Katamari creator coerced

By Ellie Gibson Published 28 September, 2005

Into sequel. Naughty Namco!

Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi has revealed that he originally had no intention of making a sequel to the game - until publisher Namco threatened to do one without him.

Speaking to MTV news, Takahashi said that he has always preferred to make original games, and had told his bosses more than once that a second Katamari game was not something he was interested in.

"But it came to a point where the company was willing to release a sequel without me," he said.

And to make matters worse, they weren't even talking about a proper new game - just the old one with Christmas graphics bunged in. A festively jazzed up re-release, in other words, which Takahashi said was "Against everything I wanted to do with Katamari."

So that was it - he had the choice of creating another Katamari game, or watching his baby have its limbs cut off and replaced with candy canes while mince pies were forced into its eye sockets. Wisely, he took the first option.

Nasty old Namco eh - but truth be told, we're rather glad they made Takahashi do a sequel to one of the bestest games EVER. And things could be worse - he could be working for Electronic Arts, which isn't his idea of a good time by the sounds of things...

"I realise that a lot of these sports games that big companies like EA make are very enjoyable," he told MTV.

But, "If you want to play a sports game, why not go outside and play sports?"

Discuss.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (17) Latest comment 7 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • vegard #1 7 years ago

    "If you want to play a sports game, why not go outside and play sports?"

    well, for one thing: my scrawny body wouldn't do well in, say, ice-hockey.

  • Teeth #2 7 years ago

    "...watching his baby have its limbs cut off and replaced with candy canes while mince pies were forced into its eye sockets."

    Blimey, you're on form today Ellie. Brilliant.

    Well, I think he made the right decision, and possibly there were things that could have been done to the original to make it better, so yeah. All good. But a new game might have been better if he'd had the choice!

  • Bitkari #3 7 years ago

    He said a very similar thing at GDCE a few weeks back.

    He seemed to feel rather resigned to the realities of the gaming industry - tho he does stick his neck out and let his concerns be known, which is more than most developers seem to be willing to do these days.

  • #4 7 years ago

    OMG! They DID Slurpy!

  • Feanor #5 7 years ago

    I read the same thing in an interview with Takahashi in Hardcore Gamer magazine which is a fairly new American games magazine. It sounded like there's no way he'll be involved with another Katamari game after Minna Daisuki. And he doesn't really like games that much.

  • Domstercool #6 7 years ago

    Poor guy. Atleast the sequel kicks arse though, so we are all happy.

  • smelly #7 7 years ago

    Eurogamer are katamari fanboys! They're anti all other games! I bet they hate pacman! Bloody fanboys!


    Please note : this is a (crap) joke aimed at all those kids out there who call eurogamer fanboys every time they DARE sayy they like or dislike a console or an exclusive game on it.
    Edited by smelly at 28/09/05 @ 15:31

  • OnlyMe #8 7 years ago

    "If you want to play a GTA game, why not move to america?"

    "If you want to play Medal of Honour, why not move to afghanistan?"

    "If you want to play Ace Combat, why not study under Bin Laden?"

  • absolutezero #9 7 years ago

    AAhhhh just another reason to hate Namco.

  • RandolphScott #10 7 years ago

    No seriously...go outside, get some fresh air.

  • ClansOfIntrigue #11 7 years ago

    It's cold outside!

  • Rociel #12 7 years ago

    Not to mention the bears that I hear dwell outside.

  • El_MUERkO #13 7 years ago

    Well if I wanted to roll around having things stick to me I'd smear myself in honey and run naked into tescos so neer!!

  • Zuiyo #14 7 years ago

    Well, when you sign your contract, you give up all intelectual property to your contractor. That is, Katamari Damacy is a creation of Takahashi under Namco's payroll, which makes it a Namco propierty. Screwed up? Yes. We see similar scenarios at the comic book industry in the US (Marvel) as compared to how the thing works in Japan (the author and publisher share the intelectual property and the author gets royalties with each copy sold).

    Good piece of news. Eurogamer's reforming!

  • Psi #15 7 years ago

    ah great he's now chained to the desk churning out annual replicas of his hit, either he has ideas on how to improve the game or he's out of new ideas.

  • space_ace #16 7 years ago

    a katamari level in a greedy videogames corporation would be nice.

  • The-Bodybuilder #17 7 years ago

    >"Not to mention the bears that I hear dwell outside."

    They swipped my pic-a-nic basket.