Yet it comes at a time when diverse representation in media, including games, is improving.
These are personal stories npckc wanted to tell, while also being inspired by real events in Japan.
“I never planned on being a game developer.
I never planned on making games,” as npckc put it.
I want other people to see, so I just kind-of make it happen."
And even in the years since, this issue has persisted.
Japanese support for same-sex marriage recentlyrose to 65% in pollswith particularly high support amongst young people.
Courts in Osaka ruled it was constitutional just months after Sapporo said otherwise.
“How come people cant empathise?
So I want to make stories about that and be like, This is how some people are feeling.
If people play these games and resonate with them?
Thats my goal with games a lot of the time.”
Theres something to be said about the potential of games for empathy.
Its what inspired npckc to learn Unity, to make games and tell these stories with this medium.
It is something the industry as a whole is seeking to improve on.
“There also aren’t very many spaces that are openly queer-friendly,” they explained.
So it’s a bit hard."
But I think its changing a little bit.
How do even make a horror game when youre scared of horror?
“Im skipping through text like I want to focus on this part.
If Im feeling unsettled, though, probably someone else will feel scared too.”
Yet its more than just a tonal departure.
