Can't think why this was considered risky

Sony didn’t think Tokyo Jungle sounded like a great idea at first, according to director Yohei Kataoka. The developer was speaking with the European PlayStation Blog about the quirky adventure’s rise to success. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

“[The initial reaction] was bad,” he revealed. “It wasn't received so well at the very beginning. I think there weren't so many people that thought this game would sell just based on the concept."

However, that perception soon changed when fans first got their eyes on the game. "When we started to show the game in Europe, we saw that there was a good response and reaction and that actually in some respects pushed forward the development of the game. Like any other project, it might just have stopped with a Japanese release, or depending on how gamers and media reacted, it may actually have stopped development all together.

"But we had an opportunity to show the videos to Europe and US audiences and the European audience thought it was hilarious. So maybe there is something more similar in the sensibilities of Europeans and the Japanese."

Apparently, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida "didn't necessarily have a positive view of the project” early on – but not because of its concept. He felt that the gameplay wasn’t at the same standard as the idea, which is what led to the game’s prolonged hiatus after its initial announcement.

"We had to take some time to bring that up to the same level," added Kataoka. "That's why it took some time from Tokyo Game Show 2010 for these adjustments to take place."

If you want to read the full story of Tokyo Jungle's development, point your browser towards the PlayStation Blog. The game is available now from the European and North American PlayStation Store.

[source blog.eu.playstation.com]