Then, without further ado, Mitsu spoke up with a light, apologetic smile. "Sorry for bothering you on the weekend, Zaboru-san, just for this interview."
Zaboru let out a relaxed chuckle. "Well, it's fine. But are you okay working on the weekend? Don't do that too much, Mitsu-san. Hahaha."
Mitsu laughed along, waving his hand dismissively. "Well, this is actually our first weekend overtime. It's only because you said you could do this talk on Saturday, so we made it happen."
Zaboru blinked and acted surprised. "Heh? So it's because of me that you're working overtime?"
Nigo immediately grinned, leaning back slightly in his chair. "Absolutely worth it, though."
Kiara nodded furiously beside him, almost too fast, as if agreeing was a matter of life and death.
Mitsu then clapped his hands once. "Alright then—bring in the food!"
Without wasting a second, staff members entered the room carrying trays filled with gyoza, tempura, and karaage. The aroma alone instantly changed the mood of the room. Zaboru's eyes lit up the moment he saw the spread. "Damn! You really know what I like, don't you?"
He didn't hesitate for even a second, immediately reaching out and starting to devour the food with clear enthusiasm. Mitsu burst into laughter at the sight. "How do you even maintain that body of yours if you eat like this all the time, Zaboru-san?"
Zaboru chuckled between bites. "I work out. And for the record, I don't eat like this that often, you know? Probably twice… or maybe three times a week?" He paused, thinking for a moment, then continued casually. "Besides, I eat healthy most of the time. And I need a lot of calories anyway—well, I'm always thinking a lot."
Of course, that was a lie. In reality, Zaboru ate food like this almost every day. But because his Enlightenment body required an insane amount of calories just to function properly, he remained perfectly healthy. His calorie intake never strayed too far from what his body constantly burned, making indulgence less of a weakness and more of a necessity.
Nigo smiled as he leaned slightly forward. "Anyway, while you eat, can you answer our questions first? Let's start with the most simple one. What do you imagine for the future of the video game industry?"
Zaboru swallowed his gyoza, took a sip of water, and carefully wiped his mouth before answering. A thoughtful smile appeared on his face. "The future of the video game industry, huh?" he repeated slowly. "Well, first of all, I really don't want something like the Atari crash to ever happen again. That period hurt the industry deeply. Hopefully, with everything ZAGE and other developers are doing right now, something like that will never repeat itself."
Nigo nodded, following up immediately. "So, do you think it's a bad thing that almost anyone can develop video games now? Like what happened during the Atari era?"
Zaboru shook his head without hesitation. "No. It's quite different. I actually think it's a good thing if everyone wants to make video games—and can. Sure, quality always needs to be questioned, but the important part is that it can be a starting point for someone. A place to learn, to experiment, to grow."
He continued, his tone becoming more serious. "What caused the Atari crash wasn't just accessibility. It was the way truly trash, unfinished, money-grabber games were masked as 'affordable games' and pushed without standards and also the consumer knowledge about video game are lacking. That's the part I want to avoid the most. For me, the more games, the merrier—but quality still needs a baseline. And that baseline isn't about graphics, gameplay complexity, or story depth. At the very least, it needs to be a proper video game—complete, functional, and free of bugs."
Mitsu smiled thoughtfully, nodding as he processed the answer. "Interesting… so you want video game development to be open to anyone?" he asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.
Zaboru let out a light chuckle and leaned back slightly in his chair. "That's one of my goals, yes," he replied calmly. "And even right now, at ZAGE, we're already doing that to some extent. We give other developers who are interested in making games for our console access to an engine, right? Our Unreal Engine Z3—you definitely know it by now."
He continued without hesitation, his tone becoming more confident. "That engine isn't just a tool; it's a foundation. In the future, I want to elevate it even further—make it more flexible, more intuitive, and more powerful, especially for smaller teams or first-time developers."
Zaboru gestured lightly with his hand as he spoke. "And not just that. ZAGE is also planning to create a proper platform—something that makes game creation and distribution far easier to access than it is now. Less gatekeeping, fewer unnecessary barriers. If someone has a good idea and the passion to make it real, I want the industry to welcome them, not shut them out."
