Interview
Grounding: Voices
Yukio Futatsugi
<Why did I set up Grounding Inc?
My background is in development, and as such I wanted to work in an environment that grew and evolved around me. I wanted to make fun games, to get really immersed in my work, so created a company for developers, by developers.
Our creative efforts to date
We got involved in developing apps for smartphones as soon as the first generation of phones became available. Today we are developing VR content in addition to board games, as well as creating games for Nintendo and Xbox consoles. We work on projects that get us as developers interested and excited. Our goal is to make software and games that make people happy.
What are you looking to create in the future?
We are looking to create new experiences. We find ourselves in a transition period for both VR and 5G and that means we will be creating games and experiences that would have been unthinkable in the past. We want to be the first team to develop those experiences, the first to create a new way of playing.
What type of person are you looking for to develop games here?
We look for people that have a proven track record of continuing on the path of what they want to do, to have the staying power to keep going when the going gets tough. I always have time for people like that, and I would like that sort person to join our team.
How do you see games as entertainment changing in the future?
I expect that both VR and AR will change our experiences in gaming. It will no longer be about sitting in front of a monitor. I think it will be more about feeling alive in the game world itself and I think we are getting closer and closer to that date where the boundary between in-game and real life becomes blurred.
One final point
To anyone out there reading this with an idea or project that they would like to make, please think of us as the people that can help you get that done. Grounding is a company that gets things done.