Japansoft: An Oral History, published by Thames & Hudson, is a 348-page book filled with insights from developers who worked at emerging studios in the early days of the Japanese video game industry. Developers from Sega, Enix, Capcom, Nihon Falcom and Hudson Soft are profiled in this insightful oral history. Japansoft was written by Alex Wiltshire and was originally published in 2022 but has been out of print for some time.
Much of this first appeared in John Szczepaniak’s The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers, a really hefty book (well, books) If you want a broader understanding of the origins of the Japanese gaming industry, this book is worth a read. But even if you’re familiar with Szczepaniak’s book, Japansoft does provide new reporting based on interviews Wiltshire conducted, including with Nasir Gebelli (Final Fantasy, Red Racing), Manami Matsumae (Mega Man, also known as Mega Man), Harumi Fujita ( Dialogue from “Mega Man”) and Harumi Fujita (“Mega Man”).
In addition to these exclusive interviews, the book is a comprehensive look at the history of Japanese game development, with illustrations by pop artist Yu Nagaba. You’ll also find a variety of photos, ads, and other visuals scattered throughout. There are 89 illustrations in total, 30 of which are in full color.
If you’re interested in pre-ordering Japansoft ahead of its September 3rd release, you should definitely check out Szczepaniak’s book. When we call it “massive,” we’re not exaggerating. Clocking in at 1,346 pages across three volumes, this in-depth exploration will keep you busier than a JRPG.
All three volumes are in stock on Amazon for $30 each, and are sold and shipped directly from Amazon. The e-book versions are much cheaper, and Kindle Unlimited subscribers can actually read all three books for free without spending a dime. Please note that due to design differences, the page count in the eBook format increases dramatically.
The untold history of Japanese game developers (paperback)
The untold history of Japanese game developers (Kindle)