Nigo then asked, curiosity clearly visible on his face, "Do you think it's possible for everyone to make games by themselves? Or maybe in very small teams—like two or three people—well, except you, of course." He grinned as he said it, clearly teasing. After all, it was infamous in the industry that many early ZEPS 1 games had credits filled almost entirely with the name "Zaboru Renkonan," a quiet legend that those titles had been created nearly single‑handedly.
Zaboru laughed softly at that, shaking his head. "Absolutely," he replied without hesitation. "You see, right now the tools are still limited—even though they're always growing. At the moment, it's still genuinely difficult for individuals or very small teams, say two to five people, to make large-scale games without burning out. Hardware and software still place real constraints on them."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone growing more thoughtful. "But in the future, hardware and software will definitely stop being the main problem. When that time comes, it won't be technology that decides who succeeds—it'll be skill , creativity and determination. That's what will matter most."
Zaboru smiled faintly as he continued. "If you look at my own work, even in the near future, I'm certain there will be small studios—teams of just two to five people—that create games better than big studios. Maybe even better than plenty of ZAGE games. Size doesn't guarantee quality. Vision does."
Nigo blinked, genuinely surprised by the confidence and conviction in that answer. He leaned back slowly, clearly not expecting such a bold statement—but unable to disagree with the logic behind it.
Then Kiara suddenly leaned forward, barely able to contain herself anymore. Her excitement finally burst out. "Zaboru-sama!" she blurted out—then immediately froze. "N… no! I mean—Zaboru-san!" she corrected herself in a panic, waving her hands. "C–Can you give us some details about ZAGE's next console!?" Her words began tumbling over one another. "I heard there will be a new handheld release this year? And—and will there be a new Pokémon game!?"
The room instantly grew livelier at her question. Even Nigo and Mitsu straightened slightly, clearly interested despite trying to maintain a professional expression.
Zaboru grinned at Kiara's enthusiasm and let out a small chuckle. "Well, unfortunately, I can't say much," he replied calmly. "Why? Because it would be a spoiler, damn it." He raised a finger lightly, as if drawing an invisible line. "But I can answer just a little bit." He paused deliberately, letting the tension build. "And yes—there will be a Pokémon game."
Kiara's eyes instantly lit up, sparkling with pure joy. She clasped her hands together, clearly fighting the urge to scream, while the rest of the room filled with amused smiles at her reaction.
Nigo laughed lightly, clearly enjoying the relaxed flow of the interview, before leaning forward again. "That actually brings us to another question about ZAGE IPs," he said. "There are quite a lot of ZAGE titles that people consider underrated—especially titles like Ninja Gaiden and Metroid. These were incredible games during the ZEPS 2 era, the 16-bit era, and they left a huge impression on players. But we haven't really seen them appear on ZEPS 3. Are you abandoning those IPs, Zaboru-san?"
Zaboru chuckled softly, shaking his head as if amused by the wording. "Abandoning is a pretty strong word, Nigo-san," he replied calmly. "And no, we're definitely not abandoning them." His tone grew more assured as he continued. "Ryu Hayabusa and Samus Aran are two of our most iconic characters. They're part of ZAGE's core identity."
He paused briefly, choosing his words carefully. "The reason you haven't seen new games for them yet is simple—it's not the right time. Not yet. I don't want to bring them back just for the sake of bringing them back. When they return, I want it to mean something. And yes," he added with a small smile, "in the future, they will definitely return."
Mitsu laughed excitedly, clapping his hands once. "Hehehe, so that means I can play Ninja Gaiden again in the future, heh!" He leaned forward eagerly. "Alright then, let's move on to the next question. You've designed a lot of great characters over the years, and their designs are always so strong. They're distinct from one another, instantly recognizable. When we interviewed other ZAGE developers, many of them said that you almost single‑handedly design these iconic characters. How do you approach character design?"
Zaboru smiled calmly before answering, taking a moment to think. "First of all," he said, "I always listen to feedback from my other designers. They're extremely talented at what they do, and the final designs definitely carry their touch and refinement." He nodded respectfully, making sure the credit was shared.
He continued, choosing his words carefully. "That said, it's true that most of the initial drafts come from me. As for where they come from… honestly, it's hard to explain." Zaboru chuckled lightly. "When I want to create a character, I don't overthink it. I just let it flow. Ideas come naturally while I'm thinking about the game itself—the world, the tone, the mechanics. Somehow, I already know what kind of silhouette they should have, what kind of presence they need to give off, based on the game they belong to."
