Hi! I'm Bart Bonte, a Belgian independent game designer and bontegames.com is where I blog about new interesting browser and mobile games. My own games are all in the left column (or at the bottom of this page on mobile). More info about me and my games on bartbonte.com.
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The first episode in a new series of interviews with game designers, answering questions from bontegames readers is here. A while ago I asked you to come up with questions for Minoto, and here are the answers. Don't expect Minoto to clear up all mysteries though ;-) You can read the interview here.
50 comments:
I don't really like the answers it's very short and somtimes i couldn't understand the answers :(
"That is because nature is felt" lolol! a perfect minoto answer!
this is great - thanks, bart and minoto!
That was not an interview that I expected. It was like reading an interview put together by two elementary school kids...whats you fave color, food, animal. Needs more depth to it.
Google Translate... Haha. That explains it!
That's perfect! It reveals everything but tells us nothing. Minoto seems closer and yet even more mysterious. The more we know him, the less we understand. Thanks Bart, it was well worth the effort.
I'd love to hear from Hamumu next.
haha, I wonder if Minoto understood the questions using google translate as well?
Thanks, Bart and Minoto! <3
@ Anonymous 17:33: were there any questions with "more depth" that you posted but was not asked...?
I agree with Anonymous about the colour/food etc. questions, however, I also feel the interview fits the Minoto style. So I agree with asjam too!
Agree with asjam! That was just right somehow. Thanks so much for doing the interview.
Thanks Bart! Enjoyed that little break from work. :D
As for the "depth" of the questions, I like Minoto games because they are so light and fun. If I wanted "drama" and "depth" I'd watch James Lipton instead of playing Minoto :D
Maybe the mystery doesn't exist.
In reading this, i felt the sensation that minoto thinks normal to create this kind of games.
Maybe in Japan, the crazyness is more present ("The humor of a game is for Japan.") It's just a supposition.
En tout cas merci Bart pour cet interview!! Ca en valait la peine!!
When i talk about "crazyness", i just refer to "crazyness" in japan games!
Anonymous du 7 novembre 18H35
I thought it was the perfect interview. Thanks, Bart!
Great little interview, I would've been disappointed if his answers were less mysterious than his games :)
Great interview, and it's just how I would expect an interview with Minoto. And I don't agree with the "needs more depth" comment. There is nothing wrong with short, direct-to-the-point questions. If you want big long philosophical answers, that wasn't going to happen here no matter what the question was, as you can tell by odd translations/answers and limited English. This was a Minoto interview FFS, not War and Peace.
This is awesome...i loved the darkness in some of his answers. Didn't expect more than that...
Thanks Bart and Minoto ofcourse :)
I agree with Anon 17:33 it was like two kids interviewing each other...waste of time and space.
I thought that it was a very good interview and worth the wait. I couldn't understand half the answers due to bad translation, but that is what I love about Minoto's games. This interview was really good and I think that more in-depth questions would be very hard for Minoto because he doesn't speak English, only Japanese. Well done, Bart!
that is the best interview ever. exactly what i would have expected from minoto. thanks bart, that ruled.
Loved this interview! Yes, translation problems and cultural differences presented some obstacles, but, on the other hand, it's great that we have the chance to interact at least a little with Minoto. Thanks, Bart!
Thanks Bart! And thanks Minoto! I enjoy the games.
Awesome interview! I agree with Princess on the question of whether or not it was in-depth enough. There was no way for it be anymore than it was. It's obvious that the interviewee has very limited English skills and translations don't come out well. It would have become even more confusing then it already was!
I felt you were asking a Magic 8 Ball, and getting the answers from there:
undecided
outlook is positive
no
LOLOLOL
thx bart and minoto! it can be hard to translate sometimes, [especially with google] but i appreciate the effort! i hope to see more
Holy crap. He speaks in the same bad English that appears in his games. He sounds about as interesting as wallpaper.
Loved the interview. I think I would have been disappointed if his answers were anything other then 'minoto'-like.
I appreciate the effort Bart & Minoto, it was interesting to read.
Thanks for making the effort to interview the Minoto team for us, Bart! I really enjoyed the interview and feel like he answered most of the questions pretty openly, if briefly. I look forward to more interviews with you and other game designers!
I think we're lucky Minoto took the time to answer at all. Many wouldn't. And I think he knew what he was doing: maintaining the Minoto Mystique. Good on you, Minoto!
I feel sorry for the people who obviously don't "get" Minoto. Loved the interview thanks Bart.
