK in addition to cellular video games with new IP. That’s their most important aim.
GamesBeat: Who’s making Deadly Fury, then?
Matsubara: That’s Osaka, sure. They make numerous our combating video games, specializing in our conventional titles.
GamesBeat: For that sport, it’s the primary entry within the sequence in about 26 years. How do you strategy creating demand for that, on condition that numerous avid gamers at the moment weren’t alive when the final sport got here out? Do you are feeling like it is advisable modernize it in any means for contemporary avid gamers? Do you possibly wish to convey again traditional titles and revisit franchises extra typically sooner or later?
Matsubara: Whenever you evaluate combating video games to different genres, there’s a probably bigger participant base for motion, journey, extra usually common genres. We wish to convey again that golden age of combating video games and produce again the participant base. We wish to proceed to assist develop that participant base for combating video games on the whole. That’s going to be a giant factor for us, bringing extra individuals into the fold for combating video games with our advertising and marketing and promotions. Individuals who possibly weren’t combating sport followers earlier than.
We observed that different firms like Capcom and Namco–with their combating video games, they’re including content material of their video games that isn’t essentially simply centered on core combating sport followers, however that different followers might be fascinated about as properly. We wish to do extra of that going ahead, having some points of the sport that might usher in followers that aren’t simply there for combating video games. As well as, esports is a big pillar for us. That’s one other a part of our advertising and marketing, a technique to create numerous hype for our video games. Esports is extremely essential to us right here at SNK. We’re all the time on the Evo occasions. We run numerous tournaments ourselves. We wish to convey all of our titles to esports as a lot as attainable and present individuals what’s actually attention-grabbing about our video games by way of these tournaments.
To go a bit extra into esports, we’re working the SNK World Championships. That’s a giant occasion for us. For the primary time, in our earlier event, we introduced the finals to America. We have been in Hollywood, Los Angeles. That was huge, to convey SNK and esports to a world viewers. We’re at the moment planning our subsequent occasion, and we’d additionally wish to convey the finals to North America. We’re making an attempt to make it a giant occasion for lots of various gamers that the media can cowl, a giant occasion for esports and the sport trade on the whole.
Final yr King of Fighters was additionally chosen as a part of the esports Olympics occasion we have been part of in Asia. For King of Fighters to be chosen, that was crucial for Japan, for SNK, and for gaming on the whole. I really feel that esports goes to be a giant a part of our advertising and marketing shifting ahead, and particularly for the upcoming Deadly Fury, to convey it to extra individuals than ever. In fact, Saudi Arabia will help us on that, bringing esports and Deadly Fury to as many individuals as attainable by way of tournaments.
GamesBeat: The Saudi relationship appears very applicable. They’re very fascinated about esports as properly. That’s a strategic alignment.
Matsubara: I heard you have been on the Esports World Cup. Sadly I wasn’t capable of meet up there, however I used to be on the finals as properly. It was nice to listen to that they’re doing extra shifting ahead, specializing in the Olympics. Saudi Arabia has numerous plans for esports, and we undoubtedly wish to proceed to work with them to ramp up our esports efforts and have extra titles be part of their esports occasions. That’s going to be an essential means for us to convey our titles and SNK to a extra world stage. That’s a giant subsequent step for us.
GamesBeat: I’ve been pondering so much about the place the expertise within the sport trade is around the globe. It’s been attention-grabbing to look at Saudi Arabia’s strategy. With Manga Productions, they purchased into Toei right here in Japan after which introduced numerous Toei’s animation specialists to Saudi Arabia. They have been coaching numerous their individuals in Saudi Arabia. Greater than half of the brand new hires at Manga Productions have been from this program, and so they have been principally ladies. It was an attention-grabbing means for them to generate expertise. Do you could have among the identical alternatives to coach extra individuals and develop the expertise base like they wish to? Creating extra jobs in Saudi Arabia, both instantly or not directly, by way of these accelerator applications.
Matsubara: We’re a part of the identical guardian firm as Manga Productions, and I’m very aware of what’s happening there, the method in the mean time. Presently, we’re bringing individuals from Saudi Arabia to work at our Osaka workplace. That’s already shifting. A few of our persons are working over in Saudi Arabia full time as properly. It’s a bit totally different from what you’re speaking about, however that’s the place we’re in the mean time.
