Yoko Taro Says Fear of Dementia Is What Keeps Him Working in Video Games

NieR franchise creator Yoko Taro says he would like to stop making video games, but a fear of developing dementia keeps him at work.

According to a report by Denfaminicogamer, Taro was asked during a talk session whether he had any current projects or plans to make a new game. He replied “nothing really,” and added: “I’m done with working. I don’t want to do it anymore.”

Taro said he had already achieved his life goal before creating acclaimed titles such as NieR Automata. His first game as director was the 2003 PlayStation 2 title Drakengard, known as Drag-on Dragoon in Japan.

As a game otaku, I think the dream is to release something you’ve always wanted to create into the world. Having achieved that dream, I view everything after that as the remainder of my life.

Yoko Taro

Taro said he continued working because “he’d be in trouble if he had no income,” and noted that he has recently considered retiring on his savings and pension. However, he said a fear of developing dementia motivates him to keep going, having heard of people being diagnosed with the disorder after retiring.

“When I face a difficult situation at work, I get through it by telling myself: ‘This is good for preventing dementia,'” he said.

Taro made these remarks during a talk session with Keisuke Okabe, director of Ender Lilies and Eder Magnolia, at The Tenth Mosaic video game culture festival held at the Tokyo French Institute last month.

The report noted that Taro is known for making eccentric and sometimes deadpan statements from behind his signature Emil mask, suggesting his comments should be taken with a grain of salt.

On the future of Japan’s games industry

Taro quipped: “I’m going to die soon, so I really don’t care what happens to Japan’s game industry. However, I think that recently AI and various technologies have created a breeding ground where creators in their teens and 20s—those even younger than Mr. Okabe—can freely create things.

“I’m 56 now, but when people my age were young, we only had two options if we wanted to make a game: either ‘join a game company’ or ‘make a niche game for PC.’ If you wanted to make a 3D game you had no choice but to join a game company.”

Taro said the options for aspiring developers have broadened considerably since then, but this inevitably leads to tougher competition.

I think this competition will gradually spread like fire from the younger generations to the older generations of developers. As I’m already on the older side, I’m simply filled with fear and trepidation, hoping that these flames don’t reach me before I die.

Yoko Taro

On what motivates his games

Taro said he does not get jealous of other games. “When I come across something good, I end up viewing it from a fan’s perspective. This triggers my collector trait, and I just want to buy them all.”

“I’ve always worked in the games industry with the mindset of ‘filling in the gaps,'” he explained, citing titles such as ICO and Treasure’s bullet hell shooter Ikaruga.

I think the reason that my games are crude games full of terrible things is because the pioneers have already seized all the beautiful aspects. This gap has already been filled, so I need to fill a different one.

Yoko Taro

On cancelled projects and NieR sequels

Taro said that since 2021’s Nier Reincarnation and the reboot of Nier Replicant, he has worked on the Voice of Cards RPG series and the 2024 mobile title 404 GAME RE:SET. He is currently writing the upcoming untitled Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series, with NieR and Drakengard composer Keiichi Okabe providing the music.

The developer said that Nier fans have been waiting for a proper follow-up, but so far nothing has been announced. In November last year, he said he’d been working on various projects, but they just keep getting canceled.

I often get told stuff like, ‘Why aren’t you making a new sequel to NieR?’ or, ‘Yoko Taro isn’t doing anything,’ but that’s because recently, a lot of projects I was involved in got discontinued midway through development.

Yoko Taro

“I’ve actually been working on some stuff, it’s just that it never ended up seeing the light of day. I got paid for it, so I personally have no issues with that, but people seem to think that I haven’t been doing anything just because none of the work I’ve done is being released.”

This article is based on a report by Denfaminicogamer. Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West.