Yay Minoto!! Thanks Bart :)
Top interview - enjoyed that. I think the questions were great and should be used again as a "stock" set of questions where possible so we can see the differences in answers with future designers. Well done Bart & thanks Minoto.
So, Minoto is a web designer that makes makes games as a hobby? Cool.
I get that Google translator makes him come off as a little bizzare. Anytime I've used it on hints in a Japanese room-escape game, I've gotten many strange translations.
But the meaning of "enema hand" has to be weird in any language.
Oh, well. Thankfully, his games really don't require precise translations to enjoy.
Thanks for Minoto interview, Bart.
Are we all reading the same interview? It made absolutely no sense. The questions were like a child was being interviewed. I found it pointless to ask the same old dry questions such as favorite food, color, etc. Someone needs to brush up on their interviewing skills, because they were very lackluster at best. This one failed.....miserably.
Seriously on the interview, what was that mess? Were you really interviewing this minoto character or were you really holding and interview with the little girl who inspired the ponycorns game?
The interview questions were suggested by the bontegames readers in this post:
http://www.bontegames.com/2011/09/bontegames-interview-with.html
Minoto did not answer all the questions ...
If you don't like the questions, I'm looking forward to your question suggestions for the next game designer (to be announced soon).
Google translate! I bet the Japanese translation of Bart's questions seem just as strange to him as some of his answers seem to us. Lost in translation both ways.
My thoughts on the 'depth' of the questions... This is an entertainment site, not one that goes for 'in depth' anything. If you watch any entertainment shows that run interviews often, favorite colors, foods, and how many times you wear your jeans before you wash them come up way more often than anything else.
I think the questions were perfect, especially considering the dual language barrier. Some answers make no sense, but with the addition of the 'fluff' questions, there is a guarantee of answers we can all understand.
Thank you for your efforts, Bart, and thanks to, Minoto for his answers.
When I'm anticipating an interview with a programmer I'm expecting programmer type questions not what's your favorite? Who cares about what the favorite is. I want to hear techy questions but not so techy that others get bored with the lingo they may or may not understand. If I'm interviewing a pop star I certainly don't ask them how to prepare four course meal and what type of wine to serve with that meal. The interview bombed. Bottom Line.
W00T IT'S FINALLY HERE! :D
Loved the interview.
Love Minoto.
Love Bart.
Don't love people who use the name "anonymous." (Like them, but don't love them).
@ Anon 22:06 :
Perhaps next time you should suggest questions you'd like to read the answers to. I think both Bart and the Minoto Team did fine and the interview, though brief, gave some insight into the minds behind the Minoto games. If you didn't like it, that's your loss. As for me, I found it enjoyable and, for a first effort (with two language barriers), I got what I expected - some answers and some more curiosity about the designer of some of my favorite time passer games.
I must admit that I am deeply disappointed with the results of this interview. The questions were perfect; Thank you, Bart. However, I would have assumed that Minoto is able to find a way to communicate in the language that is spoken worldwide. I haven't been to Japan, but know there are plenty of people that have a better grasp on the language than the translation that google provides. In fact, as far as I know, a lot of Japanese are bilingual. I would have thought he'd put a bit more thought into talking to his fans. Just pitiful, and very disappointing.
I'm just grateful we even get an interview. Thanks Bart and Minoto!
Also from the interview I'd say Minoto is maybe around 30+ (but my math's probably wrong). That's just a guess based on the question about when he started designing games. Out of all the answers this is the most detailed one.
I agree with Anon 22:06. Not enough "programmeresque" questions. It bombed. I want to hear about who what when why and how of his game programing and could give a crap less about his eating habits etc. I also agree with Carly who pointed out that someone on his team or people around him, someone would know english and could have translated the questions to them and got good answers not that slop of answers that were given.
This was an excellent interview. I feel as though the things I want to know came across at least as well as they do in his games.
Thank you, Bart! I have been so curious as to the mind behind the Minoto games. Of course, this interview does nothing to dispell my belief that Minoto is actually a fledgling artificial intelligence.
Thank you Bart ! Been a while I come here without putting comments but it felt like it needed to be done : we must bare in mind that Minoto is from a different culture than us and that not only the google translation is not great but the way of answering is typical to Japan too... He too had to bare in mind that our questions were not ones of Japanese ! It was really nice of him already to give an answer and I really appreciated the effort of both to make fans happy. Thank you both of you !
Thanks, good fun. I'm looking forward to the next interview!
This was a great interview Bart. Thank You for doing it.
I think the Google-translate English is part of the humour. On Sakura's game homepage, he says: "It is an easy game. However, it is necessary to enjoy it as training of the brain.
With cheap English."
Cheap English--love it!
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