Sooner or later, I feel there can be a section that’s related to what you’re speaking about, serving to them prepare individuals in Saudi Arabia. Not in the mean time, however that could be a possible section sooner or later. Presently we’re working with Misk on their internship efforts. We’re going to proceed to work with them in that regard. We wish to preserve working with them sooner or later on issues like this, and there could also be an effort sooner or later round one thing just like what you’ve described.
GamesBeat: I by no means thought we might come to a degree the place we had too many video games. There are just a few million within the app shops now, in addition to user-created video games on platforms like Roblox. There have all the time been winners and losers within the sport trade, however after the pandemic, numerous American and European firms expanded very quick. A variety of firms within the U.S. and Europe employed lots of people, after which they hit a slowdown. They’ve been shedding lots of people extra not too long ago. I’m undecided we’ve seen that as a lot in Japan, and I’m wondering what the distinction is. In hindsight, it feels just like the American and European firms greenlit numerous video games, however didn’t have sufficient expertise and high quality behind each. However I’m undecided in regards to the trigger and impact concerned in what we’re seeing within the trade proper now. I’m wondering what your ideas are.
Matsubara: I really feel like there are two huge causes for this. After the pandemic, many firms within the west, as you talked about, grew very giant after which had this layoff interval. One purpose I feel not numerous Japanese firms went by way of the identical–in Japan there’s a tradition we have now round making an attempt to make an organization larger, however sustaining the corporate tradition, ensuring that sticks round. Scaling up, however preserving that tradition alive is essential. When you make the corporate larger, you ensure you’re doing all of it as a staff. You’re preserving all of the groups related collectively as you scale up, discovering methods to maintain that firm tradition alive all through the method.
On the identical time, I additionally be aware that numerous Japanese firms simply didn’t develop as huge or as rapidly as some in North America and Europe. There wasn’t essentially as a lot to shed afterward. At numerous Japanese firms, the main target isn’t to turn into actually huge abruptly. It’s to proceed to have the ability to get a product out to followers over an extended time period. We’re going ahead for the lengthy haul, versus extra fast progress. There are good and unhealthy points to that, in fact, and I’m positive firms within the west have their very own emotions about that. However due to that, we’re not seeing as a lot shrinkage. We’re seeing slower progress, however not as many layoffs.
GamesBeat: What’s your street map and technique for brand new IP and taking your current franchises into the long run? What’s SNK’s future like within the close to time period, in addition to the long run?
Matsubara: As I discussed earlier than, I began working right here about three years in the past. We created a mid-term plan about two years in the past at this level. Particularly, I wish to improve our pipeline of titles on the whole, with extra output of SNK titles regularly. That’s bringing current SNK IP to new genres, and likewise creating all-new IP as properly. We’re not mentioning any particular titles, however we’re taking a look at having a few of these video games popping out in 2026, 2027, 2028. They want a number of years of growth. This might be for brand new and current IP.
In the meantime, we’re making an attempt to ramp up our dev groups and improve worker numbers general. We wish to turn into extra world on the whole, particularly with our growth efforts. We’ve licensed out totally different titles up to now, and now we wish to work with our advertising and marketing staff and our western gross sales and enterprise staff to do extra work in these areas globally – doing gross sales work globally, doing advertising and marketing work globally. That’s a activity we have now right here on the firm. We at the moment don’t have workplaces in North America or Europe, so there’s nonetheless so much that we have to do shifting ahead to turn into a world firm. We hope to create new workplaces in these areas to help our publishing efforts, particularly within the west. And naturally we wish to ramp up our growth alternatives and different alternatives with our M&A staff. That’s the complete street map in a nutshell.
Not too long ago we introduced that we’re working with Cristiano Ronaldo. That’s a giant partnership for us. That’s thanks largely to the prince and our guardian firm. That’s helped us arrange the sponsorship that we’ve not too long ago introduced. We’ll be sharing extra particulars sooner or later, however that is huge not just for us at SNK, however for Deadly Fury as an IP on the whole. It’s going to be large for the sport and the corporate. As a result of we’re working with one of many greatest superstars in soccer, that’s thrilling for everybody right here. We’re wanting ahead to doing extra with him sooner or later.
I labored at Sega for about six years. Sega has turn into a really world firm. They’ve purchased a number of firms in Europe, and naturally they’ve workplaces in North America and Europe. They’ve 1000’s of individuals engaged on video games, even in Europe. We’d wish to get to that stage within the close to future and do one thing related at SNK. Now we have some catching as much as do, in fact. We wish to develop extra titles and publish extra titles on a world stage.
