Losing a loved one, especially when it happens unexpectedly, is the most devastating feeling imaginable. That horrifying reality recently surfaced for oneTekken 8player, and while he couldn’t do anything to nullify the pain, game producer Katsuhiro Harada reached out with a way to help that grieving player continue to keep his late brother’s memory alive and, in a way, for them to keep gaming together even after his death.
The story surfaced after a Tekken player on Reddit shared the recent sad news of his brother’s unexpected passing. The brother, in particular, had been grinding and increasing his rank in the game, and both brothers had aspirations of going together to local gaming events to show off their Tekken skills. After his brother’s passing, he reached out over Reddit to ask if it would be possible to permanently save his brother’s “Ghost” in the game, so they could still, in a way, play together from time to time.
For context, Tekken 8 includes an AI feature that picks up on the player’s tendencies in online battles and, when these Ghosts are activated, makes computer-controlled opponents behave as they would when you face off against them. While player-specific AI has been included in the previous few Tekken games, it’s been greatly expanded for Tekken 8, and allows you to download other players' Ghosts and face off against them in certain game modes (including one mimicing Harada’s own playstyle).
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After the story was shared on X (formerly Twitter)by streamer Kirithuu, who expressed hope that the Tekken Team could make this player’s wish possible, Harada responded personally, offering his condolences and giving instructions on how to save a Ghost to be played with indefinitely. “And please let me know if there is anything I can do to help,” he added. “I have personally sent message cards and other messages to many ceremonies. If it helps someone feel any better, please tell him to contact me.”
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“And please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.” - Katsuhiro Harada
As game producers go, Harada is one of the most in-touch with his fans. He’s got a long track record of maintaining direct communications with them over social media, whether it be tohelp players get the most out of their gaming experienceor toclap back against unfair criticismsagainst his development team.
As for other Tekken fans responding to Harada’s helpful and sympathetic post, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Said one person, “I’m stuck on the black mirror effect of Downloading his brothers play style data to play against his brothers ghost data Like his brother lives on in the game for him.” Another shared a memory of a similar situation in through which a person found their late father’s Mario Kart ghosts saved on an old memory card and reconnected with him by playing against his old save files.
Still, this act of compassion and genuine concern for a complete stranger showcases not only his own empathy, but a way in which games bring us together, help us to form fond memories with each other, and how, even when a person leaves us for good, we canstill hang onto a piece of them, helping to keep that memory alive.
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