[VG News] List of Important Japanese Videogame Developers
not really news but IMHO still nice to know the Japanese Developer's Who Is Who and what they are doing now. interesting, interesting ...
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Written by: Amadeo Plaza - 2/6/06 at 12:04 AM
A Salute to Japanese Game Designers
Being as this is a U.S. publication, many of the names you will hear will be of those who are residents of either North America, or in some cases the United Kingdom. The names Peter Molyneux, David Jaffe, and Tim Schafer may seem oddly familiar since they’re the brilliant minds behind Black & White, Twisted Metal, and Grim Fandango, respectively. All great games, all worthy of the attention they garnered. However, there is one thing above and beyond the discussion of genres that these three titles have in common; and that is all of them were made in the western world. [...]
In an industry where so much is owed to our friends across the Pacific it seems almost blasphemous to forget about the contributions of those that inhabit the “Land of the Rising Sun.” If it weren’t for them, not only would we not have a lot of the franchises we love, but the industry as a whole would certainly not be as lively as it is today. Amped IGO would like to take this time to salute those Japanese designers who gave up their lives to make ours that much more bearable through interactive entertainment.
Author’s Note: This list is in no particular order. All of these people made worthwhile contributions to the industry.
Tomonobu Itagaki: This man is simply the definition of “cool.” It’s almost as if those sunglasses were fused onto his face at birth; he’s played the guitar since childhood for crying out loud. Itagaki is the man responsible for one of the most revered fighter series ever made: Dead or Alive. He joined Tecmo in 1992 and currently acts as the head of Team Ninja, one of the development teams within the huge Japanese publishing powerhouse. However, Dead or Alive isn’t the only thing that he’s been credited for. A little game called Ninja Gaiden has come across his desk as well.
Fumito Ueda: He went from studying oil painting at Osaka University of Art to being the Director of the Sony Computer Entertainment Japan's Product Development Department. How did he do it? It took years of hard work, a bit of elbow grease and a little boy with horns projecting from his head. Ueda joined Sony in 1997, but only after teaching himself computer graphics and working as an animator for a studio called Warp for two years. After taking on the roles of Director, Lead Game Designer, and Art Designer for ICO in 2001, his career skyrocketed to new heights and his “design by subtraction” method has become his trademark and is responsible for the unique art-style found in his latest title: Shadow of the Colossus.
Shigeru Miyamoto: This man requires no introduction, and if he does, then you shouldn’t even be holding that videogame controller. Well, that’s provided you’re a total geek like us. Miyamoto, considered by many to be the godfather of videogames, is the sole creator of the Mario, Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Pikmin series. He is by far the most respected man in the business. Even those not fans of his work at Nintendo have to credit him with basically bringing the industry where it is today. Mario would be a thought and a whisper without Miyamoto! If it weren’t for his major contributions we wouldn’t have web comics such as this. The point is, since he joined Nintendo in 1977 he’s proven his worth time and time again, until he got to where he is today; the Director and General Manager of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, and the first inductee into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ (AIAS) Hall of Fame (1998).
Hironobu Sakaguchi: Some know him, some don’t, but nonetheless everyone knows his work. As the creator of the Final Fantasy series, the entire sub-genre of Japanese RPGs owes a lot to this gifted mind. While he is credited with other groundbreaking titles such as Chrono Trigger, by far he is better known for his work on the Final Fantasy series, as well as his directorial responsibilities for the multi-million dollar box-office bomb, Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. There are tarnishes in everyone’s careers, this happens to be his. However, as the third inductee into the AIAS’ Hall of Fame (2000), he has proven his value, and his development house, Mist Walker, is already hard at work on ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat (DS), Blue Dragon (Xbox 360), and Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360).
Yu Suzuki: Yet another AIAS Hall of Famer (2003), Suzuki is behind major franchises such as Out Run and Shenmue. Most designers stick to one genre, but from his impressive track-record, which reaches as far back as 1985 with Space Harrier, it's obvious Suzuki was not afraid to dabble in various genres. Above and beyond his various achievements, probably the most well known is his 1993 creation, Virtua Fighter, which is actually recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as a great contribution to art and entertainment. It is apart of the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology Innovation and is honored at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. To say the least, he’s made it in life.
