The social contexts that supported Yuji Horii's creative activities as a freelance writer

Abstract

This study focuses on Yuji Horii, known as the creator of computer games such as the "Dragon Quest" series and the "Itadaki Street" series. Based on the collection and analysis of newspaper and magazine articles and other materials, this study examines the roles played in his creative activities by various social contexts (reciprocal relationships among university manga graduates, mass media in Tokyo, and consumerization) during his freelance writing period (1978-1988) from his graduation from university to becoming a well-known game designer.