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Katamari Creator Wasn't Interested in Sequel
MTV Games, in a report on the Katamari sequel, reports that game creator Keita Takahashi wasn't slightly interested in making a sequel. From the article: "Suddenly celebrated for his originality, Takahashi would soon have to tackle the possibly contradictory idea of doing a sequel. He told his bosses at Namco several times that he wouldn't do one. 'But it came to a point where the company was willing to release a sequel without me,' he said. He discovered that the company's planned sequel seemed more like a re-release, primarily swapping Christmas graphics into the original game. 'That went against everything I wanted to do with Katamari,' he said. So he agreed to get involved. "
"Miyamoto's not interested in making new Mario games? Alright, tell him we're making one without him where Mario plays baseball or some shit. That'll scare him straight."
Well, being that I typically hate video game (and movie) sequels, I was worried when I decided I *had* to buy this one. I ordered it on Amazon and after noticing that the delivery date (from 9/25) was in late November I had a friend buy it for me at Gamespot.
The gameplay is nearly the same (look and feel wise) but they have added new and different challenges and removed most of the annoyances that the first version had (getting stuck under objects or moving to slow when you were huge during eternal levels).
I enjoy the new soundtrack immensely and love the crisper and clear graphics they've added. It's basically the same damn game but 100x better.
Thank you for releasing a worthwhile sequel that was still true to the original! If you haven't played We Love Katamari yet, I suggest you do.
I was actually hoping that We Love Katamari would have been developed by a separate team. This way the original group could continue doing innovative things, but then all of us who really liked the first team and wanted more could have that too.
Though from the sound of it, the sequel was much better for the presence of Takahashi. Sad that he was pushed into it.
It always gives me hope to hear about teams like the group working on Shadow of the Colossus. A group that has apparently been allowed to work on their project with no outside involvement. Being able to make basically whatever they want and take as much time as they needed on it. That sort of artistic freedom has me sold. That and the sheer beauty of their style.
You could sort of tell, from the way the game is presented. The King of All Cosmos seems terribly bored with the whole idea, and amazed that we're still interested in katamaring. He only obliges because the fans flatter him and insist. I am very glad the game came out, it's all kinds of fun, but it wasn't exactly nessicary. Katamari Damacy was quite sufficient in the first place.
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It doesn't seem like they were actually planning to release what they showed him. (Christmas graphics? Oh please!) They just wanted him to go "Oh no! I can't let them ruin my vision!" so he'd do the second one.
The whole thing seems silly to me, I mean, a dude running around with a little ball. What's the point. Roll an average sized ball around a course over and over again? There's no progression whatsoever! Give me a sword or a gun, not some huge ball rolling toward m-oh shi-,
"I only speak the truth"
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They could lose one of their best designers. There has been alot of game designers who have quit working at a company because they were forced to make sequels or weren't allowed to be creative. The first two that come to my mind are when Gunpei Yokoi and Masahiro Sakurai. One of which wasn't even allowed to make games and the other was forced to create sequels. To be fair to Nintendo, they didn't allow Gunpei Yokoi to create games because he created the failure that was the Virtual Boy.
To a certain extent Katamari Damacy was sufficient. But at the same time, for me playing that as well as the new one just increases a desire to roll up new and stranger things.
They make me think of things like rolling up microscopic objects. Sure, the game is awesome when you get huge. But wouldn't it also be cool if you could roll up the whole world after starting at the subatomic level? Or perhaps setting stages in other times and settings. Like rolling up the battle of Waterloo. Or maybe a haunted house or something. The joy of rolling up new stuff in different places to me seems like it could just keep going in so many different ways.
Sure looks legit to me. They even have videos of gameplay.
Does that mean he was, instead, greatly interested in making a sequel?
On a side note, I just bought Katamari Demacy for my wife this weekend. We haven't played it (or even opened it yet), but based on the reviews, I think she's gonna dig it.
Keita Takahashi, is that you?
That'd be absofuckinglutely awesome. I'd love to see Napoleon yelling Sacre balls! GAAHH!! as he gets added to the rolling mix.
You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
I have to say I'm a bit saddened that he didn't stick to his convictions on this. If he would have stuck with "no I don't want to work on this sequel" and they did put out the other game without his support at least it would have shown as some sort of protest to making the unnecessary sequel and shown the public (well the public that hears about it anyway) that designers do actually care about their product enough that they wont be part of it's uninspired sequel.
The fact that designers are willing to let go their ideals is one of the reason I think that games aren't being taken seriously as a form of expression/art. What are you trying to express if you're willing to put a sticker on it, put it out as a sequel, and say that it's better then the previous artistic expression?
I loved the original Katamari Damacy. The visuals, game play, and sounds were all just so different then the conventional video game. I saw the game as a breath of fresh air in a game industry that is growing stale.
In my opinion, contrary to previous posters, I don't find we love Katamari worth buying if you already own Katamari Damacy. The game play and concepts are exactly the same as the last game with a shiny new wrapper. You're still just rolling a ball trying to get it bigger in every level. They may add an additional theme for a level (you're not rolling a ball this time you're rolling a thin sumo wrestler) but that's the entire difference.
To me this sequel is about as much of an addition and improvement to the original game as Metal Gear Solid VR Missions added to Metal Gear Solid. It turned an original creative idea into a gimmick.