Category:Media (Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town)

Bonus Media

2021 Valentine's Cards

Nintendo Life video and photo media manager Zion Grassl^[1] gave Ranchstory Wiki his permission to host his images of the Valentine's Cards given by XSEED Games. There are Valentine's cards for both animals and the 10 romance candidates. The candidates' cards are personalized to each character.

Blaire: "You're my happily ever after."
Linh: "Thank you for brightening my day."
Emilio: "As long as I'm with you, I know I'll be happy."
Reina: "Promise you'll stick with me and dance it up until morning!"
Laura: "D'you wanna travel the world together someday?"
Damon: "I think it was fate that brought us together."
Iori: "These feelings of mine hold no falsehood."
Ralph: "Being a Ranger is a tough job, but you help keep me going."
Bridget: "I want our song to ride the wind and tell all the animals about our joy."
Jack: "I get kinda loose-lipped around you. Guess you're just easy to talk to."

Interviews

Nintendo Dream vol. 323

An 8-page interview was included within Nintendo Dream vol. 323 (released 2/20/21). Instances of the original Japanese series title 牧場物語 (Bokujou Monogatari) are changed to "Story of Seasons".


Olive Town Development Staff	Rika Hoshina - Assistant Director Assistant Director Rika Hoshina is in charge of the expansion pass and other aspects of this title. Her love for the Bokujou Monogatari series led her to join Marvelous last year.	Hikaru Nakano - Director Hikaru Nakano has been involved in the series since 64 (牧場物語２). For this game, he is in charge of everything from game planning to overall direction.	Dai Takemura - Producer He has been involved in the series since Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. For this game, he is in charge of everything from game planning to PR.
The Year of the Cow and the 25th Anniversary is a Miraculous Coincidence
You're finally releasing a completely new game for Nintendo Switch! I have the impression that you've been working on it for a long time.		Nakano: Yes, that's right. The fact that it's the first time we've released a mainline game on the Nintendo Switch is what took us so long. We started working on this game around the beginning of 2018, but there was an initial period of trial and error. That's why the development process took so long.
While the game was originally listed on the release schedule under the name "Story of Seasons: Latest Work", when "Doraemon Story of Seasons" (released in June 2019) and "Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town" (released in October 2019) were released, fans continued to ask what kind of game the latest work would be. This is the new work, isn't it? The readers have been very excited. I'm sure the fans are happy that you're going to release a completely new title.		Takemura: I couldn't wait to talk about it. The idea of making a new game came up before "Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town". However, we had already kept Story of Seasons fans waiting for too long, so we continued to work on the development of a completely new game, while giving our attention to a full remake of the GBA Friends of Mineral Town. This game took a lot of time to plan, didn't it? Nakano: Yes, it did.
And another thing is the 25th anniversary of the series－		Takemura: This was partly a consequence of that. We've been working on this game for a long time, so we decided to aim for that during the development process. After waiting for so long, we thought that the latest Story of Seasons game for the Nintendo Switch would have to have a certain impact to convince people. So, we decided to make a game that included elements from previous games, but also brought out the fun of pioneering, which was the starting point of the series, and the timing fell into place for the 25th anniversary.
And the release date is the 25th...?		Takemura: It's just a coincidence, right? Nakano: No, it's not. Takemura: ...Don't tease, it definitely is! How could I have asked such silly question! (Everyone laughs) Nakano: I wish it had been delayed a little longer... (laughs) PR Manager: Our games are usually set to release on Thursdays. When we set the release date for February, since the 25th was a Thursday, we decided to release on that day specifically for the 25th anniversary. Takemura: Well, even if the release date was set intentionally, I wasn't aware of the fact that it was the Year of the Cow. I was just amazed by the fact that it ended up this way.
It's miraculous, isn't it?		Takemura: It wasn't our intention at all, honestly. It's true that Story of Seasons is a long-running series, and there was talk of making it an anniversary project. It was like a 25th anniversary commemorative game, so we had to meet the expectations of the people who had been fans of the series up until now, and at the same time, we had to make it fun for the new users who would start playing it from here. We had a big goal to satisfy both of these difficult aspects. There were a lot of discussions about the concept of what kind of game we wanted to make - and the core of the game became "this and that". Nakano: We'd been developing prototype builds for some time, but some of them didn't work out so well. So, we went back to the basics to figure out what we should do. We asked ourselves, "what should Story of Seasons be like?" Once we had those fundamentals in place, we had to figure out what we should focus on. That's how we started.
