CyberConnect 2's Matsuyama: Social Games Are 'Junk'

Hiroshi Matsuyama, president and CEO of CyberConnect 2, developer of Asura's Wrath and Soulcalibur V's story mode, is frank when he tells Gamasutra that he only plays social games for business reasons. "Another thing that I dislike is social games," says Matsuyama. "Everybody is talking about social this, and social that. Even Bandai Namco. I don't like that." Matsuyama speaks from knowledge. He's played a great deal of Kaito Royale, he says -- it's one of the most popular social games in Japan, with millions of players. "So stupid. They're not fun at all. But, I have to play it. The reality is that it has over 3 million users, and it's true that they're making money. I need to be aware of those businesses, so of course I play them," says Matsuyama. When asked if social games can be good, he said "if you're asking whether I'm playing a decent social game right now, the answer is no." He doesn't deride all mobile games, however. Of Chair Entertainment's Unreal Engine 3-based Infinity Blade, he says, "I think that game is really good. I love that game. I even finished it. That was fun. It was a proper game. But, the others are junk. They're not fun." Currently, CyberConnect 2 is also developing Asura's Wrath for Capcom alongside its work on Soulcalibur V, new titles in the Naruto series, and unannounced games. In the full feature interview, Matsuyama discusses this work and the future of his studio as well -- and it's live now on Gamasutra.