Kaffee
03-03-2005, 05:57 AM
Microsoft Signs More Big Shots
Okamoto and Mizaguchi sign on for Xbox 2.
by James Mielke
03/02/2005
Hot on the heels of last week's Sakaguchi announcement (where Microsoft signed the Final Fantasy creator's new studio, Mistwalker, to develop two new games for the next-gen Xbox), Microsoft Game Studios today announced that they have signed both Game Republic's Yoshiki Okamoto and Q Entertainment's Tetsuya Mizuguchi to develop new titles for the next-generation Xbox console. Yoshiki Okamoto, who is the president and CEO of his development studio, Game Republic, is better known as the brainchild behind the Street Fighter and Resident Evil series. And Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the chief creative officer and producer for Q Entertainment (Lumines, Meteos), was the driving force behind fan-favorites Sega Rally Championship, Space Channel 5, and Rez.
Microsoft had prepared statements from both Okamoto and Mizuguchi. Okamoto said, "My goal in creating these games is to make completely fresh and riveting experiences that gamers have never had before. With the next-generation Xbox platform, I can turn this vision into a reality."
Mizuguchi's statement read, "By combining various factors, including exciting storylines, action, graphics and music, I've created video games that have brought gamers the ultimate fun in gaming. Now, I hope to create games that will give gamers the most emotional and thrilling gaming experience possible -- joy, thrills, sympathy and speed. The power and advanced technologies of the next-generation Xbox platform will enable winning games with powerful emotions, high-quality graphics and sound."
Former Sega, and now-Microsoft mouthpiece, Peter Moore, chimed in with, "We are excited for Mizuguchi-san and Okamoto-san to develop next generation Xbox games unlike anything the world has ever seen. Gamers will be riveted by the experiences enabled by such creators when given the proper canvas and tools."
But in an effort to cut through the muck of happy-go-lucky glad-handing and corporate catchphrases, we got Microsoft Game Studio's general manager, Shane Kim, on the horn to go over the nitty gritty of what this announcement means for both the next-gen Xbox and you.
1UP Interview With Shane Kim
1UP: Ok, so what does this mean for gamers? A quick recap, please.
SK: Following on the heels of last week's announcement with Sakaguchi-san, we're partnering Microsoft Game Studios with Yoshiki Okamoto and Tetsuya Mizuguchi to work on next-generation Xbox titles with us on a first-party basis.
1UP: So is this in tandem, together, or separately on their own individual projects?
SK: No, they're working on separate things. So we're bring the number of independent creators up to three.
1UP: With Sakaguchi, you have him on board for two titles to start with. Have you discussed how many titles both Okamoto and Mizuguchi will supply for Microsoft Game Studios?
SK: We're not making any announcement with the games or the number of games from these guys. We're just announcing that we're bringing them on board at this time. We'll have more to say soon, but for now we're just announcing the partnership.
1UP: Signing up both of these guys sends a signal that the Japanese market is very important to you. Why did Microsoft go after these guys in particular?
SK: Well, we kind of went after each other, to be honest. First of all, we have said that we're still committed, very much so, to the Japanese market. We've learned a lot of lessons during the Xbox generation. We know that that's still the cradle of a lot of the creativity, that it's a big gaming market still. So we've been committed to that market and it hasn't changed. These guys, I think, once they understood where we're planning to go with Xbox in the future -- I think you'd probably have to ask them -- but I think they're partnering with us because they believe we give them the best chance for them to realize their creative dreams.
1UP: In regards to Mizuguchi-san, his games -- Rez, Space Channel 5, and now Lumines for PSP -- are very well received by the hardcore community, for being innovative, forward-thinking, etc. But (with the exception of Lumines, which remains to be seen) none of his games since Sega Rally have sold particularly well. Are you guys nudging him in any sort of direction, is commercial viability a concern, or are you letting him have free reign?
SK: I'll make a general statement: usually we don't tell game creators what to do. We really do try to work with artists who believe in their passion about their own ideas. So I don't think Mizuguchi-san is any different in this particular case, he's a wonderfully talented guy, who's got a broad range of abilities and imagination, as you know. We're excited about his ideas, and we believe it's a title that's going to resonate with a lot of people.