Keiji Inafune: Inafune is probably one of the lesser known but just as deserving designers in this line-up, but nevertheless his creations are just as earth shattering. Inafune is the father of our beloved blue bomber, Mega Man. To this day Mega Man is a strong franchise and has seen its fair share of spotlight outside of the videogame industry, having been given its own television cartoon in 1995. Inafune is also responsible for the highly successful Onimusha series, Capcom’s fourth largest franchise. Inafune is currently the head of Capcom Production Studio 2; but looking back on his past, one will find that he started out on a relatively successful franchise with his first designer job being on the Street Fighter team. Without a doubt Capcom owes a lot of its success to this guy. Inafune is currently working on Dead Rising (Xbox 360).
Hideo Kojima: The man, the myth, the legend: Mr. Kojima. By far, one of the most well known designers today, it shouldn’t even be necessary to outline his achievements. In a sense, Kojima’s Metal Gear series is responsible for the stealth/action genre as a whole. Metal Gear, originally released in 1987, set the ground work for a series that would grow to become one of the Playstation’s biggest assets. Whether you love him or not, everyone knows Solid Snake. However, Kojima is also credited with grand franchises such as Zone of the Enders and Boktai as well; both of which are highly successful. Once vice president of Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, he is now head of his own development house: Kojima Productions, which is currently working on a number of projects including Metal Gear Solid Ac!d 2 (PSP), Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2), and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot (PS3). And to think, he wanted to grow up to be a film director…
Shinji Mikami: You may be asking yourself who this is, but you certainly know his work. This here is the creative mind behind the Resident Evil series; certainly one of the most well known franchises ever created. Before opening the fictional doors of the Umbrella Corporation in 1996, Mikami was working on Disney-licensed games Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Aladdin, and Goof Troop. To say the least, he made quite a departure from what people were accustomed to seeing from him. After Resident Evil’s success he increasingly became more of a business-head acting as executive producer for many popular games such as Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe. However, every so often he will take on a directorial role, as he did with P.N.03 and Resident Evil 4, which breathed new life into a dwindling franchise; this reasserts the quote: “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” Mikami is currently employed at independently operated Clover Studios, which receives funding from Capcom, and is working on an undisclosed project.
Yuuji Horii: Another not-so-common name; Yuuji Horii has earned his stripes as a seasoned game designer by giving birth to the Dragon Quest series. Already up to its eighth installment, the Dragon Quest series is easily one of Square-Enix’s most prized franchises. Being formally schooled in literature, Horii worked as a freelancer for magazines, newspapers, and comic books before winning an Enix-sponsored “Game Programming Contest.” Winning the contest catapulted his ambitions for becoming a game designer and he has proven his mettle. He is currently the head of his own production company, Armor Project.
Satoshi Tajiri: Being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome didn’t stop Tajiri from becoming one of the most successful game designers of all time. No, he doesn’t work for Capcom; he’s not Miyamoto’s secret mentor; in fact, if anything, it’s the other way around. He is the creator of the Pokemon series. Pokemon, also known as Pocket Monsters, is the second largest selling game franchise of all time. The mantra “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” dates back before Pokemon to Tajiri’s childhood days when he spent hours collecting insects. He and a few friends worked together to publish a games magazine dubbed Game Freak; the foundation for what would soon become the development team responsible for Pokemon, which carried the same namesake.
There are still many other fantastic Japanese game designers, but to list them all and their achievements would take days. It’s easy to see how much the game industry as a whole owes to Japanese designers. Many of our most beloved franchises came out of the mountainous archipelago that is Japan, and unfortunately too many ethnocentric peoples in various parts of the gaming world forget that. Hopefully those people now realize that the reason this industry is as healthy as it is, is because of the concerted efforts of everyone worldwide; gamers and designers alike.
