MrHappy interview with yoshida from tokyo

[SendohJin]

I guess my question would be if they knew that development of a new race would consume so many resources and take so much time, why did they choose a race that very few people had asked for over a race that many people have asked for, for a number of years. The Viera race has been asked for by numerous people and at nearly every fanfest for years. When you knew you were going to add a new race, why start with this beast race that by comparison relatively no one asked for?

Viera as popular as it is, is still in the human/furry hybrid niche that Miqo'te is also in. Hrothgar fills a niche that doesn't exist at all in the game.