1UP: Regarding Okamoto-san, before he left Capcom he was working on a number of projects, many of which mysteriously disappeared once he broke out on his own. Any insights as to whether he's bringing some of these to the Xbox, or are these all-new projects?
SK: I honestly don't know, so I can't comment.
1UP: Now that you guys have Sakaguchi, Okamoto and Mizuguchi on board, is it safe to say we can expect more announcements of this nature? We see a pattern forming here, and it seems like you're building up a lot of steam going into E3.
SK: Yeah, well I think you should always be on the lookout for great news from us. I don't have anything specifically planned that I can tell you about, but you should stay tuned.
1UP: With all this focus on signing up Japanese developers, is this geared towards winning over the Japanese market, or are their titles being developed with an international audience and cross-over appeal in mind?
SK: What I'd say is, again we're not getting specific with the titles, but these guys are people who have enjoyed success outside of their markets as well. I think these guys are respected game creators. Obviously, this announcement, we expect to have a big impact in Japan. These are very well respected guys in the development community there, and so, much like Sakaguchi's announcement last week, this is going to resonate pretty loudly, we believe, in Japan. But the good news is that these guys are known outside of Japan as well and many of their titles are known outside of Japan. So I think, our hope is that their titles are going to resonate around the world.
1UP: And this is in addition to your already-established 3rd-party support from companies like Sega and Namco.
SK: Well, the great news is that we do have a lot of good 3rd-party support, and that support is growing. That's definitely a true statement generally speaking, and I think it's true in Japan as well. But this is a big commitment from Microsoft from a 1st-party standpoint, and it sends a very strong signal to the Japanese market.
1UP: Since these are first-party titles, developed by independent studios, will there be additional financial support given to them? Do they get access to the proprietary software libraries, etc., that your top-tier internal development does?
SK: Well, that's our partnership. That's not that different from how we work with our studios in Microsoft Game Studios publishing. Just like any of our partners, whether you're talking about Bioware, Epic, or Bizarre Creations, off the top of my head. They're just like that. That's the caliber of people that we're working with, and these guys will have the same benefits of being of a first-party partner, as those guys, because we think they can make the same kind of impact we need to make in first party.
Okamoto and Mizaguchi sign on for Xbox 2.
by James Mielke
03/02/2005
Hot on the heels of last week's Sakaguchi announcement (where Microsoft signed the Final Fantasy creator's new studio, Mistwalker, to develop two new games for the next-gen Xbox), Microsoft Game Studios today announced that they have signed both Game Republic's Yoshiki Okamoto and Q Entertainment's Tetsuya Mizuguchi to develop new titles for the next-generation Xbox console. Yoshiki Okamoto, who is the president and CEO of his development studio, Game Republic, is better known as the brainchild behind the Street Fighter and Resident Evil series. And Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the chief creative officer and producer for Q Entertainment (Lumines, Meteos), was the driving force behind fan-favorites Sega Rally Championship, Space Channel 5, and Rez.
Microsoft had prepared statements from both Okamoto and Mizuguchi. Okamoto said, "My goal in creating these games is to make completely fresh and riveting experiences that gamers have never had before. With the next-generation Xbox platform, I can turn this vision into a reality."
Mizuguchi's statement read, "By combining various factors, including exciting storylines, action, graphics and music, I've created video games that have brought gamers the ultimate fun in gaming. Now, I hope to create games that will give gamers the most emotional and thrilling gaming experience possible -- joy, thrills, sympathy and speed. The power and advanced technologies of the next-generation Xbox platform will enable winning games with powerful emotions, high-quality graphics and sound."
Former Sega, and now-Microsoft mouthpiece, Peter Moore, chimed in with, "We are excited for Mizuguchi-san and Okamoto-san to develop next generation Xbox games unlike anything the world has ever seen. Gamers will be riveted by the experiences enabled by such creators when given the proper canvas and tools."
But in an effort to cut through the muck of happy-go-lucky glad-handing and corporate catchphrases, we got Microsoft Game Studio's general manager, Shane Kim, on the horn to go over the nitty gritty of what this announcement means for both the next-gen Xbox and you.
1UP Interview With Shane Kim
1UP: Ok, so what does this mean for gamers? A quick recap, please.
