I really do love psychology and philosophy but I'm no professional at these things. Because I love seeing the true side of humanity, as I've continued that, I have ultimately lent towards philosophy and psychology but it is not something in which I try to study.

Yoko Taro

I really do love psychology and philosophy but I'm no professional at these things. Because I love seeing the true side of humanity, as I've continued that, I have ultimately lent towards philosophy and psychology but it is not something in which I try to study.

Yoko Taro

For me, when we're all human beings, it's just interesting that we cannot understand the other person or how they think. That's one part of the human aspect that fascinates me.

Yoko Taro

I don't think that humankind is worthy of trust when we can't let go of war, draw borders between neighboring countries, seek to become richer than others, find joy in defeating others at sports, and choose someone of the opposite gender based on their appearance.

Yoko Taro

When I'm able to eat cheap and delicious food, like ramen and beef bowls, I can't stop but to think, 'Ah, what a great era I was born in.'

Yoko Taro

The reason why there are so many characters who suffer in my games is that I want to show reality.

Yoko Taro

Even I have certain depictions that I personally don't like, but I don't believe artists should necessarily follow a particular person's preference. They should focus on the things they like and follow their own desires.

Yoko Taro

To be honest, I think I am making normal games targeted towards normal people. But ultimately when I release those normal games, weird people find them to be weird games and enjoy them. Which probably means there's something wrong with me.

Yoko Taro

What I really love about philosophers and psychologists is that they sound smart.

Yoko Taro

The reason my games are chaotic is that the world is chaotic, not me. I don't aim for bad endings - they just naturally come out.

Yoko Taro

I kind of want to continue to fail, because it's easier for me to think of what I want to do next. Whereas if I succeed I might have to follow that path.

Yoko Taro

I feel that a world in which you only see what you want to see is incomplete. And as a game creator, I am only here to prepare a game that will expand the breadth of your thinking, and leave the decision between good and evil up to the players.

Yoko Taro

I have liked games for a very long time but when I saw 'Gradius' at the arcade as a junior high student, I became certain that in the future all forms of entertainment will be taken over by video games.

Yoko Taro

When you really think about it, it doesn't really matter where a game ends. Ultimately, if the player is satisfied with stopping at a particular point, it doesn't matter if it's where the creator intended things to end or not... and so that's where the idea of having so many endings came about.

Yoko Taro

So 'Nier Automata' feels like a story about androids but no, the main theme of 'Automata' is human.

Yoko Taro

After we released 'Drakengard 3', I think everyone was well sick of all the games I made by then, and I really didn't really want to work anymore. I was thinking I'd probably just go and hide in the mountains and live out the rest of my life as a hermit or something.

Yoko Taro

In 'Nier Automata', the protagonists are androids, not humans, and that's very common in a Science Fiction story.

Yoko Taro

If there are 100 people, I don't anticipate all 100 liking my scenario - but I write it so at least one or two of them will love and get really into that particular story.

Yoko Taro

For 'Nier: Automata', I wasn't told to target anyone. I just made what I wanted to, and I tried to stay hidden from Square Enix as much as possible.

Yoko Taro

Actually, multiple playthroughs and deleting save files are things that other games have done, so I don't see myself as a forerunner of those elements in the game.

Yoko Taro

Speaking seriously, 'Ikaruga' influenced how I synchronize the game sequences with the music. Combining the two in a way that appeals to people's hearts is a task that's quite difficult.

Yoko Taro