It's been approximately two months since Ghost of Tsushima launched and the game has gone on to become a fan-favorite. Ghost of Tsushima is undoubtedly an excellent game, but fans would be surprised to know that developer Sucker Punch wasn't really sure of the game's setting. In fact, the developer was quite nervous to pitch the Japanese setting.
The reason being that Sucker Punch Productions is based in Bellevue, Washington, while parent company Sony is situated in Japan. Since Ghost of Tsushima is set in the Sengoku-period of Japan and derives inspiration from Japanese history and culture, the studio was unsure about how Sony would receive the pitch.
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During a PAX Online panel, Sucker Punch's Co-Founder Brian Flemming shared the details on the situation. Flemming explained how the team decided to approach Shuhei Yoshida, who was Sony's president at the time. The studio thought that if they couldn't impress Yoshida with their idea, then the project wouldn't happen. When the team pitched the idea to Yoshida and told him about a Western studio working on a Japanese title, Yoshida encouraged and advised the studio to dig for resources and execute the plan. Fleming also shared a quote from Yoshida that stated, "your goal isn't to pretend you're something you're not. Be a great version of yourself. Go on this journey and you can do well."
With this in mind, Sucker Punch started working on Ghost of Tsushima without trying to make the game seem authentic to the studio. Instead, the studio worked with its Japanese partners to gather resources and use them respectfully. And we know what the results turned out to be. Ghost of Tsushima is lauded around the world, and especially in Japan.
Ghost of Tsushima is exclusively available on PS4.
