Horror-thriller games are different from other genres.
With other types of games, even if someone isn't particularly interested, it usually doesn't leave them with any bad feelings.
But horror games often require developers to constantly be immersed in disturbing content, and if someone genuinely fears that kind of atmosphere, it can seriously hurt their productivity.
Even though game development is just working with code, the work environment and mental state can't be ignored.
Plus, game development is inherently a team effort—regular meetings are needed to align the team on the development direction. If someone on the team really struggles with horror content, Takayuki was willing to let them step away from this project and join a different one in the future.
Horror game?
A bunch of the female employees instantly wanted to back out.
None of them were fans of horror movies, let alone making a horror game.
But... they were reluctant. Would they really have to give up a chance to work so closely with their idol?
They really didn't want to.
But they didn't have much of a choice.It was a painful dilemma.
Should they stay or bow out?
At that moment, Takayuki continued:
"Of course, I understand some of you might feel hesitant. So let me reassure you: this game will focus more on suspense than pure horror. Jump scares and terrifying moments will be kept to a minimum. If it's still not your cup of tea, don't worry—I'll have other projects coming soon that you can join instead."
This time, Takayuki wasn't planning to just make one game—he wanted to manage multiple projects in parallel.
As long as he set the direction for Resident Evil, he could also oversee a few other teams at the same time. Though he hadn't yet decided which other games to develop.
Some of the girls in the crowd were still hesitant, but after giving it some thought, they decided to stay—even if it was a horror game, they didn't want to miss this opportunity to work with Takayuki.
Meanwhile, many of the male staff looked downright excited.
A horror game! A totally new genre—or, well, not entirely new. SureSoft (the rival company) had already released two games like this, but those relied heavily on cheap jump scares and didn't sell particularly well. Clearly, most gamers play for fun, not to scare themselves half to death.
Uchiyama Ei raised his hand and asked,
"President, can you give us a clearer idea of what the game is actually about?"
"Great question," Takayuki replied. "Let me show you the outline I've prepared."
He opened his laptop and projected the story summary onto the screen.
In a fictional city called Raccoon City, a strange murder occurs in a forest on the outskirts.The victim's body is found mutilated and partially eaten, suggesting an animal attack.
The Raccoon City Police Department dispatches a special forces unit to investigate—but they vanish without a trace.
A second unit is sent.
During their investigation, the new team is attacked by unknown creatures in the woods. One of them is killed, and the rest flee to a mansion nearby.
Inside, they discover the house is full of zombies, people infected by a virus known as the T-Virus, which causes humans to crave flesh and attack the living.
While trying to survive and find a way to contact the outside world, the team—Jill and Claire—uncover the truth: the virus was created by a massive pharmaceutical company, Umbrella, and everything that's happened is due to a leak from their labs.
That was the general premise.
It was a classic zombie outbreak scenario.
Zombie stories did have some market presence in this world, though not nearly as popular as traditional blockbusters. Most zombie-themed movies were seen as B-grade horror—the kind that grosses people out more than scares them.
"This game will be called Resident Evil. In short, a mysterious virus is spreading, and the main characters are forced to navigate a world full of danger and unknowns."
"President, this doesn't sound all that scary. It sounds like one of those movies I've already seen," said a staff member, not entirely impressed.
A lot of the male devs had watched their fair share of zombie movies. This kind of story didn't really phase them.
But Takayuki shook his head.
"It's not the same. Watching a movie is like being an observer—you're detached from the events. But in a game, you're living through it.Scenes that might feel tame in a film can become genuinely terrifying when you have to personally navigate them in real-time."
Everyone nodded, listening carefully—some were jotting down notes.
Every time Takayuki hosted a design meeting like this, it felt like a masterclass in game development.
Having the God of Games personally walk them through his thought process was an invaluable opportunity.
"This is just the beginning—just the story framework. There's still a lot more to add.For this game, I want the focus to be on puzzle-solving under pressure.Imagine this: a horde of zombies is about to break down the door, and you have only seconds to solve a lock puzzle to escape. That kind of real-time pressure can really pull the player into the game."
"Ah, I see now." Many nodded in understanding.
Takayuki then projected a rough game structure onto the screen.
Puzzle-solving was the core gameplay mechanic, with the zombie threat and horror atmosphere as supporting elements.
He spoke for about 90 minutes, walking the team through the vision.
With the concept in place, it was time to begin development.
The programmers would take the first steps.
Then would come the artists and sound designers.
Finally, the level designers would join in.
This time, Takayuki was only setting the broad vision—the team would fill in the details themselves.
Resident Evil was the perfect opportunity for the team to grow and sharpen their skills, and Takayuki hoped this project would help them mature so that he could eventually oversee multiple games at once more easily.