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| | {{Infobox Personnel | | {{Infobox Personnel |
| | | name = Aya Kyogoku | | | name = Aya Kyogoku |
| − | | image = [[File:Aya_Kyogoku_2019.jpg|150px]] | + | | image = [[File:Aya Kyogoku.jpg|200px]] |
| − | | caption = Aya Kyogoku for [[Nintendo]] (2019)
| + | | born = 1981 or 1982<br> {{wp|Osaka}}, {{wp|Japan}} |
| − | | born = 1981 or 1982 (age 41–42)<br> {{wp|Osaka}}, {{wp|Japan}} | |
| | | died = | | | died = |
| − | | occupation = Video game director and producer | + | | occupation = Manager of Nintendo Production Group No.5 |
| − | | works = {{SER}} | + | | works = |
| − | | title = Manager of {{wp|Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development|Nintendo EPD}} Production Group No. 5<br>(2019–present) | + | | title = |
| | | family = | | | family = |
| | | awards = | | | awards = |
| | }} | | }} |
| − | '''Aya Kyogoku''' (京極あや, born c. 1981) is a Japanese video game director and producer, who oversees the development of the {{SER}}, as the current manager of {{Wp|Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development}} (EPD) Group No. 5.<ref name="EPD">{{Cite web|author=Brian|date=June 14, 2019|url=https://nintendoeverything.com/nintendo-promotes-aya-kyogoku-hisashi-nogami-eiji-aonuma-and-yoshihito-ikebata/|title=Nintendo promotes Aya Kyogoku, Hisashi Nogami, Eiji Aonuma, and Yoshihito Ikebata|site=Nintendo Everything}}</ref> Kyogoku directed {{NL}} and {{NH}}.
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| − | Kyogoku joined [[Nintendo]] in September 2003 as a scriptwriter for ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Series)|The Legend of Zelda series]]'' prior to working on ''Animal Crossing''. Her first entry in the {{SER|nolink}} was {{CF}} in 2008, where she undertook the role of sequence director. | + | '''Aya Kyogoku''' is the Manager of [[Nintendo]]'s Production Group No.5. She started her career here in September 2003. |
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| − | Since {{CF|short}}, Kyogoku has been in charge of development of the {{SER|nolink}},<ref name="CEDEC">{{Cite web|author=CEDEC 2020|url=https://cedec.cesa.or.jp/2020/session/detail/s5e82a006b2e27.html|title=Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Game design that aims to balance tradition and innovation in the series.|site=CEDEC 2020}}</ref> and has been involved in the development of every title since. With Kyogoku as director, both {{NL|short}} and {{NH|short}} broke sales records for the series, with the latter selling nearly as many copies as all titles in the {{SER}} combined.<ref>{{Cite web|author= J. Clement|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1112638/animal-crossing-unit-sales/|title=Unit sales of the Animal Crossing franchise worldwide as of December 2020, by title|site=Statista}}</ref>
| + | She was a scriptwriter for [[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures|The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures]] and [[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]. She also contributed to the {{SER}} as sequence director of {{CF}}, director of ''[[Animal Crossing Plaza]]'', {{AMF}}, {{WA}} and {{NH}} and co-producer of {{HHD}}.<ref>E3 2019 Biography</ref> |
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| − | ==Biography==
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| − | Aya Kyogoku was born circa 1981 in {{wp|Osaka}}, {{wp|Japan}}. She began her career in the video game industry in 2000 working at {{wp|Atlus}}, as an assistant planner and director. After joining [[Nintendo]] in September 2003, Kyogoku served as scriptwriter for ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures|The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures]]'' and ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]'', the latter of which earning her a {{wp|Game Developers Choice Award}} in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Game Developers Choice Awards|url=https://gamechoiceawards.com/archive/gdca_7th
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| − | |title=Archive - 7th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards|date=2007|site=Game Developers Choice Awards}}</ref>
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| − | ===Work on the {{SER|nolink}}===
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| − | Kyogoku first began working on the {{SER}} in 2008 with {{CF}} as a sequence director, where she was responsible for scriptwriting and character dialogue.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Satoru Iwata, Aya Kyogoku, Ryuji Kobayashi, Isao Moro, Hisashi Nogami|url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/accf/0/0|title=The First New Title in 3 Years|site=Iwata Asks}}</ref> After working on {{CF|short}}, Kyogoku was promoted to oversee development of the entire {{SER|nolink}}.<ref name="CEDEC"></ref>
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| − | [[File:Aya Kyogoku New Leaf.png|thumb|left|250px|Aya Kyogoku photographed for {{NL|short}} (circa 2013)]]
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| − | Alongside [[Isao Moro]], Kygoku jointly directed {{NL}} between 2008 and 2012. Kyogoku made history as the first female director at {{Wp|Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development}} and led to the introduction of a team made up of "half men and half women" for {{NL}}, a revolutionary first for [[Nintendo|Nintendo's]] internal development teams.<ref>{{Cite web|author= L. Hudson|url=https://www.wired.com/2014/03/animal-crossing-director/|title=Nintendo's New Key to Creativity: More Women|date=March 28th, 2014|site=Wired}}</ref>
