We made the previous game mainly for girls who can’t buy whatever they want, but after we released it, guys like Yamagami-san played it a lot, too.
I suppose it was fun simply as a game. A lot of people said there’s no good time to quit.
And if you think about it, there are a lot of guys who like running a store and customising things to their own taste, and coordinating outfits isn’t enjoyed specifically by women, so after we made it, we realised that it wasn’t just a game for girls.
But it isn’t a fighting game either, right?
(laughs)
Well, earlier, Yamagami-san’s remarks just dumbfounded me, but in fact, we did make it so it could be played that way too. The previous game was enjoyed by a lot of guys, which was unexpected, so this time we made it so it allows for even more different ways to play, and put in elements that allow for discovery. So Yamagami-san’s play style is also one of the correct ways to play. When I asked around, the male staff do play the game differently. I thought all those different ways to play are just fine, so we made the game so it could be enjoyed by anyone in their very own way. For example, one guy on the development staff talked about how much he can earn, like how much money he can gain from his customers with a single outfit! (laughs)
He’s right. If a customer says they can spend about 30,000 yen (around 3,000 euros), you aim for about 29,000 (2,900) so you can make as much as possible.
But if it’s an amazing outfit, they might even pay a little more than 30,000 (3,000).
Really?
Didn’t you know that?
Nope.
(laughs)
The way Yamagami-san plays is from the viewpoint of the store’s staff more than the customer’s. To the store’s staff, profit is most important.
That’s right.
Some apparel company probably wants to hire people like Yamagami-san who sell things that way.
Huh? (laughs)
Aggressively selling to customers who enter the shop is something that real shop runners learn to do, so I want Yamagami-san to try being on a sales floor sometime. He might become a charismatic and popular salesperson! (laughs)
(laughs)
I found something in this game to be incredibly interesting. I’m getting older and my memory is worsening, but I really remember the customers who appear in New Style Boutique.
Oh, that’s interesting.
I’ll remember, “Not long ago, this person bought such-and-such.”
I suppose you remember the customers so well because you spend so much time on each of them! (laughs)
Oh, yes, of course! I’m usually forgetting stuff all the time, but even as I wonder why I remember so well, I think, “Alright, I’m going to please this customer again!” Then, following what products that person bought before, I suggest certain items.
You’ve got to get out on the shop floor! (laughs)
Yes, you must join our industry! (laughs)
You’re a candidate for store manager! (laughs)
(laughs)
If you go to a real girls’ shop, sometimes guys work there, right? They’re selling from a man’s point of view. Girls say they want a female salesperson to help them, but some actually want to hear a guy’s opinion. Men can even sell more than a female store manager.
That’s right.
I think Yamagami-san would sell a lot.
These are surprising compliments! (laughs)
But not every guy plays it like Yamagami-san, right? How about you Sasaki-san?
Unlike Yamagami-san, I don’t think of the customers as enemies.
Right! (laughs)
I show girls a character in a pretty outfit as if they were my daughter, and when they say, “That’s cute!” I feel like I’ve levelled up.
You feel like your experience points in real life have gone up?
Yes. But I suppose another ulterior motive is to have women praise me. (laughs) Those are the dynamics within me when I play.
Hmm… Sasaki-san mentioned his own daughter, and I’ve experienced something similar.
What was it?
I have a daughter who was in primary school when development began, but now she’s in her second year of secondary school. When we played the original Style Boutique, she would ask, “How do you like this ensemble, Dad?” and I’d say, “I think the other one’s better.” She’d say, “How about this one, then?” and I’d be like, “Yeah, that’s good!”
It’s a happy daughter who can ask her father about fashion!
Well, she knows I work in fashion, but the game encouraged conversation with my daughter and I even went to buy clothes with her together in the real world.
But you never had before?
No, just these last one or two years. We talk as we pick out clothes together: “What do you think?” “I like this one.” “But aren’t the colours nicer on this one?” “Hmm…”
It’s like Style Boutique in real life!
Yeah. The next thing I know, I’m putting together outfits and buying them all! (laughs)
Dad’s the one to pay, of course.
Of course! (laughs)
Inspiring conversation between father and daughter is an interesting use of the game.
Yes, I think so. We could have used that in marketing: “New Style Boutique — for fathers and daughters!”
Yes! (laughs)
A lot of dads I know are worried about the distance between themselves and their daughters. You can give these people this game as a gift. And if you aren’t married, you can use this to train for giving your girlfriend friendly suggestions in fashion.
That’s why I hope this game leads to communication in real life!
© 2024 Nintendo.
