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The Biggest Game Dev You've Never Heard Of

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the busy-little-ninjas dept.

simoniker writes "Japan-based game developer Tose has 1,000 employees, and has created 1,100 game SKUs since 1979 (including Final Fantasy GBA versions, though they can't mention it in this interview!), but they're basically unknown, because they're 'game development ninjas', and 'refuse to put [their] names on the game'. Odd stuff."

24 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. Best response ever by flooey · · Score: 5, Funny
    From the article:
    GS: So how do you teach publishers that outsourcing is potentially beneficial? It seems like a lot of companies really want to keep things in-house.

    KS: We just beg them.
    1. Re:Best response ever by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny
      KS: We just beg them.

      Prease, prease, we velly good deveroper.

  2. Game development ninjas? by GroeFaZ · · Score: 5, Funny

    Like, they can TOTALLY FLIP OUT and WRITE GAMES?

    I for one dig that.

    --
    The grass is always greener on the other side of the light cone.
  3. Japanese vs American attitudes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's interesting to see the difference between Japanese and American attitudes here. Whereas Activision was founded primarily so that individual devs could get credit for their games, the biggest game development company, which is Japanese, doesn't even put it's name on games.

    1. Re:Japanese vs American attitudes by AKAImBatman · · Score: 4, Informative

      Activision was founded primarily so that individual devs could get credit for their games

      Arguably, that's because they weren't getting any money for their work. If the devs were paid what they were worth, I can assure you that they wouldn't have complained as much.

      What's funny is that Todd Frye (the creator of Atari Pacman for the 2600) got both money in the form of royalties AND fame for his work on PacMan! Even more amusing is that it was a rushed translation, and Mr. Frye didn't like PacMan! Some people have all the luck.

      Go Figure.

      --
      Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
  4. Interesting but... by GundamFan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This isn't that surprising, large cooperations contract smaller companies to do work under there name all the time. That said, I do find these kind of "How stuff gets made" and "Who makes that?" articles fascinating, thanks for the link.

    --
    I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
    Mark Twain
  5. Am I wrong here by rolfwind · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But from the interview, it sounds more like they act as subcontractors than actual game developers.

    They don't design the house (architect), don't pay for it (home owner), but 9-5 mondays to fridays, look at the specs and build it.

    Otherwise, all of their moves, like not insisting on retaining the IP, make no sense.

    1. Re:Am I wrong here by chrismcdirty · · Score: 3, Insightful

      But would you say that the subcontractors didn't build the house because they weren't involved in the design or purchase? They're still developing the game, but they're given a set of requirements and develop the game according to those requirements. It seems like what every other software developer does.

      --
      It's like sex, except I'm having it!
  6. Not sure about these guys... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Do we really want somebody with this kind of power making our games?

  7. Scary by Perseid · · Score: 3, Insightful

    From the article:
    We try to act behind the scenes, and we follow our clients' desires, instructions and everything, so our policy is not to have a vision. In our company, we follow the customer's vision.

    Programming for these guys must be loads of fun. Yikes.

    1. Re:Scary by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You see, that's the thing. They program for you! ; )

      --
      This guy's the limit!
    2. Re:Scary by I8TheWorm · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Maybe it's better to have no vision than a completely distorted one? Not that I speak from experience or anything...

      --
      Saying Android is a family of phones is akin to saying Linux is a family of PCs.
    3. Re:Scary by hal2814 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It's all a matter of perspective. I used to work construction and I can tell you that I'd much rather spend my day in a cubicle than framing houses or pouring concrete. Fortunately, I have an office now but there are far worse fates than getting a cubicle for a workspace.

    4. Re:Scary by LooseIsNotLose · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Not a very forward thinking professor, then. I am a programmer by trade, and my Oracle cubicle is about to be given away because I'm never there. With my (company) laptop, I can do my job anywhere--at home in my PJs, in the local coffee shop, or while visiting relatives in Alaska. How many jobs give you this level of freedom for a decent wage and benefits?

      To be fair, the first time I was a CS major in the early 90s, I didn't really see where the Internet wave was going to take us, myself. Sure, I'd been online since 1983, but somehow it never seemed real to me that I would truly be able to telecommute like this. When I went back to school in the late 90s, I had missed the crest of the wave, when many were able to get rich for doing almost nothing, but I now had the attainable goal in mind of finding a non-geographically-fixed job.

      I recently re-watched James Burke's The Day the Universe Changed, made in 1985, and found it a little eerie how well he described my current working conditions in the first episode.

  8. I know a bigger one... by dreddnott · · Score: 2, Funny

    Back in college there was this really TALL and FAT guy, I mean he was BIG!

    He's actually the biggest game dev I know, but nobody's heard of him...

    --
    I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.
  9. At least they have history by Kabuthunk · · Score: 3, Funny

    As they said in the interview, they have a good portfolio. It'd be kinda nice to see WHAT is in their portfolio though. For all I know, they're the ones behind all those godawful Mary Kate & Ashley games, or Barbie Horse Adventure or some such. Might explain why they don't put their names on games :P

    --
    Planet Zebeth - Metroid with a twist
  10. Could we get a look at their portfolio? by Opportunist · · Score: 2, Funny

    I mean, I know a few games that would make me understand why someone refuses to put his name on the "I did it" list...

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  11. AH, that explains it! by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 4, Funny

    It makes sense now... Game Dev. Ninjas are at war with Software Pirates, YARRRRRRRR!!!

  12. Re:Mission accomprished by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Mission accomprished. All SrashDot deveropers are berong to us...

    "ME SO SOLLY! AH SO!"

    Dude, it's the twenty-first century. Can we try to show a LITTLE respect for foreign cultures?

  13. Not that unusual by nuggz · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It sounds like a funny answer, but really it isn't that unusual.

    It's surprising how much is available when you just ask the right way.

    Being at the right place at the right time and simply asking "can I help out" can really get you places.

  14. Credits by Hangeron · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I saw a quote related to this recently. I don't remember the exact words but the gist of it was that a team gets much more done when they don't have to care about who gets the credit.

    I really think it can help a lot in making the team feel more like a unit and reduce work related stress.

  15. Game development turtles: by wideBlueSkies · · Score: 2, Funny

    In a related story, the biggest game we've never played is described here.

    --
    Huh?
  16. Which is best? by Phat_Tony · · Score: 2, Funny

    So who would win, Game Developer Ninjas, Game Developer Pirates, Game Developer Robots, or Game Developer Monkeys?

    --
    Can anyone tell me how to set my sig on Slashdot?
  17. Fresh and amusing excerpts from TFA... by dstone · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's a pretty funny, blunt interview. A few snippets, for those too lazy to RTF...

    GS: How come we've never heard of you until right now?
    KS: Well we're based in Kyoto, right? So we're ninja. You can't find us!

    KS: Our policy is not to have a vision.

    KS: We just beg them.
    GS: Seems like when you've made 1,100 games you shouldn't have to beg.

    GS: What's your stock value?
    SC: It's about 16 dollars now. We've had better days.