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| − | Regarding the development of {{NL|short|nolink}}, the new direction of the series sought to challenge the "conventions of ''Animal Crossing''", which Kyogoku states was in direct response to the underwhelming commercial and critical performance of {{CF|short}}.<ref name="GDC14">{{Cite web|author=Katsuya Eguchi, Aya Kyogoku|url=https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1020809/How-to-Turn-a-New|title=How to Turn a New Leaf at the Animal Crossing|date-March 19th, 2014|site=GDC Vault}}</ref> "It was clear the series had challenges we needed to overcome," she explained.<ref name="polygon">{{Cite web|author=M. McWhertor|url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/3/19/5526678/animal-crossing-new-leaf-diversity-aya-kyogoku|title=Animal Crossing: New Leaf director says team diversity, communication core to its success|date-March 19th, 2014|site=Polygon}}</ref>
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| − | Kyogoku states the development team closely examined long-held gameplay conventions from previous titles {{PG}} and {{WW|short}}, and series fatigue, when considering the core of the {{SER}} and "what players found enjoyment in and kept them coming back for long stretches of time."<ref name="polygon"></ref>
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| − | In 2015, Kyogoku produced ''Animal Crossing'' spin-off title {{HHD|short}} with [[Hisashi Nogami]], and served as director of {{AF}}. Kyogoku candidly stated that the development of both {{AF|short}} and {{HHD|short}} began solely for the purpose of producing {{SER}} [[Amiibo|amiibo]], "We were confident that if there [were ''Animal Crossing'' [[Amiibo|amiibo]]], it would be really cute. Honestly, we just wanted ''Animal Crossing'' amiibo. We wanted the company to make them, so that's why we made a game that works with them."<ref>{{Cite web|author=J. Parish|url=https://www.vg247.com/honestly-we-just-wanted-animal-crossing-amiibo-nintendos-aya-kyogoku-on-evolving-the-series|title=Nintendo's Aya Kyogoku on Evolving The Series|date=July 9th, 2015|site=VG247}}</ref> In 2016, Kyogoku served as producer of {{NLWa}}.
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| − | As of 2019, development had began on the next main-series ''Animal Crossing'' title {{NH|short}}, which Kyogoku was the sole director of. At this time, Kyogoku had also been promoted to manager of {{Wp|Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development}} Group No. 5, a position previously held by [[Hisashi Nogami]].<ref name="EPD"></ref> Kyogoku provided commentary for the first gameplay demonstration for {{NH|short}} at E3 2019.<ref>Nintendo "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEh3MPy4GAU Animal Crossing: New Horizons Gameplay - Nintendo Treehouse: Live | E3 2019"] June 11th, 2019</ref> {{NH|short}} was released in 2020, becoming the best-selling game in the {{SER}}, and the second best-selling game on the [[Nintendo Switch]]. Kyogoku attributed the success of {{NH|short|nolink}} and the {{SER}} as a whole to "its ability to make each instalment different enough from the last, while also retaining the core appeal of the series."<ref>{{Cite web|author=A. Robinson|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/animal-crossings-developers-say-the-series-must-continue-to-evolve/|title=Animal Crossing’s developers say the series ‘must continue to evolve’|date=September 6th, 2020|site=VGC}}</ref>
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| − | ==Works==
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| − | ===''The Legend of Zelda'' series===
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| − | *2004: ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures|The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures]]'' – Scriptwriter
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| − | *2006: ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]'' – Scriptwriter
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| − | ==={{SER|nolink}}===
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| − | *2008: {{CF}} – Sequence director
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| − | *2012: {{NL}} – Director (with [[Isao Moro]])
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| − | *2013: ''[[Animal Crossing Plaza]]'' – Producer
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| − | *2015: {{HHD}} – Producer (with [[Hisashi Nogami]])
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| − | *2015: {{aF}} – Director
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| − | *2016: {{NLWa}} - Producer (with [[Hisashi Nogami]])
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| − | *2017: {{PC}} – Supervisor (with [[Hisashi Nogami]])
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| − | *2020: {{NH}} – Director
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| − | {{Clear}}
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| − | ===''Super Smash Bros.'' series===
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| − | *2018: {{SSBU}} – Original game supervisor
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| | ==References== | | ==References== |
| − | {{Reflist}}
| + | <references/> |
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| − | {{Navbox Companies and Personnel}} | + | {{Personnel}} |