Zaboru was telling the truth—mostly. What he didn't say was that, more often than not, those characters were born from memories of his previous life. Familiar faces, archetypes, and designs resurfaced subconsciously, reshaped and reborn for this world. It wasn't exactly a lie… just a truth he chose not to fully reveal.
Kiara's eyes lit up immediately, shining with excitement. "Ehh! As expected of Zaboru-san, you really are a genius!" she exclaimed without holding back. She then leaned forward slightly, clearly riding the momentum of her enthusiasm. "Then I want to ask, Zaboru-san… who is your favorite character in all of ZAGE?"
Zaboru smiled at the question, already anticipating the difficulty of answering it. He rubbed his chin lightly before replying. "Well… I honestly can't really say who I love the most," he admitted. "Mario will always have a special place in my heart. He's timeless. And then there's Kirby—he also holds a very special place for me." He let out a small laugh. "So yeah, I don't think I can choose just one character."
What Zaboru didn't say, however, was the truth hidden behind that careful answer. In his previous life, his favorite character had always been Kazuma Kiryu. But the Yakuza series didn't even exist in this world, and there was no reason to bring up a name no one could possibly understand. So instead, he chose familiar icons—answers that felt safe, sincere, and fitting for this world.
Nigo grinned mischievously as he leaned forward. "Then what about your favorite female character in all of ZAGE?" he teased. "Hehehe, they're all beautiful and sexy, right? It's Samus, isn't it?"
Zaboru let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "Nope," he replied casually. "My favorite is I‑No from Guilty Gear."
The reaction was immediate. The room went quiet for half a second before everyone reacted at once, clearly surprised by the unexpected answer. Mitsu blinked, then laughed in disbelief. "I‑No? Huh… she is cool," he admitted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But why her? What makes her your favorite?"
Zaboru chuckled again, this time a little more openly. "I just really like her design," he explained. "And her personality too. She's like this crazy witch type, but at the same time she knows she's awesome. There's confidence there, mixed with chaos. It's really cool. That's why, whenever I play Guilty Gear, she's always my favorite pick."
Somewhere else, watching the interview from home, Ayumi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "So… Zabo likes I‑No, huh?" she murmured to herself. She reached up and lightly touched her hair, glancing toward the mirror nearby. "Should I cut my hair to look like I‑No?" she joked aloud, giggling softly at the thought—though part of her clearly seemed tempted.
Then Kiara asked eagerly, her voice filled with admiration. "So, Zaboru-san! Until now, you've always won whenever you fought against the champions of the ZAGE Tournament in all ZAGE fighting games—like Guilty Gear, Street Fighter, Tekken, Mortal Kombat, and so on. We've all watched your triumphs live. But is there anyone… anyone at all… who has really beaten you in a game?"
The question instantly stirred the room. Even the staff behind the cameras leaned in slightly, clearly curious.
Zaboru smiled and let out a relaxed chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "Nope. Not yet," he answered honestly. "I guess I'm just that good, apparently." He laughed again, but there was no arrogance in it—only confidence earned through countless hours of play. "That said," he continued, his tone shifting slightly, "the champions and players overall are definitely getting better. Much better."
He leaned forward a little, resting his elbows on the table. "If they keep growing, keep practicing, keep learning from their losses, I honestly think they'll beat me someday. And when that happens, I'll be happy." He raised a finger lightly. "Remember, though—I think they will. It's not guaranteed."
Zaboru chuckled once more, clearly enjoying the moment. Nigo and Mitsu exchanged grins, clearly loving Zaboru's calm confidence and sportsmanlike attitude. As for Kiara, she was completely in awe, staring at him with shining eyes as if she had just heard something legendary.
Mitsu then continue he smile and said "Well next questions is quite different as this i will ask something unpleasant…" and then the room become slightly tense
To be continue
Please give me your power stone and if you want to support me and get minimum 35+ advance chapter and additional 1 chapter a week for 4$ considering subscribe to my patreon patreon.com/Zaborn_1997
Or buymecoffee https://buymeacoffee.com/Zaborn_1997 which same with patreon
current Patreon/buymecoffe chap 1016
Also Join my discord if you want https://discord.gg/jB8x6TUByc