>> Q: AmpedNews.com All Images load from there
sponsored by Mika
<< (Read More)(Read Less)
Written by: Amadeo Plaza - 2/6/06 at 12:04 AM
A Salute to Japanese Game Designers
Being as this is a U.S. publication, many of the names you will hear will be of those who are residents of either North America, or in some cases the United Kingdom. The names Peter Molyneux, David Jaffe, and Tim Schafer may seem oddly familiar since they’re the brilliant minds behind Black & White, Twisted Metal, and Grim Fandango, respectively. All great games, all worthy of the attention they garnered. However, there is one thing above and beyond the discussion of genres that these three titles have in common; and that is all of them were made in the western world. [...]
In an industry where so much is owed to our friends across the Pacific it seems almost blasphemous to forget about the contributions of those that inhabit the “Land of the Rising Sun.” If it weren’t for them, not only would we not have a lot of the franchises we love, but the industry as a whole would certainly not be as lively as it is today. Amped IGO would like to take this time to salute those Japanese designers who gave up their lives to make ours that much more bearable through interactive entertainment.
Author’s Note: This list is in no particular order. All of these people made worthwhile contributions to the industry.
Tomonobu Itagaki: This man is simply the definition of “cool.” It’s almost as if those sunglasses were fused onto his face at birth; he’s played the guitar since childhood for crying out loud. Itagaki is the man responsible for one of the most revered fighter series ever made: Dead or Alive. He joined Tecmo in 1992 and currently acts as the head of Team Ninja, one of the development teams within the huge Japanese publishing powerhouse. However, Dead or Alive isn’t the only thing that he’s been credited for. A little game called Ninja Gaiden has come across his desk as well. Fumito Ueda: He went from studying oil painting at Osaka University of Art to being the Director of the Sony Computer Entertainment Japan's Product Development Department. How did he do it? It took years of hard work, a bit of elbow grease and a little boy with horns projecting from his head. Ueda joined Sony in 1997, but only after teaching himself computer graphics and working as an animator for a studio called Warp for two years. After taking on the roles of Director, Lead Game Designer, and Art Designer for ICO in 2001, his career skyrocketed to new heights and his “design by subtraction” method has become his trademark and is responsible for the unique art-style found in his latest title: Shadow of the Colossus. Shigeru Miyamoto: This man requires no introduction, and if he does, then you shouldn’t even be holding that videogame controller. Well, that’s provided you’re a total geek like us. Miyamoto, considered by many to be the godfather of videogames, is the sole creator of the Mario, Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Pikmin series. He is by far the most respected man in the business. Even those not fans of his work at Nintendo have to credit him with basically bringing the industry where it is today. Mario would be a thought and a whisper without Miyamoto! If it weren’t for his major contributions we wouldn’t have web comics such as this. The point is, since he joined Nintendo in 1977 he’s proven his worth time and time again, until he got to where he is today; the Director and General Manager of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, and the first inductee into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ (AIAS) Hall of Fame (1998). Hironobu Sakaguchi: Some know him, some don’t, but nonetheless everyone knows his work. As the creator of the Final Fantasy series, the entire sub-genre of Japanese RPGs owes a lot to this gifted mind. While he is credited with other groundbreaking titles such as Chrono Trigger, by far he is better known for his work on the Final Fantasy series, as well as his directorial responsibilities for the multi-million dollar box-office bomb, Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. There are tarnishes in everyone’s careers, this happens to be his. However, as the third inductee into the AIAS’ Hall of Fame (2000), he has proven his value, and his development house, Mist Walker, is already hard at work on ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat (DS), Blue Dragon (Xbox 360), and Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360). Yu Suzuki: Yet another AIAS Hall of Famer (2003), Suzuki is behind major franchises such as Out Run and Shenmue. Most designers stick to one genre, but from his impressive track-record, which reaches as far back as 1985 with Space Harrier, it's obvious Suzuki was not afraid to dabble in various genres. Above and beyond his various achievements, probably the most well known is his 1993 creation, Virtua Fighter, which is actually recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as a great contribution to art and entertainment. It is apart of the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology Innovation and