For 'Dragon Quest IX,' one of the biggest things was being able to create your own character and your party members, too. The importance of it is that you can customize the face, the name, or something like that, so the party members are really a reflection of you. It becomes more of your own experience.

I wonder sometimes why the U.S. reviewers are more negative towards turn-based battle systems.

It is difficult to meet fan expectations, especially when people say, 'Oh, the last one was the best one.' It creates more pressure each time for the next game to top the last one.

Where 'Dragon Quest Monsters' originated from was 'Dragon Quest V,' where you had a monster befriending system as a main part: you could actually befriend monsters and have them fight on behalf of your party, as part of your party.

I have, I must admit, despised the English countryside for much of my life - despised it and avoided it for its want of danger and adventure.

Long-term, perpetual travel is the dream of many. But surprisingly, for such a popular desire, few people realize how accessible it is.

What draws me in is that a trip is a leap in the dark. It's like a metaphor for life. You set off from home, and in the classic travel book, you go to an unknown place. You discover a different world, and you discover yourself.

I want a little black girl to pick up my book one day and see herself as the star. I want her to know that she's beautiful, and she matters, and she can have a crazy, magical adventure even if an ignorant part of the world tells her she can never be Hermione Granger.