Tekken 8's Harada Would Consider Bringing Back Guest Characters

ign.com:

From Goku to Spider-Man, guest characters have become a mainstay in modern online games. Nevertheless, the addition of characters such as The Walking Dead's Negan raised more than a few eyebrows among fans, not the least because it relies so heavily on its rich storyline for its appeal.

But looking back on the move during an exclusive first interview with IGN following the reveal of Tekken 8, chief producer Katsuhiro Harada says that he's glad he brought Noctis, Akuma, and company into the series.

"We were quite happy with the results," Harada says. "When we first announced guest characters, the fans were just so shocked, both good and bad. But just that reaction that they got from first seeing it was really satisfying. It was ultimately a win for us because they did quite well. It was a win for the fans because they got something brand new and different for the series, and it was a win for the IP owners because they saw what we made and they saw the reactions from the fans and they were really happy about the results of it. So I think everyone in general, all around, was quite happy with the guest characters and how they turned out for Tekken 7."

Unfortunately for Harada, the decision to add guest characters led to him being temporarily supplanted by his counterpart at SNK, Yasuyuki Oda.

"The president of our company, [Yasuo Miyakawa]... it was his first time ever going to EVO in Las Vegas. He had one of those box areas, the VIP seating, and we were watching the first match of the game. Normally I would sit next to him and explain the players, the characters they were using, the strategy, et cetera," Harada remembers."

"But it was funny because at that same time, just out of the blue, [Yasuyuki Oda], who used to work at