{"rewrite":{"id":"r_180f5e45fc88fb2b58c94a62","clusterId":"c_e7eef1a1328427cfcbc3f9bc","slug":"ninja-gaiden-4-devs-detail-their-no-prototype-action-design-philosophy","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"Ninja Gaiden 4 Devs Detail Their No-Prototype Action Design Philosophy","summary":"At CEDEC 2026, PlatinumGames designers Takuma Ishikawa and Yuji Nakao explained how they built Ninja Gaiden 4's combat. The session stressed avoiding early prototyping, writing out systems before implementation, and defining player experience in concrete terms rather than abstract feelings. The team simulates gameplay on paper first to reduce rework.","whyItMatters":"The session offers a direct look at how PlatinumGames structures combat design, with the core argument being that thorough pre-implementation simulation prevents the rework that comes from testing systems in-engine too early.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003ePlatinumGames designers Takuma Ishikawa and Yuji Nakao took the CEDEC 2026 stage on July 22 to explain how Ninja Gaiden 4\u0026#39;s combat was built. The session, titled \u0026#34;How to Make Non-Stealth Battle Action in Ninja Gaiden 4,\u0026#34; covered player character and enemy design for 3D action games.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNakao described the company\u0026#39;s process as one that avoids \u0026#34;implement first, test later.\u0026#34; He argued that few specs are truly unknowable without implementation, and that problems discovered after coding usually point to weak pre-production. The team writes out systems, maps their relationships, and builds action cycles on paper before any motion work begins.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe design starts with two concept layers: the overall game concept and a player action concept. For Ninja Gaiden 4, those were \u0026#34;adversity,\u0026#34; \u0026#34;cruelty,\u0026#34; and \u0026#34;change\u0026#34; for the game, and \u0026#34;delicate\u0026#34; and \u0026#34;bold\u0026#34; for player actions. Nakao stressed that concepts must describe concrete experiences, not abstract sensations like exhilaration.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Ninja Gaiden 4's combat design starts on paper. PlatinumGames' Takuma Ishikawa and Yuji Nakao define player experience in concrete terms, simulating gameplay before code to cut rework.","twitterPost":"Ninja Gaiden 4's combat is designed on paper first. PlatinumGames' Ishikawa and Nakao define player experience concretely, simulating before coding.","threadsPost":"PlatinumGames' Takuma Ishikawa and Yuji Nakao designed Ninja Gaiden 4's combat without prototypes. They write out systems and simulate gameplay on paper first, defining player experience in concrete terms. The method reduces rework, but it forces clarity early.","newsletterBlurb":"PlatinumGames designers broke down Ninja Gaiden 4's combat design at CEDEC 2026. The core lesson: avoid early prototyping, write out all systems first, and define player experience in concrete terms. The team simulates the full action cycle on paper before implementation to cut rework.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/875/G087562/20260730026/\",\"title\":\"「NINJA GAIDEN 4」に学ぶ3Dアクションゲームの作り方。プレイヤー体験を最優先する\\\"忍ばない\\\"バトルアクションの設計思想［CEDEC 2026］\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":6266,"outputTokens":695,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1786023928,"createdAt":"2026-08-06T13:38:39.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T13:41:13.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-06T13:38:39.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_e7eef1a1328427cfcbc3f9bc","canonicalTitle":"「NINJA GAIDEN 4」に学ぶ3Dアクションゲームの作り方。プレイヤー体験を最優先する“忍ばない”バトルアクションの設計思想［CEDEC 2026］","representativeArticleId":"a_7338250b8cb4e3ae69bd88f1","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"NINJA GAIDEN 4\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-30T08:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-30T08:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-06T13:41:14.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/875/G087562/20260730026/","title":"「NINJA GAIDEN 4」に学ぶ3Dアクションゲームの作り方。プレイヤー体験を最優先する“忍ばない”バトルアクションの設計思想［CEDEC 2026］"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["NINJA GAIDEN 4"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}