Dead or Alive: Paradise Preview

Q: Paradise features scantily-clad women and heavily sexualised content. Do you reckon some of your fans have masturbated to the game?

YU: [Laughs] Everybody here is married now! Basically, if people can play the game however they want to play it, then that's fine with us.

Q: You must think that someone somewhere has been so turned on by the game that they bashed one out.

YU: You think so?

Q: I do, yeah. I reckon a few people will have had some fun with the last trailer you put out.

YN: [Laughs] Well maybe we could consider that a success.

Q: Ex-Team Ninja boss Tomonobu Itagaki left the company in 2008. How has his departure impacted upon the Dead or Alive series and the direction it's going in?

YU: The team as a whole, we understand that Mr. Itagaki made the Dead or Alive brand. But the staff here knows the game and knows the tradition, and wants to keep the tradition and the quality that has been established. But at the same time, we're looking from a game design aspect at things, and trying to listen more to users, and make things a little more user friendly. We want to listen to our fans, listen to our users a little more. Keep the good of what's been established, but reach out to more users, and make games that even more people can enjoy.

Q: There are many fans who are anxious to hear word on Dead or Alive 5. Do you plan to make Dead or Alive 5 more user-friendly?

YU: We can't really talk about anything right now. We've been concentrating on DOA Paradise.

Q: So fans will have to keep on waiting then?

YU: Yeah. Thank you. We really appreciate it.

Dead or Alive Paradise is due out on the PSP on April 2.