In a recent episode of Cafe Four Leaf on CLOVERS' YouTube channel, NieR creator Yoko Taro has heaped praise on fellow game developer and friend Hideki Kamiya and his approach to gamers online who "say things seriously out of line." (Thanks, Automaton.)
Kamiya — the veteran game director who is currently working on an Okami sequel following his departure from PlatinumGames in 2023 — is infamous for taking no prisoners on social media, blocking people on a whim and replying in kind when someone disrespects him.
Where other developers are more diplomatic and retiring online, Kamiya has a history of getting stuck in and giving as good as he gets, an approach that Taro finds inspiring and which "makes Kamiya-san a great guy to have in your corner."
"When you’re a game creator and you're a public-facing personality, you draw attention from a lot of people, including some real weirdos. Some of them say things that are seriously out of line. Just very nasty stuff. And because they're your audience and your customers, you can’t really clap back with full force. Unless you're Kamiya-san. "Go away, you insect!" [laughs]
Just like how some people in real life will tell you off if you provoke them, I think it’s a net positive to instil that fear that there are some game creators who do have that edge, so be careful how you treat us. [...] That’s why I think having you around is super reassuring as one of your industry peers."
"A lot of people assume we’ll sit there and be their punching bags," Kamiya agreed, "and if we suddenly sock them one, they're stunned."
Taro also talks about how the way Kamiya acts online is very different to his in-person demeanour or how he is in the workplace. "There's how you behave on X, there's who you are at work, and there's the version of you that's shy around people. There's a huge disconnect between those three aspects of your personality."
Kamiya has had some fun with his online reputation in the past - one of the rewards for the Wonderful 101 Kickstarter campaign was to get blocked by him. He has also expressed regret over some of his responses, but as these creators mention in the video, navigating the volume — size and loudness — of the "nasty stuff" sent their way on a daily basis must be a challenge.
The whole episode is only 15 minutes long and covers other topics in a very relaxed environment (weekly episodes are planned, and this one was filmed in Korea rather than at Clovers' Japanese studio), so if your only experience of Kamiya is his games and his social media persona, take a look at the series and enjoy hearing him discuss games and other wide-ranging topics, from model kits to mesh underwear.