Capcom’s long-in-the-works space game Pragmata finally released in April, garnering plenty of praise for its gameplay and more. But, one thing that really captured players’ hearts was the friendship between astronaut Hugh and his android companion Diana.
Their burgeoning father and daughter dynamic was a real highlight, and as a parent myself I immediately knew I’d protect Diana any way I could. But capturing Diana’s convincing child-like innocence was no small task, Pragamata producer Naoto Oyama revealed during a recent commemorative Father’s Day livestream.
Pragmata’s development team frequently deferred to a group of female members Oyama nicknamed the “Diana Police”. These ladies would carry out checks and offer suggestions to the motion capture team and voice actors to make sure Diana’s child-like character felt natural rather than contrived or annoying (thanks, Automaton). For example, Nao Toyama, the voice of Diana in the Japanese dub of Pragmata, was directed “not to make it too cute, but speak like a child would naturally speak”.
As for why the Diana Police was composed of women, Pragmata’s director Cho Yonghee suggested it’s “easier for women to detect the ‘cunning’ kind of cuteness in female characters”. Men “would probably go ‘What’s the difference?’,” he joked in a subsequent interview with Game*Spark.
During Pragmata’s Father’s Day stream, Capcom also revealed Hugh’s demo “Scribble Suit” will be available in the main game as a free update from today.
Pragmata has been a resounding success for Capcom. It sold 1m copies in just two days, and that number had climbed to 2m by May. Pragmata’s director has since said he’d love to make a sequel, after Capcom USA’s chief operating officer Rob Dyer appeared to suggest Pragmata could become a franchise.
Haven’t played it for yourself yet and want to know more? Our Dom awarded Pragmata four stars in their review, calling it “a proudly experimental gamble”.
