Level-5is perhaps one of the more underrated Japanese video game developers and publishers out there, having been involved with many popular Japanese game series and properties of the past decade. Level 5 is perhaps best known forseries such asNi No Kuni,Yo-kai Watch, andProfessor Layton.
Now, a recent interview with Level-5 CEO Akihiko Hino gives some insight into the company’s early days and its eventual move to self-publishing.Professor Laytonfans can also glean some interesting history on how the team atLevel-5created theProfessor Laytonseries through this interview as well, including what inspirations the team took when creating the series fans have come to know and love.
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The interview with Hino comes by way of Yahoo! Japan, which largely centers around Level-5’s beginnings as both a video game developer and, eventually, as a publisher. Much of the conversation revolves aroundtheProfessor Laytonseries, as it is one of the earlier franchises that really put the studio on the map. Apparently, the series first began as a sort of experiment, with Hino saying, “At the time, it really felt like we were makingLaytonwith a small number of people. There was a lot of risk involved with the project, but I wanted to keep staff morale high, so I repeatedly assured them that ultimately the project was just an experiment.”
Of course, the series eventually grew into something much bigger than a simple experiment. Hino continues, explaining that a large part ofLayton’s inspiration came from a Japanese puzzle-solving book series calledAtama no Taisou, which Hino was a big fan of. Hino goes on to citetheSherlock Holmesseriesas another big inspiration forProfessor Layton, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise to fans of both properties. Though the full interview is entirely in Japanese, it’s an interesting read that gives some great insight intoLevel-5andProfessor Layton’s history.
