Get ready doods! Christina Will, Lead Graphic Designer at NIS America, sat down with us to discuss her career, her gaming passion, and what it means to work on these beautiful Limited Edition games!
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Sure! My name is Christina Will and I work at NIS America, Inc. I’m the lead graphic designer and have been with the company almost four years now. I grew up in Orange County which turned out to be most opportune whean looking to get involved in the entertainment industry. It had always been my dream to work with video games and I was lucky enough to jump right in as I graduated from Cal State Fullerton. I hope you enjoy getting to know a little bit more about me and NIS America!
What was the first console/game you ever owned?
As the youngest of four siblings, every console circulated through my home at some point. The first game I can remember playing was The Secret of Monkey Island on PC. This still holds a special place in my heart, but I must admit, I had my mom and brother do most of the work for me, haha. As far as console games go, I remember vividly being glued to the screen to play Crystal’s Pony Tale on the Sega Genesis. The other game that I tried in vain to play was The Lion King, but with little luck. Boy, that game was hard!
Do you have any fond childhood memories based around gaming?
Absolutely! Video games definitely played a prominent role in my life growing up. Most of my fondest memories with my brother, Jim, revolve around gaming with him. We played everything from Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast to Final Fantasy VII on the PlayStation all the way up to League of Legends on the PC! We collected OSTs from our favorite games, which primarily came from Square Enix to be honest. You really can’t deny how good those compositions are! However, my favorite memories have to be when Jim and I played pretend Bomberman in the park across the street. Those were the days!
How did you get into the gaming industry and ultimately to Lead Graphic Designer at NIS America?
Well, to be honest, I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. As it turns out, in 2014, two members of the graphic design team were also CSUF graduates and we all had one thing in common: Professor Theron Moore. I was in my last semester at CSUF, in Professor Moore’s class, when the design team was invited to our class to talk about NIS America and the job opening on the design team. I immediately ran home and applied. Over the four years I’ve worked at NISA, I moved from my entry level position as Graphic Design Coordinator to Senior Graphic Designer to my current position as Lead Graphic Designer. It’s truly a pleasure to be a part of NISA’s design team and to see how our works evolve and grow. I’m so proud of the care and attention my team puts into every title. We have some really amazing things coming in 2018!
NIS has been a champion to us gamers wanting those Japanese games localized! However, aside from regular retail releases, nearly all of the company’s titles receive an online store exclusive Limited Edition. Was this always a focus for the company?
About the time I joined NIS America in 2014, Limited Editions were definitely becoming a more regular occurrence. Not every game got one at that time, but over the first year that I worked, it became more and more regular. What kick-started this practice was an Anime Expo survey held in 2013 that gave us insight into what our customers wanted from NISA products. By that time, we had already gathered that art books and soundtracks were a staple of LEs in the eyes of our fans, but we wanted to know what they wanted beyond that. The ultimate result of the survey was a demand for in-game replicas or cosplay/wearable items. We have since then worked diligently to deliver on these requests. The success of our LE for Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony with the Ultimate Backpack and Ultimate Hat are thanks to the feedback of our fans.
Out of the company’s history, what is your personal favorite title?
My personal favorite would have to be Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure! This game was developed by Nippon Ichi Software in 1998 and came to the US in 2000 on the PlayStation. I loved that game as kid; it was easy enough for me to actually make my way through the game and the silly gimmicks like the pancake attacks kept me giggling the whole way through. It will always hold a special place in my heart.
Let’s talk about those beautiful NIS exclusives! What is the process for how a Limited Edition goes from initial concept to completion?
Oh boy, this is my favorite part! The process begins with a meeting in which at least one member of each department comes together to plan the Limited Edition for a title. After determining the budget, we establish if we can provide an art book and a soundtrack. To us, these items are staples of the Limited Edition and should always be included, assets permitting. That aside, the brainstorming for the bonus items begins. Our process always revolves around a concept to maintain consistency throughout the process. For a title like Disgaea, we know we have room to be zany and fun, whereas a title like Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA called for a classier theme. Since every title is different in its intricacies, we always bring in the experts from the Localization department to help us define that tone. After that, it’s a matter of getting quotes, pre-production samples and finally, the final set. There is a lot that goes on in the background to ensure all the items fit snugly together within the set to minimize any chance for damage during transportation. It’s a tricky process as our sets become more complicated (and heftier!).
Are you given the freedom to decide what items go into each release?
Definitely! We have the freedom to suggest whatever items we think best represent the title. I love that about NIS America. We always have a voice here and can pursue “passion projects” as we often do. Of course, once an idea is pitched, it’s up to our licensers to approve any concept before pursuing the final product. That said, I have not experienced any real pushback on any ideas I’ve suggested before. Our partners trust our work and we want to deliver the best possible product for them!
What is the most challenging aspect?
I would have to say the most challenging part of Limited Edition planning is budgeting. For almost every title we work on, someone always declares, “Let’s make a figure!” Yet, you may notice, we usually cannot do so. It’s a very expensive item to make and requires a large minimum order quantity to do so. However, we don’t let that get us down! We have discovered some clever ways to get around that issue, such as with acrylic stands or rubber keychains. I hope that these kinds of items can still offer our customers that same gratification when purchasing our Limited Editions.
Time for some fun! Given the choice, which game would you love to create a Limited Edition version for?
Well, since I mentioned it earlier, I’d have to say Rhapsody!! I would totally get carried away with making some really cute items for that set.
What would be included?
Hmm…well of course, I’d have to design an art book and OST for it first. Beyond that, I’d like to make something cute like a Kururu plush backpack with a pancake-stack rubber keychain and an acrylic stand of some of the cute puppets!
Which upcoming NIS Limited Editions are you most excited to see released?
As the Lead Designer, I tend to dabble in all the titles rather than working on individual games these days. As such, I’m pretty invested in every title we work on now! I would have to say I’m most excited for the release of SNK HEROINES Tag Team Frenzy. As our first SNK title, I’m extremely excited to see how the fans of the franchise receive our Diamond Dream Edition set. The designer on this project, Chelsea Beaubien, really put a lot of care and thought into every detail of the packaging. In particular, the box everything is packaged in is quite a work of art. The contents are all very unique and new to us, especially the items that make up a gym set. It is my hope that our design is true to the expectations of the fans. Their opinions matter the most to me!
Are you able to tease an unannounced Limited Edition today?
Hmm, we don’t want to ruin the surprise, so we hope you look forward to it 😉
Aside from your own, what upcoming games are you looking forward to playing?
I recently heard that the Spyro Reignited Trilogy may be coming to the Nintendo Switch? If so, that would definitely be on my radar. I loved the Spyro games growing up and would look forward to playing them again in HD!
If you could choose one NIS character to appear in the next Super Smash Bros., who would it be?
PRINNY! Come on, there’s really no other option here. Prinny would blow up on Super Smash Bros… ok, ok, I’m done.
Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share today?
I just want to say thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me! I’m honored that you took the time to get to know our company a little more and see how the cogs turn behind the scenes. I am so excited to see the reception of our titles releasing this year, and to all those reading, please don’t be afraid to let us know what you think of our work! We are always striving to improve our quality to deliver the best to our fans. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
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