At the same time as "Nioh 3" was first released in June this year, Team Ninja launched a two-week open Alpha beta, allowing players to avoid speculation on the actual performance of the new open area map and dual combat styles.The team then released a report detailing the adjustments and improvements that will be made based on collected player feedback, such as more customizable control settings and the return of weapon switching capabilities.

Recently, in an interview, "Niwang 3", producers Fumihiko Yasuda and Kohei Shibata talked about why the series insisted on this tradition of launching a trial version before the release.Because they believe it is the feedback from players that helped the series grow to what it is today.

"For the Nioh series, we have been absorbing player feedback by releasing a trial version, but the recent response from the Alpha test has been particularly strong," Yasuda commented.He explained that the team chose this when developing the first generation of Nio in 2017 because it was the first time they developed such a difficult, death-retry-style hardcore game.“Since the success of this type of game does not depend entirely on factors such as atmosphere or picture, it is crucial for us to listen to opinions based on actual gameplay experience.”

According to Yasuda, the value of the trial version to Team Ninja is reflected in many aspects.“Player feedback sometimes increases our confidence in the good of the game, and sometimes prompts us to completely rethink certain designs. I also believe this process helps to inspire the enthusiasm of the player community and fosters the community around the Nioh series.”

Meanwhile, Yasuda joked that this was just his "public" answer to this question, and the "hidden" answer was that sometimes the development team lacked confidence.“Of course, as creators, we do have confidence and belief in what we make. But the longer we invest in one thing, the more subjective you become.” He interestingly notes that as the development cycle grows, the development team sometimes becomes slow to respond to the problems pointed out by the producers.At this time, player feedback plays an important role.“When you tell the team ‘this is what the players say’, the staff responds completely differently,” he explained.

Finally, he emphasized again: "The "Niwang" series has been continuously improved through the release of multiple trial versions. As a team, we believe that the feedback from players has allowed us to get to where we are today."