This is a preview section for Suikoden 4. As new information is released, we'll put it here. This section will be active until the game is actually in production, at which point we'll revert to the format used for the first three Suikodens.

From ZDNet Japan/Softbank Games and reprinted in "the Playstation 2" magazine. Translation by Genso.

Q: First of all, when was it decided to being working on the fourth game after the third one was completed?
Matsukawa: Well right around when we saw the general picture of the third game, there were also talks about what would happen next among the insiders. When it was mentioned "Hmm, I want to go to the southern ocean", we decided "Then, should we head off to the ocean?"...that's a joke. (laughter) Actually, it felt like the work began gradually for some reason or another.

Q: Regarding the anticipated 4th game, how will it be connected with the past games?
Matsukawa: When we thought simply about what we should do for the 4th game, I thought without doubt that in the way the second is related to the third, the first will be similarly related to the fourth. The time period is still secret.

Q: The smoothness of how the system work is appealing for the series' fans, but how is it this time?
Matsukawa: Those areas will precisely be taken from the previous games.
Kawano: There will be new elements added, but we are trying to avoid the time where the player will just be blankly staring or confused as to how everything works. We are hoping that time spent doing that will be short. We are in the process of trial and error. (laughter)

Q: Will the the mini games that have become a tradition of the series make appearances time to time?
Saruta: In the end, how much of those will be included will be depended on how much energy we have left. (laughter) But we hope to include a lot of them. I would wish for us to work especially hard on the popular bath. How about a bath where the characters look real... (laughter)

Q: The newest images will be presented at TGS. What should we look out for?
Matuskawa: We would like to make a digest with all the good stuff lasting around 5 minutes. There will be surprising scenes, so please look carefully!!