Well, let me start by saying that this year marks the 37th anniversary of the Dragon Quest series, and to coincide with the 35th anniversary, an HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III has been announced, and there are rumors that the latest title, Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate is about to be released?
Horii: Mmm, I guess it will take a little while. This time we are making a game directed toward an adult audience*, so we are having a lot of trouble (laughs). There was also the Coronavirus pandemic.
Are the game programmers and designers basically working remotely?
Horii: Yes, some employees have not come to the office for about a year, and some don’t even use the company’s computers, preferring to work from home.
Do you encounter any communication problems [with this method]?
Horii: Basically, we use Zoom to communicate with each other. I have a hard time remembering people’s faces and names, so Zoom is just right for me with the names underneath (laughs).