This year, Battlestate Games went to the Tokyo Game Show so fans from Japan couldn’t watch it alone Escape from Tarkov and Tarkov Arena, and also to feel them. They also showed breast updates in detail. An interview conducted by our editor-in-chief Rodion Ilyin during this historic event with Dmitry Ogorodnikov, head of the PR department of Battlestate Games, reveals what the studio showed.
Tarkov and Tokyo – both start with “T”
VG times: Tell me how you got involved with TGS?
Dmitry: This is our second year coming to TGS, and that’s no coincidence. We have a very large number of players in this country.
VG times: In Japan?
Dmitry: Yes, in Japan. Japan is one of our largest markets. According to statistics, it is regularly in the top 3 in terms of popularity of our game, sometimes even ahead of Russia. Especially after we localized the game and did some marketing activities. The players here are very actively involved in the life of our community: more than 50 cosplayers will perform on this stand in 4 days. Our awesome cosplay guys look as authentic as possible, like our bosses from the game, like our characters from the game. And everyone wants to take a picture with them. As you can see [показывает сцену — прим. ред.]the boys really like this game.
VG times: It would be interesting to know the top regions/countries based on the popularity of the game, can you tell us?
Dmitry: Historically, America has been the leader in player count (about 37%). Second place is usually shared by Europe (with Germany as the leader) and Russia. Japan and other Asian countries are often ranked third, but with active marketing campaigns they can move up.
VG times: Okay, but Russia is still second, right, first? Or in general: where does Russia stand?
Dmitry: The situation changes from time to time. Depends on what specifically we are doing at the moment. When we do some activities here, marketing events, Japan is much, much higher in the top. That’s why we’re coming here for the second year and I think we’ll come here again.
VG times: I will ask this semi-political question. What are the current challenges for distribution?
Dmitry: No problem. We have this thing [достает из широких штанин кувалду — прим. ред.]. We travel with her and show everyone what a great game and cosplay are, and there are no problems with distribution if you make a great game and if you have a great community.
VG times: Tell us what’s new in the game and what’s coming soon?
Dmitry: The main focus of our participation in TGS is Escape from Tarkov: Arena. The Arena project is focused on esports and we are continuously working on its development. In recent months we’ve released two major updates to Arena. We added a new mode, integrated several game mechanics and created several new maps.
This year we have brought here an exclusive novelty: a new card that has not yet been released. It had its world premiere at TwitchCon San Diego, and now we’re presenting it here. ‘Fortress’ or ‘Prison’, as we call it in the studio, is a large location with many interesting places and opportunities for tactical maneuvers. We were inspired by Fort Boyard [что в Бискайском заливе на юге Франции — прим. ред.] and has spent a long time working on the map’s design, coming up with new game mechanics that allow players to unleash its full potential. She’s perfect for our Black Gen mode released this summer.
In the near future, we plan to add new mechanics to Arena, such as Molotov cocktails, and expand player options.
VG times: And when can we expect something new in the game?
Dmitry: The ‘Fortress’ map in Tarkov: Arena is scheduled to be released in mid-October.
VG times: Directly globally or per region?
Dmitry: The release will take place simultaneously in all regions.
Dmitry: You can take a photo here [рассказывает про про фан-зону — прим. ред.] You can ‘practice’ with our characters on the simulator [выглядит не очень сложно] for the skating rink. The boys get all kinds of fun things for doing exercises on the machine. Here [показывая на стенд с компьютерами] everyone can play… We also have a stand in the merchandise hall where you can buy special, exclusive merchandise in Japanese style. Like mine for example…
VG times: Cool! Every company should have this!
Dmitry: Thank you!
VG times: How much does it cost to exhibit at TGS?
Dmitry: The cost of joining TGS is reasonable, especially compared to gamescom. I won’t reveal the numbers, but I will say that TGS costs about half the price. Japan is more hospitable to developers in this regard. TGS is a gigantic exhibition that is visited by around 250,000 people in four days. This is an incredible audience, considering the size of the exhibition: 11 enormous pavilions. Gamescom cannot boast of that.