Story of Seasons is about being thrown into the countryside?!
What is it about Story of Seasons that makes it so unique?		Nakano: Well, "Story of Seasons" is a series that incorporates many different elements, so it's hard to narrow it down to any one thing. That said, each entry is linked by a "rural community" feeling. Every game starts with the main character moving to the countryside and being told to start a farm. The same goes for the land, towns, and people. How will you fare living in these places for the first time? I think that having that kind of freedom is what makes things fun.
That's understandable.		Nakano: The tools are handed to you, so you can start a farm here! There's no feeling of obligation, but rather, a sense of value in regards to being left to your own devices. That's where it all begins. It's not a place where everything is already established and you're praised for everything you do. It's about being accepted by the land, with your hard work evaluated little by little, and growing close to those around you through communication. That sense of realism, where everything builds up over time, is important and what makes it so worthwhile. It's that feeling of, "Ah, I've worked so hard!" You can feel that sense of accomplishment in many places, and it's what makes Story of Seasons so unique.
Mineral Town's cows are cute!
The 25th anniversary game seems to really push the cows seen in Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. What were your intentions when promoting this kind of cow again?		Takemura: The design that appeared previously in Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is very cute. Cows in this series have changed a lot with each entry, but there is a singular image I see when I think of Story of Seasons. I wanted to continue using the round cow as a design element, so we chose to use it for Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town and Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town.
So it was like that.		Takemura: It'll probably be in the next one, too. Ah, well actually I don't know. Maybe there'll be a minotaur-like creature that appears suddenly. Hoshina: I can hardly imagine that. (Laughs)
The latest work is based on a theme of "Pioneering"
Below is the original concept art we were shown for this interview. It shows the main character standing in the middle of a lush forest.		Takemura: Regarding the initial concept, we didn't want to convey that kind of atmosphere, of course. It deviated too much, and comes across as someone looking like they suffered a loss. (Laughs) As Nakano mentioned earlier, there have been previous entries in the series where the protagonist is entrusted with a ready-made farm, but we wanted to do something more than that this time. The theme of Pioneers of Olive Town is based on pioneering, and the art is meant to convey the feeling of starting a farm from scratch.
It really feels like the spirit of Story of Seasons was put into this game.		Nakano: That concept art sure is misleading. (Laughs) It's got a touch of realism to it.
Concept art (left) versus the Key Visual art (right)
While trying to master the "Story of Seasons" feeling, were there a lot of things you were able to do thanks to the Nintendo Switch hardware capabilities?		Nakano: There were. This is our first completely new game since Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns (released in 2016). The series' hardware has since changed from 3DS to Nintendo Switch, so we've been able to expand on what we can do. This time, we can explore a really large forest. We were able to put in everything that we wanted within that forest, like the large amount of usable space. Takemura: I've always thought that these games come with a lot of freedom to begin with, but when compared to past titles, there's so much more freedom to do as you please. You can fish if you want, or you can simply mine for ore. Of course, you can also spend time building your connection with and growing the community. You really can do anything. Even from initial development, we planned it so that players could choose to play with elements which had been missing from previous Story of Seasons titles.
Hoshina, you first experienced the series from a fan's point of view. What were your impressions?		Hoshina: This kind of slow farm life was a new revelation for me. There is, of course, a customization level as seen in previous titles, but even from the beginning there is the ability to use materials like cut grass to make items. Everything that was considered "trash" in a prior title is now a usable item. The feeling of starting from the ground up, literally, was different from anything I'd experienced before and it really left a big impression on me as a player. (Laughs)

