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C3 Exclusive Interview | Sudoku Creators on Nintendo, Puzzles & the Future

on 17.07.2006 at 22:17 User Icon

Posted by Adam Riley (jesusraz) Number of Comments

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Jimmy Goto, Nikoli
Conducted by Adam Riley :: Monday, 17th July, 2006

Sudoku has already taken the world by storm, with people playing it as often as they used to do crosswords. It is so popular now that the puzzle craze has crossed over to the world of videogames, most notably in Sudoku Gridmaster and Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training on the DS. Cubed3 caught up with Nikoli, the creators of Sudoku, for a quick chat...

Do not forget to check out the Cubed3 Brain Training Diary, which features Nikoli's Sudoku puzzles.

Cubed3: Please could you tell our readers a little bit about your background? And where did the name Sudoku come from? Did you believe it would be so popular in the West?

Jimmy Goto: The puzzle was introduced in Japan by Nikoli in the monthly paper Nikolist in April 1984 as Suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru. Suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru, which can be translated as "the numbers must be single" or "the numbers must occur only once". The puzzle was named by Maki Kaji, the president of Nikoli.

At a later date, the name was abbreviated to Sudoku. We had never thought that Sudoku is so popular in the West!

C3: Sudoku is world famous now. But what are some of your other most popular puzzles? And are there plans to try and push them as much as Sudoku in the West?

JG: Our puzzle named Kakuro is now getting popular in the West.

C3: It states on your website that you currently have over 200 different puzzles now, however, your team is currently quite small, with sixteen people in it. How do you cope with the large amount of requests your company receives for fresh puzzles?

JG: Yes, we have only sixteen staff. But they are so-o-o-o excellent.

C3: Also, where do you get much of your inspiration from for all the wonderful new ideas?

JG: Our Japanese readers have been very supportive and supplied new ideas. The number of letters they send us reaches beyond 800 per month.

C3: Do you have plans to expand your team further? It is mentioned that you have an exclusive deal with UK publisher Puzzler Media, but could you see Nikoli setting up offices outside of Japan in the future in order to retain more control over your puzzles in other territories?

JG: We have a sister company in Hong Kong for covering the Chinese market. And we also have a good relationship with a Turkish publisher for covering the Middle-east territory. We also have a plans to establish a branch in Spain for covering the Spanish-language territories.

C3: Who approached who for the inclusion of Sudoku in Nintendo's Brain Training DS game?

JG: We did this business with Nintendo directly.

C3: Have any developers approached you about bringing your puzzles to the Nintendo Wii yet? Or have you thought about offering ideas to the likes of Nintendo for a special next-generation version of your puzzles? As Mitchell Corp has shown with Polarium and Puzz-Loop, there is definitely lots of potential for classic puzzle-based games on the new systems.

JG: In fact, there are some new enquiries. But I cannot talk about it because of our secret agreement.

C3: Would you ever consider working with Nintendo on a puzzle property such as Tetris or Mario Picross to add your own fresh ideas to the series? And what is the likelihood of something like this happening?

JG: Up to Nintendo. We cannot control them.

C3: What are your thoughts on implementing the Nintendo Wii's unique features into a possible Wii version of Sudoku or any other Nikoli puzzles? For instance, using the special control system or WiiConnect24 service for downloads?

JG: Sorry, I cannot reply about it [again] because of our secret agreement.

C3: With the large potential to be found in the computer game Industry, has consideration gone into setting up a dedicated gaming division of Nikoli, or is working with other developers seen as the only way forward?

JG: Maybe Nikoli puzzles have a good potentiality for being in computer games. But our mission is only based on making good quality hand-made puzzles.

C3: Are there any games that have taken your interest lately?

JG: For my personal interest I like Slitherlink.

The team at Cubed3, and I personally, would like to wholeheartedly thank Jimmy for taking the time out for this interview and wish him and Nikoli a very bright future!

Do not forget to check out the following links for previous exclusive interviews:

Matt Bozon of WayForward Technologies (Sigma Star Saga, Shantae)

TOSE Co., Ltd (co-creators of Nintendo's Starfy games)

Mitchell Corp. (Magentica, Polarium and more)

Tuna Technologies, Developer of Alien Hominid GBA

Wii Interview with Robert Saunders, Nintendo UK

Brooke Burgess, Ex-EA & Creator of Broken Saints

Namco Tales Studio

Interactive Brains, Deep Labyrinth RPG on DS

Martin Kitts, Editor of NGC Magazine

Wil Overton, Former Super Play / N64 Mag, now at Rare UK

Steve Jarratt, Group Senior Editor at Future Publishing

Charlotte Martyn, Production Editor at Official Nintendo Magazine

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jesusraz

Reply Quote #1

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I have to say that I'd avoided Sudoku until I got Brain Training...but it grabbed me VERY quickly. I like how there's definitely a possibility of it appearing on the Nintendo Wii - using the pointing technique for the puzzle (choosing squares, writing numbers, etc) would be interesting!