VG times: Are you coming to the restored IgroMir, IgroMir 2.0?
Dmitry: We are considering the possibility of participating in IgroMir 2.0. We have several ideas for joint projects that can be carried out at this fair. It has been a long time since there have been major gaming exhibitions in Russia and we would like to communicate with the Russian audience, streamers and partners again. Last year we held an independent event in St. Petersburg, and it was successful.
VG times: We were there!
Dmitry: Yes, I remember.
VG times: Does offline exhibitions still make sense in times of online dominance?
Dmitry: Undoubtedly. Offline fairs like TGS are a unique opportunity to connect directly with a large audience that may not yet be familiar with your game. For example, look at this cosplayer [речь про медика — прим. ред.] – how many people want to have their picture taken with him. Japan has a strong culture of cosplay, tactical gear and gaming subcultures. Our exhibition always attracts large queues. Plus, offline events are a great way to find new partners and influencers and expand your audience.
Other gaming interviews
VG times: You’ve been on the market for a long time, but haven’t reached release yet. How many years has it been in development?
Dmitry: If we talk about how long the game has been around, it was announced with a trailer at the end of 2015, in November. Well, and accordingly, somewhere in 2015, maybe even in 2014, Nikita [Никита Буянов, глава студии Battlestate Games — прим. ред.] and the first like-minded people started working on the game, prototyping it, and so on. That is, it turns out that Tarkov has been around for about 10 years.
VG times: And still not released…
Dmitry: And still not in release! But what is an expense? Put the number 1.0 and that’s it? What will change? With the game already having a huge amount of content and mechanics implemented, this is already both 1.0 and 2.0. It could have been released a year ago, two years ago. The point is different. We want to implement the concept of story missions, how they will work cool, and many other things in the content. Including, of course, optimizing all these matters as far as possible. The game will continue to develop after the so-called “release”. We already have a lot of plans for what will happen.
VG times: Some time ago there was hatred from the community about monetization. What can you say about this, why did it happen, who is to blame and what should you do?
Dmitry: No one is to blame, and nothing needs to be done about it. This is a natural progression of the game. We released a new edition and it did very well. The players really like it. We even have tokens with the Unheard Edition key on the back. Everyone should understand what Unheard Edition is because it plays an important role.
What’s unheard of for the game? This is crucial for future story missions in Escape from Tarkov, which will reveal the reasons why we are actually leaving Tarkov and what we are trying to achieve. This was not a hard blow or hatred for us. We’ll keep working on the game and making it no matter what. A large number of fans around the world stay with us and continue to play because they love the game.
VG times: And can you provide insight into what players can expect next?
Dmitry: We recently published a roadmap for both projects: Escape from Tarkov and Tarkov: Arena. Besides a few patches, there are a lot of interesting things in the pipeline. Expect traditionally cool Halloween events. New content will be added to Escape from Tarkov towards the end of the year. Arena will feature new modes and maps. We continue to develop eSports and organize many tournaments. Moreover, Escape from Tarkov is scheduled for release next year, which Nikita has already confirmed.
VG times: Nikita Buyanov, will you answer?! [Тут Родион Ильин вслух как бы обращается к Никите, которого на самом деле нет на TGS — прим. ред.]
Dmitry: Unfortunately Nikita is not with us today. He didn’t come here. He was in San Diego, he was very busy with work. But it looks like there are already results! And next year Nikita is coming to TGS!
Friends, Escape from Tarkov and Escape from Tarkov: Arena seem to be doing well and we as fans and players can expect a lot of cool content. TGS 2024 actually looks incredible! What do you think of the event?! Share your thoughts in the comments!
The interview was conducted by Rodion Ilyin.
Source: VG Times
Christina Moncayo is a contributing writer for “Social Bites”. Her focus is on the gaming industry and she provides in-depth coverage of the latest news and trends in the world of gaming.