Dengeki Nintendo April 2021

This is a translation of an email correspondence interview conducted by Dengeki Nintendo, published in the April 2021 edition (pages 16-17).

Email interview with Hikaru Nakano, the director of Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, the first completely new title in the series for the Nintendo Switch, is finally available. For this interview, we asked the director of the game, Hikaru Nakano of Marvelous Inc., about the appeal of the game.
First of all, please tell us about yourself.		Nakano: I'm Nakano, and I work for Marvelous Inc. in the Consumer Business Production Group. I'm in charge of the planning, world setting, and overall direction of this game. I was originally involved in Harvest Moon: 64 (牧場物語2) for the Nintendo 64 as a designer. Since then, I have been involved in the development, production, and direction of many games in the series. Most recently, I've been working as a director on Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town.
Congratulations on celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Story of Seasons series this year! Since the first game was released on the Super Famicom (SNES) in 1996, the series has been developed on various hardware.		Nakano: Thank you very much! I first became involved with 牧場物語2 for the Nintendo 64, and up until now, it's been both a long and short journey. However, I am very happy that the series has lasted this long. I believe that every title in the series is the result of the hard work and dedication of the producers, directors, and developers involved. And more than anything, I believe that the series has been able to continue to this point thanks to the customers who have played each of the games and given us warm feedback.
When did you start the planning for Pioneers of Olive Town? Also, is this the title that was listed as "Story of Seasons: Title Pending" during the launch of the Nintendo Switch (2017)?		Nakano: That's right. However, there was a period where we restarted the prototyping process several times, so it wasn't until the beginning of 2018 that we made a firm start on this project.
Unlike the full remake Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, which was released in 2019, this is a completely new game. So, please tell us if there were any particular difficulties in the development.		Nakano: In terms of difficulties, there were all types, but if I had to pick one, I'd say there were some twists and turns before we agreed on the specifications for the farm area. This time, the farm area was envisioned as a system where the mountains, coast, and farm are all together in one place, so it was initially planned to be an absurdly large area, with each division being hard to enter. It was once a solid forest that was inhospitable for people, but we gradually settled on the current shape after considering the various elements and the ease of play.
I'd like to ask you about the biggest feature of this game, "Pioneering". Please tell us why you decided to include this element.		Nakano: There are several reasons for this. Most of the previous games in the series take place in the rural countryside, but they're surprisingly sophisticated, or everything can be solved with enough money, or everything is already available. These stories, set in communities far away from the city and where everything is mixed with nature, have such circumstances that didn't seem right to me. So, I wanted to make the new setting a place where people could get various things on their own. Furthermore, in the past, the process of cultivation involved pulling weeds and removing rocks. However, it was only a process of cleaning up the land. "Shouldn't pioneering be fun in itself?", I thought to myself, and so this time the idea was to make the process of "clearing the forest" a form of discovery. Because the theme of this work is to live life with nature, we created an endless forest that could be cultivated or left alone.
Can you tell us about what makes Pioneering fun and appealing?		Nakano: As you cultivate each area, you'll find new crops and livestock, as well as facilities that can be repaired and wild animals. "What lies deep in the forest?" is the kind of exciting feeling we hope that players will feel.
Other than Pioneering, please share something especially noteworthy! Or, something that you particularly enjoy!		Nakano: As you progress through the game, you'll meet little sprites called "Colopon". We hope that you will make use of their village to enrich your farm life.
I feel that this series is characterized by the fact that there are so many things you can do ― such as interacting with the residents, not to mention "pioneering" and other farm work. I think that many people, especially beginners to the series, are often at a loss as to where to start and what to do. Do you have any advice for novice players who are starting their Story of Seasons experience with this title?		Nakano: First of all, I recommend picking up and shipping crops and herbs that grow wild in the forest and the shellfish on the beach. You can earn money by shipping them. Then, in the available space, I think it's good idea to plant some turnip seeds. If you remember to water them every day, you can harvest the turnips in a few days and then ship them back for a profit. I would recommend that you save your money and expand your backpack in town first. At the same time, you can get various materials by cutting down trees, culling grasses, and breaking rocks around your house. By using those materials to make crafts, such as the Lumber Maker, you will be able to process raw resources like logs into lumber. Lumber has a variety of uses, so I hope you'll make it your first goal to craft your own makers.
Next, I'd like to ask you about the Expansion Pass, the first paid DLC in the series. Please tell us how and why you decided to introduce this.		Nakano: The Expansion Pass is the first of its kind for the Story of Seasons series. This title will be our 25th anniversary title, so we knew that we wanted to take on something new. That's why we had a variety of DLC plans in mind, and after discussing them internally, we came up with the "Expansion Pass".
The Expansion Pass will add romance candidates from past series titles, does this have a commemorative meaning for the 25th anniversary of the series? Also, does this mean that the world Olive Town inhabits and the worlds of past titles are connected to the point where these characters may come and go?		Nakano: Yes, it's meant to be an attempt at a commemorative work. I think each game is a separate piece, but I don't mind the reappearance of potential love interests as guest characters because it makes for a festive atmosphere. However, the independent worldview of each work has to be respected, so we're taking great care with these circumstances.
Finally, please give a message to our readers who have high expectations for this title.		Nakano: Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is the first completely new Story of Seasons game to be released on the Nintendo Switch. We're sorry that we've kept our fans waiting, but we're confident that we've created a title that we can deliver to you! The animals are all cute, and the characters are all unique. We all believe that you'll enjoy spending time in this world. Please pick it up and play it for yourself!

Videos

Debut Trailer

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town debuted in the October 28th, 2020 Nintendo Partner Direct Mini

Gameplay Trailers

Marvelous released the initial gameplay trailer on November 12th, 2020. Shortly after, the English trailer was released by XSEED on December 3rd, 2020.