Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. announced that Shohei Ohtani, who plays for the Dodgers in Major League Baseball, has been named an ambassador of KONAMI baseball games to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the "Powerful Pro Baseball" series and the 20th anniversary of the "Professional Baseball Spirits" series in 2024. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the "Powerful Pro Baseball" series and the 20th anniversary of the "Pro Baseball Spirits" series, KONAMI announced that Shohei Ohtani, who plays for the Dodgers in Major League Baseball, has become an ambassador for KONAMI baseball games. A special interview and behind-the-scenes footage of the filming is now available for viewing.
Shohei Otani has been appointed as an ambassador for KONAMI baseball games!
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the "Powerful Pro Baseball" series and the 20th anniversary of the "Pro Baseball Spirits" series in 2024, KONAMI announced the appointment of Shohei Otani as an ambassador for KONAMI baseball games. Konami is pleased to announce the appointment of Shohei Otani as an ambassador of KONAMI's baseball games.
The two companies will hold a variety of events in conjunction with the "30th Anniversary of Pawapuro x 20th Anniversary of Prosperity Puroyakyu," including "Pawapuro Spirits A," "Powerful Pro Baseball: Crown Nine Crossroads," and "Jikkyo Pawapuru Puroyakyu," the mobile games currently being distributed. Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to play an active role in various projects in conjunction with the "Pawapuro 30th Anniversary x Prospey 20th Anniversary Year" event, so stay tuned for more information! For more details, please check the official website of Power Pro 30th Anniversary x Prospi 20th Anniversary.
Comment from Shohei Otani
パワプロ30周年×プロスピ20周年公式サイトCongratulations on the 30th anniversary of Power Pro and the 20th anniversary of Prospey! I think there are many people who have learned the rules of baseball and learned the fun of baseball anew through Pawapuro and Prospey. I hope that together with Pawapuro and Prospey, we can convey the fun and splendor of baseball to even more people. Shohei Otani, Ambassador for the 30th Anniversary of Pawapuro and the 20th Anniversary of Prospey
A special interview with Shohei Otani and a photo shoot of the ambassador are now available!
Shohei Otani has been appointed as a KONAMI baseball game ambassador, and a special interview and scenes from the ambassador photo shoot are now available.
- He has been appointed as an ambassador for the "30th Anniversary of Pawapuro and 20th Anniversary of Prosperity." Otani himself will turn 30 this year, so what has been the most memorable event in his 30 years?
What has been the most memorable event for you over the past 30 years? Last year's WBC (2023 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC) left a strong impression on me, as did the day I joined professional baseball, and, of course, the day I played baseball for the first time left a strong impression on me, so it is difficult to narrow it down. It depends on the time.
-If you were to grade yourself now, what score would you give yourself at age 30, as you imagined yourself at age 20?
I don't know what score I would give myself, but I thought I would be a little more mature (laughs). I thought that the 25 or 30 year old I had envisioned when I was a teenager would be more mature. Maybe I am the only one who thinks so, but I feel that I am still a child. I had an image of a calmer man, but I think I am coming in the complete opposite direction.
-I think you will be playing in a new place this year, but what are your ambitions?
I think the first thing is to get used to the environment. Although I have joined the team, I don't think I have truly become a teammate yet, so I hope to build a relationship of trust with my teammates through communication first, including results.
-What are your goals for this season as you turn 30?
Of course, winning with World Series is one of my goals in baseball, so that is my main goal. Also, since I cannot pitch this year so far, I would like to do my best to contribute in the batter's box.
-I know that you will also be pitching next year, but what are your personal goals and what do you want to accomplish at age 30 or in your 30s?
First of all, I want to make a solid comeback as a pitcher and continue to fight through a full season as a pitcher and a hitter. Since I have signed a 10-year contract, my goal is to fulfill it straight through for 10 years. My main goal is to win the World Series, so I hope to contribute both pitching and hitting there.
-Have you ever played "Power Pro" or "Prospey" since you were a child? And have they influenced your view of baseball today?
Yes, I have. I think I am like a player or a "success" in a sense, so I practice in a way that suits me, and I get what I practice for, including rest, which is roughly the same in both games and real life. I myself was like that, thinking of myself as a Power Pro player (practicing baseball), so it was simply fun when I was a child. I also really liked training the players in the game myself, so now I feel like I am using my own body to do the same thing (as in Power Pro Success). It's like a game of training. It's like a hobby for me, and I think that part of me is influenced by it. Success" is a mode for training professional baseball players popular in the "Power Pro" series.
*"Success" is the popular professional baseball player development mode in the "Pawapuro" series. How did you come to have a dog?
I had always wanted to get a dog, and I was thinking of getting one this off-season, but then I got injured, so I wasn't sure what to do. But I had to stay home all the time, or rather, I couldn't leave the house and was in a cast, so it was hard to take care of the dog for the first month, and I thought it would be the right (timing). So we worked hard on rehabilitation together. We slept together (laughs).
Filming episode
PR TIMESTwo different outfits were photographed for the advertising stills: a uniform for the game and relaxed everyday wear. Otani, who entered the studio wearing the Japan national team uniform he wore for the 2023 WBC, first put on a gray hoodie over his uniform for the everyday wear shoot. The photographer asked him to "look strong" and "pull back his chin a little," and he did a bust-up with his arms crossed and a close-up of his face, giving the viewer a very relaxed look. In a relaxed pose with her arms uncrossed, she showed a series of charming smiles.
PR TIMESIn the following cut for the key visual, Shohei Otani stands in front of the camera in his uniform and hat. In this cut, Shohei Otani's handwriting reads, "Let's play baseball! The photographer instructed us to create the image of a hero, and we fine-tuned his eyes, the direction of his face, and the angle of his chin in pursuit of the best cut. When adjusting his costume and hair, the woman in charge of hair and makeup bent down and lowered her own head to her eye level to make it easier for the tall Shohei Otani to adjust his hair. The staff members in the studio were also relieved to see Shohei Ohtani's thoughtful and attentive touch.
PR TIMESShohei Ohtani was very flexible in responding to the variations requested by the photographer, from a shot with his back turned to the front and his face slightly turned to the front, to a gut pose, a full-body shot, a shot of him wearing a glove and throwing a ball, and a shot of him holding up a baseball bat. The only expression on his face that made the photographer ask, "What's that? He showed his expression when he was seen with the mascot character "Pawapuro-kun" in the shot. Since the actual Pawapuro-kun, which will be composited later in the editing process, was not there, he asked, "Where should I look? He was also asked, "What should I look for? He quickly got the hang of the scene, and the team was able to get a lot of excitement out of the scene as he gave them a series of great facial expressions in response to their instructions to "look at this area as if you are talking to a child," and "use the image of talking to a child and saying, 'Let's play baseball.
When the staff saw a stuffed animal of "Gander," a dog character from "Power Pro" that had been prepared for the day's photo shoot, they asked "What's this? Shohei Otani was interested in it. After the photo shoot, he asked if he could take the stuffed animal home. After the photo shoot, Shohei Otani asked if he could take the stuffed animal home. The "Gander" plushie is scheduled to be released as a prize for amusement arcades in the future, so we will have to wait for further news!
The making-of and special interview video of Shohei Otani is now available on the official Pawapuro and Prospey channels. Check out Shohei Otani's various expressions during the filming and his answers in the interview. For more information on the appointment as KONAMI Baseball Game Ambassador, please visit the official KONAMI website.