The gaming world owes a lot to Yosuke Saito’s gamble. He chose to work with Yoko Taro on NieR instead of a surefire hit.
Saito was offered a choice: work with a new team on NieR or continue a popular series. He picked NieR because he liked Yoko Taro’s previous work, Drakengard. This wasn’t Saito’s first rodeo with Taro; Taro had previously pitched a puzzle game called Echo, inspired by Tecmo’s 1986 game Solomon’s Key, to Saito, but it didn’t pan out.
A Risk That Paid Off
Saito jokingly said that if he’d chosen the other series, it would have likely been a bigger hit than NieR. At the time, NieR was an experimental project, but it ended up being a success. Saito’s faith in Taro’s talent paid off, and NieR became a beloved series.
Saito shared this story with 4Gamer. We don’t know what the other series was, but Saito’s bet on Taro was a good one. NieR is now one of the most talked-about game series around.
The first NieR game, released as NieR Replicant on PS3 and NieR Gestalt on Xbox 360, was a risk that paid off. Saito’s trust in Taro’s vision led to something special. Today, NieR is a cult classic with a dedicated fanbase. Saito’s decision to take a chance on Taro and NieR changed the gaming landscape.