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Katamari Creator Getting Out Of Games

Posted by Zonk on from the kat-a-mari dept.

The BBC reports that Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi sees himself in a different field in 10 years. From the article: "'I would like to create a playground for children,' he said. 'A normal playground is flat but I want an undulating one, with bumps.' At first glance, this seems a strange ambition for a game designer. But Mr Takahashi has a degree in sculpture and Katamari is all about a tactile world. And he believes children should spend more time in the physical world and less time wrapped up in the virtual world of games."

8 of 35 comments (clear)

  1. Not Really Much of a Surprise by Swimmin'+Pants · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This doesn't really come as a surprise, considering Takahashi has said numerous times that he doesn't even really like video games that much.

    Nonetheless, it's kind of disappointing to see Takahashi, someone who came out of literally nowhere to deliver something completely unique to the industry, leaving it.

  2. Amen to that. by Datamonstar · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I didn't get to actually meet him, but I was prigiledged to see a quick glimpse of him close-up at GDC this year. He seems like a really down to earth guy who was not at all expecting the level of fame that he's aquired for himself with katamari. And yes, the real side of video games is... ugly. It's a shame that the nice people who want to change the world for the better through their art have to put up with the ugly "business" side of it. At least he got to get a small part his vision out to the world in the form of Katamari.

    --
    The eternal struggle of good vs. evil begins within one's self.
  3. Can't really blame him by MilenCent · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've played hundreds of games, from the Atari 2600 days through to today, and it'd depressing for me to notice that my opinion of video games is largely the same as his.

    There's just not that much interesting out there. I even come to agree with him on his synopsis of Nintendo games, which is about as positive as I've heard from him. He said, of Mario and Zelda, that they're good and fun, well-made, but you probably won't be surprised by them.

    Here's what I consider to be the great tragedy here. This is a man who is so obviously equipped to be one of the greatest game designers we've ever known. Out of the gates he created Katamari Damacy! And video games are, arguably, the creative field with the most potential.

    But all that potential is, most of the time, wasted.

    1. Re:Can't really blame him by Have+Blue · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Just to play devil's advocate, what makes you think lightning would strike twice? Game designers can be one-hit wonders just as much as musicians can. John Romero was a highly respected industry superstar back in the late 90s (stop laughing, I'm serious).

    2. Re:Can't really blame him by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I've played hundreds of games, from the Atari 2600 days through to today, and it'd depressing for me to notice that my opinion of video games is largely the same as his.

      I've reached just about the same conclusion. The industry is stagnating. Good games are hetting harder and harder to find amid all the crud. Maybe a new breed of independant companies will usher in a new era and sweep it all away. Maybe new technology will enable more innovative games. Maybe open source is lead the way to better games.

      But probably not. It's most likely that, like holloywood, the game industry will continuously churn out absolute rubbish, with the occassional diamond in the rough appearing every 18 months or so. We most likely will never see the equivalent of Super Mario World hitting the shelves any time soon.

      --
      May the Maths Be with you!
  4. Huh?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "envisioning himself in a different field in 10 years" != "getting out of games". The headline made it seem like he quit his job...sheesh. A better headline would have been "Katamari creator thinks it's possible he may not be making games forever...or maybe he will...we dont know. Who do you think we are that we would know everything? Jeez." It IS a bit long, but accurate...and it addresses any complaints people might have.

  5. Just imagine... by sinsofthedove · · Score: 3, Funny
    Your kids are playing happily, running around in this nice new playground, when suddenly! They are scooped up by Little Billy from next door and all three roll off in search of more children! Small animals! Buckets! Sunflowers!

    Not that his design powers can make kids any stickier than they already are, but I'd be worried. Entropy would be high.

  6. Re:Dude! by rincebrain · · Score: 2, Insightful

    When the playground is built for someone one-fifth your size, yes one is.

    --
    It's only an insult if it's not true.