Cubed3 Senior Editor :: Lead Writer :: News & Interviews Editor

on 17.07.2006 at 22:23

Little Lee

Reply Quote #2

Guy With The Mug

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I like it, but its not addictive to me yet. Enjoyed the few I did though.

[:: Lee Sanders :: Cubed-3 :: News Reporter :: Writer :: Head Of Secret Operations:: Resisdentual Slacker ::]

I have a Cubed3 limited Edition mug!
DO YOU!

on 17.07.2006 at 23:12

jesusraz

Reply Quote #3

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I'm quite interested in their new popular puzzler, Kakuro. Hudson is doing a DS version soon, just like it has done Sudoku Gridmaster.

If anyone wants to try out any of Nikoli's other puzzles, just go here:

http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/

Cubed3 Senior Editor :: Lead Writer :: News & Interviews Editor

on 17.07.2006 at 23:16

Slydevil

Reply Quote #4

Poopin'

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JG: Sorry, I cannot reply about it [again] because of our secret agreement.

A.k.a...Yes.

IANC said:
Dude yuor totally awesome. And i won't be killing you anytime soon.

on 17.07.2006 at 23:18

jesusraz

Reply Quote #5

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Exactly what I was thinking. I bet some of the enquiries have been about setting up Nikoli puzzles on the WiiConnect24 service, where people pay a low fee for 'X' amount of new puzzles a month.

Could appeal to the non-gamer market, definitely! Beats going out and buying puzzle magazines all the time...

Cubed3 Senior Editor :: Lead Writer :: News & Interviews Editor

on 17.07.2006 at 23:23

Zapp

Reply Quote #6

{- User No: 2107 ~ Join Date: 03.12.2004 22:41 -}

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Soduko or whatever its called.. its crap i dont see the point... write numbers on the box how fun! Smilie

BRAWL CODE:
"Dan~ 3566-2989-8366"

on 17.07.2006 at 23:33

jesusraz

Reply Quote #7

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But you could say that about anything, surely? Crosswords, pah, all you do is write words in the boxes! Football, huh, just kicking a ball in a net! Sex, yeah, whatever...

Smilie

Cubed3 Senior Editor :: Lead Writer :: News & Interviews Editor

on 17.07.2006 at 23:37

Zapp

Reply Quote #8

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jesusraz said:
But you could say that about anything, surely? Crosswords, pah, all you do is write words in the boxes! Football, huh, just kicking a ball in a net! Sex, yeah, whatever... Smilie

I see what your trying to do there Smilie

...
anyway dont like Soduko or crosswords!

But good interview though!!!

( Edited on 18.07.2006 00:53 by Nintendo_Maniac )

BRAWL CODE:
"Dan~ 3566-2989-8366"

on 17.07.2006 at 23:50

jesusraz

Reply Quote #9

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It's nice to hear, in some ways, that they are going to stick to their roots and keep making hand-made puzzles, rather than start their own gaming division, especially since they do such cool puzzles.

Have you checked out the link to Slitherlink, the one he recommends? I've not played anything like that before...but already I love it and want more!

I am a bit of a puzzle nut, though...(as well as RPG fan Smilie

)

Cubed3 Senior Editor :: Lead Writer :: News & Interviews Editor

on 18.07.2006 at 05:40

dojo

Reply Quote #10

Oh, hello C3!

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That's pretty good. He seems so humble about the fact that he is part of a team that created a world popular (whether you like it or not) puzzle. Almost like Miyamoto when he does this:

"So, Mr Miyamoto, what was your vision behind creating Kirby?"

"Uh, a hoover, uh, yeh...*grin*"

twitter: @bensoutham

on 20.07.2006 at 21:30

jesusraz

Reply Quote #11

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Yeah it is quite interesting. Apparently most Japanese men are quite shy like that - I met Toshio Iwai last night and he was exactly the same. Very friendly, but extremely shy!

With their puzzles becoming so big over in the West, you'd have to hope that Nintendo signs them up for some sort of exclusive deal...

Cubed3 Senior Editor :: Lead Writer :: News & Interviews Editor

on 22.07.2006 at 07:53

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