SK: Following on the heels of last week's announcement with Sakaguchi-san, we're partnering Microsoft Game Studios with Yoshiki Okamoto and Tetsuya Mizuguchi to work on next-generation Xbox titles with us on a first-party basis.
1UP: So is this in tandem, together, or separately on their own individual projects?
SK: No, they're working on separate things. So we're bring the number of independent creators up to three.
1UP: With Sakaguchi, you have him on board for two titles to start with. Have you discussed how many titles both Okamoto and Mizuguchi will supply for Microsoft Game Studios?
SK: We're not making any announcement with the games or the number of games from these guys. We're just announcing that we're bringing them on board at this time. We'll have more to say soon, but for now we're just announcing the partnership.
1UP: Signing up both of these guys sends a signal that the Japanese market is very important to you. Why did Microsoft go after these guys in particular?
SK: Well, we kind of went after each other, to be honest. First of all, we have said that we're still committed, very much so, to the Japanese market. We've learned a lot of lessons during the Xbox generation. We know that that's still the cradle of a lot of the creativity, that it's a big gaming market still. So we've been committed to that market and it hasn't changed. These guys, I think, once they understood where we're planning to go with Xbox in the future -- I think you'd probably have to ask them -- but I think they're partnering with us because they believe we give them the best chance for them to realize their creative dreams.
1UP: In regards to Mizuguchi-san, his games -- Rez, Space Channel 5, and now Lumines for PSP -- are very well received by the hardcore community, for being innovative, forward-thinking, etc. But (with the exception of Lumines, which remains to be seen) none of his games since Sega Rally have sold particularly well. Are you guys nudging him in any sort of direction, is commercial viability a concern, or are you letting him have free reign?
SK: I'll make a general statement: usually we don't tell game creators what to do. We really do try to work with artists who believe in their passion about their own ideas. So I don't think Mizuguchi-san is any different in this particular case, he's a wonderfully talented guy, who's got a broad range of abilities and imagination, as you know. We're excited about his ideas, and we believe it's a title that's going to resonate with a lot of people.
1UP: Regarding Okamoto-san, before he left Capcom he was working on a number of projects, many of which mysteriously disappeared once he broke out on his own. Any insights as to whether he's bringing some of these to the Xbox, or are these all-new projects?
SK: I honestly don't know, so I can't comment.
1UP: Now that you guys have Sakaguchi, Okamoto and Mizuguchi on board, is it safe to say we can expect more announcements of this nature? We see a pattern forming here, and it seems like you're building up a lot of steam going into E3.
SK: Yeah, well I think you should always be on the lookout for great news from us. I don't have anything specifically planned that I can tell you about, but you should stay tuned.
1UP: With all this focus on signing up Japanese developers, is this geared towards winning over the Japanese market, or are their titles being developed with an international audience and cross-over appeal in mind?
SK: What I'd say is, again we're not getting specific with the titles, but these guys are people who have enjoyed success outside of their markets as well. I think these guys are respected game creators. Obviously, this announcement, we expect to have a big impact in Japan. These are very well respected guys in the development community there, and so, much like Sakaguchi's announcement last week, this is going to resonate pretty loudly, we believe, in Japan. But the good news is that these guys are known outside of Japan as well and many of their titles are known outside of Japan. So I think, our hope is that their titles are going to resonate around the world.
1UP: And this is in addition to your already-established 3rd-party support from companies like Sega and Namco.
SK: Well, the great news is that we do have a lot of good 3rd-party support, and that support is growing. That's definitely a true statement generally speaking, and I think it's true in Japan as well. But this is a big commitment from Microsoft from a 1st-party standpoint, and it sends a very strong signal to the Japanese market.
1UP: Since these are first-party titles, developed by independent studios, will there be additional financial support given to them? Do they get access to the proprietary software libraries, etc., that your top-tier internal development does?
SK: Well, that's our partnership. That's not that different from how we work with our studios in Microsoft Game Studios publishing. Just like any of our partners, whether you're talking about Bioware, Epic, or Bizarre Creations, off the top of my head. They're just like that. That's the caliber of people that we're working with, and these guys will have the same benefits of being of a first-party partner, as those guys, because we think they can make the same kind of impact we need to make in first party.