is honored at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. To say the least, he’s made it in life. Keiji Inafune: Inafune is probably one of the lesser known but just as deserving designers in this line-up, but nevertheless his creations are just as earth shattering. Inafune is the father of our beloved blue bomber, Mega Man. To this day Mega Man is a strong franchise and has seen its fair share of spotlight outside of the videogame industry, having been given its own television cartoon in 1995. Inafune is also responsible for the highly successful Onimusha series, Capcom’s fourth largest franchise. Inafune is currently the head of Capcom Production Studio 2; but looking back on his past, one will find that he started out on a relatively successful franchise with his first designer job being on the Street Fighter team. Without a doubt Capcom owes a lot of its success to this guy. Inafune is currently working on Dead Rising (Xbox 360). Hideo Kojima: The man, the myth, the legend: Mr. Kojima. By far, one of the most well known designers today, it shouldn’t even be necessary to outline his achievements. In a sense, Kojima’s Metal Gear series is responsible for the stealth/action genre as a whole. Metal Gear, originally released in 1987, set the ground work for a series that would grow to become one of the Playstation’s biggest assets. Whether you love him or not, everyone knows Solid Snake. However, Kojima is also credited with grand franchises such as Zone of the Enders and Boktai as well; both of which are highly successful. Once vice president of Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, he is now head of his own development house: Kojima Productions, which is currently working on a number of projects including Metal Gear Solid Ac!d 2 (PSP), Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2), and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot (PS3). And to think, he wanted to grow up to be a film director… Shinji Mikami: You may be asking yourself who this is, but you certainly know his work. This here is the creative mind behind the Resident Evil series; certainly one of the most well known franchises ever created. Before opening the fictional doors of the Umbrella Corporation in 1996, Mikami was working on Disney-licensed games Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Aladdin, and Goof Troop. To say the least, he made quite a departure from what people were accustomed to seeing from him. After Resident Evil’s success he increasingly became more of a business-head acting as executive producer for many popular games such as Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe. However, every so often he will take on a directorial role, as he did with P.N.03 and Resident Evil 4, which breathed new life into a dwindling franchise; this reasserts the quote: “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” Mikami is currently employed at independently operated Clover Studios, which receives funding from Capcom, and is working on an undisclosed project. Yuuji Horii: Another not-so-common name; Yuuji Horii has earned his stripes as a seasoned game designer by giving birth to the Dragon Quest series. Already up to its eighth installment, the Dragon Quest series is easily one of Square-Enix’s most prized franchises. Being formally schooled in literature, Horii worked as a freelancer for magazines, newspapers, and comic books before winning an Enix-sponsored “Game Programming Contest.” Winning the contest catapulted his ambitions for becoming a game designer and he has proven his mettle. He is currently the head of his own production company, Armor Project. Satoshi Tajiri: Being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome didn’t stop Tajiri from becoming one of the most successful game designers of all time. No, he doesn’t work for Capcom; he’s not Miyamoto’s secret mentor; in fact, if anything, it’s the other way around. He is the creator of the Pokemon series. Pokemon, also known as Pocket Monsters, is the second largest selling game franchise of all time. The mantra “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” dates back before Pokemon to Tajiri’s childhood days when he spent hours collecting insects. He and a few friends worked together to publish a games magazine dubbed Game Freak; the foundation for what would soon become the development team responsible for Pokemon, which carried the same namesake. There are still many other fantastic Japanese game designers, but to list them all and their achievements would take days. It’s easy to see how much the game industry as a whole owes to Japanese designers. Many of our most beloved franchises came out of the mountainous archipelago that is Japan, and unfortunately too many ethnocentric peoples in various parts of the gaming world forget that. Hopefully those people now realize that the reason this industry is as healthy as it is, is because of the concerted efforts of everyone worldwide; gamers and designers alike.
>> Q: AmpedNews.com All Images load from there
sponsored by Mika
Labels: videogame news, 日本 japan
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