Pragmata, Capcom’s ambitious venture into creating a fresh intellectual property, made a significant impact when it launched on April 17, achieving a remarkable 2 million units sold in under three weeks. As Father’s Day approached, the development team and cast seized the opportunity to commemorate this extraordinary milestone with a special YouTube livestream event held on June 18.
The choice of Father’s Day for this celebration is a nod to the game’s narrative, which delves into the unique “found family” relationship between protagonist Hugh and his android companion Diana. Since its release, numerous players have noted that Diana’s endearing and “daughterly” personality successfully evoked a strong parental response from them.
Crafting Diana’s charm, however, was no small feat, as producer Naoto Oyama disclosed during the livestream. The development team implemented what he playfully refers to as the “Diana Police,” a group responsible for meticulous reviews to ensure her character embodied genuine childlike innocence without veering into artificiality or annoyance. This oversight extended to voice acting guidance and direction for the motion capture performers.
In a follow-up interview with Game*Spark, game director Cho Yonghee clarified that the Diana Police was predominantly composed of women. “Women tend to be more adept at discerning the subtleties of cuteness in female characters, whereas men might simply wonder, What’s the difference? (laughs) That’s why I’m confident the Diana Police was all women,” Cho remarked.
Nao Toyama, who voices Diana in the Japanese version of Pragmata, shared during the livestream that she was instructed to “avoid excessive cuteness and speak as a child would naturally speak.”
Notably, Capcom employed a similar approach when developing Resident Evil Requiem, where a team of female developers reviewed the updated design of Leon Kennedy. Director Koshi Nakanishi explained that these staff members ensured the character’s design was perfect, even examining the smallest details like the wrinkles on his neck.
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