Katamari Creator Opens Up About Leaving Namco
News - Industry
Written by Jayce Diaz Tuesday, November 02 2010 10:03
Back in September, Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy creator Keita Takahashi parted with Namco-Bandai after 11 years of history together. Aside from calling Namco a "so-so" company, he never really said much about why. After two months, it seems he was finally ready to talk.
Speaking with Eurogamer, Takahashi admitted that he started to feel a bit out of place at Namco.
"The reason why I quit Namco was because I started to feel like I didn't belong there any more. The games I was making were not necessarily the best-selling ones. I realised Namco was, as a business, going down a bit. Also, my colleagues were leaving to do another project. I started to feel like I didn't belong there any more."
Takahashi also goes on to express his displeasure with the industry's current obsession with game sequels, stating that he hasn't, "...seen anyone trying to make something really new out of the profit they made from those sequels."
All in all, its a good read for those of us who were fans of his work. What with all the craziness surrounding companies like Infinity Ward or designers like Keiji Inafune, it's nice to see an exit by a major player without all the Katamari DRAMAcy, so to speak.
Keita Takahashi: Why I left Namco (Eurogamer)
