In a recent dialogue with Denfaminicogamer, Yoichi Erikawa, the visionary behind Koei, now known as Koei Tecmo, reflected on his formative years as a game designer during the nascent stages of Japan’s gaming industry in the early 1980s. At that time, the landscape was largely uncharted, with no established industry or supply chains for PC games. Yet, Erikawa’s inaugural creation, Kawanakajima no Kassen, remarkably sold 10,000 copies.
Creating a Historical War Simulator
Kawanakajima no Kassen, a war simulator released in 1981, immersed players in the tumultuous Sengoku Period, where they navigated the fierce rivalry between the Takeda and Uesugi clans. The game was not merely about combat; it intricately wove in the responsibilities of a feudal lord, encompassing elements such as managing recruits, overseeing finances, and even flood control.
Erikawa candidly shared that his initial intent was never to craft a commercial product. Instead, Kawanakajima no Kassen emerged as a personal endeavor fueled by his passion for history and a newfound interest in programming. “I was making the game while learning about the PC that my wife, Keiko Erikawa, bought for me,” he reminisced. “It gradually became more entertaining. Before I knew it, my game grew increasingly polished, and I played it every day.”
Encouraged by his wife, Erikawa decided to test the waters of public interest. They placed an advertisement in a computer magazine, optimistically hoping to sell around 10 copies. “At most, I thought we’d sell 20,” he confessed.
However, the response exceeded all expectations. As orders poured in, Erikawa and his wife found themselves in a whirlwind of activity. With no distribution channels at their disposal, they took it upon themselves to produce and ship the game. “It was all done by hand. We had no employees, so we asked our neighbors, including police officers’ wives from the nearby housing complex, to help copy the cassette tapes, label them, and package them.” Despite these humble beginnings, Kawanakajima no Kassen achieved an impressive sales figure of approximately 10,000 copies—a remarkable feat for that era.
The unexpected success of his debut game prompted Erikawa to explore further opportunities in game development. “Users started calling, asking for more,” he recalled. “People wanted games about Nobunaga, Ieyasu, and Hideyoshi, as well as World War II TRPGs. That’s when I realized there was a real demand.”
This burgeoning demand led to the creation of Nobunaga’s Ambition in 1983, a title recognized as one of the first historical simulators, which has since blossomed into a franchise boasting over 40 games. Erikawa took the reins on design, while programming duties were entrusted to talented college students hired by Koei as part-timers.
Reflecting on Koei’s evolution into a software company, Erikawa remarked, “I hadn’t even thought of the phrase ‘entering the game business.’ Or rather, there was no such thing as a game industry or gaming business back then. The PC world was driven by four magazines known as the ‘big four’: ASCII, RAM, I/O, and Microcomputer. Amateur PC users were influenced by these magazines and gradually became more absorbed in PCs, turning into geeks. One by one, business owners emerged from this user base. I think I was one of them.”
Currently, Kawanakajima no Kassen is available on PC via Steam, although it is only playable in Japanese at this time.
