Key events
13th March 2009
19th February 2009
12th February 2009
After six years in space, Noby Noby Boy's GIRL returns home
Takahashi's eccentric PS3 game finally comes to an end.
Late last month we noted that Noby Noby Boy was continuing its curious progress, with players helping 'GIRL' all the way to Pluto. Now, Keita Takahashi's eccentric PlayStation 3 game has finally come to an end.
Rejoice! Noby Noby Boy's Girl has finally reached Pluto
Stretch goals.
It's been some time coming, but Noby Noby Boy continues to reach new milestones as it stretches out into the stars. Coming fast up to seven years since Keita Takahashi's delirious toy was released on PlayStation 3, players have helped Noby Noby Boy's girl make it all the way to Pluto (thanks for the spot, DarkZero.)
Noby Noby Boy hauled off App Store next week
"Thank you for playing this silly app."
Noby Noby Boy, the curious stretch 'em up from Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi, will be removed from sale on the App Store next week.
Katamari creator resurfaces with Glitch
Eccentric MMO launches today.
Glitch, a cute free-to-play browser MMO from a team that includes Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi among its ranks, launches today, developer Tiny Speck has announced.
Katamari Damacy creator making Glitch
Takahashi back in the game with an MMO.
Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi has returned to game development with Glitch, a massively multiplayer browser game.
Keita Takahashi: Why I left Namco
"I didn't belong there any more."
Katamary Damacy and Noby Noby Boy creator Keita Takahashi has for the first time explained his decision to quit publisher Namco Bandai after 11 years working for the company.
Takahashi forms new freelance company
Music, games and playgrounds, obviously.
Katamari creator Keita Takahashi has started up a new company with his wife.
FeatureGames of 2009: Noby Noby Boy
Stretching a point.
"I believe that it is alright to create a stupid and irresponsible game, I really do."
Planet contains random nonsense. Surprise.
Keita Takahashi's certifiable PSN game Noby Noby Boy has reached Jupiter on its stretchy journey through the solar system.
FeatureNoby Noby Boy's Keita Takahashi
On the new multiplayer update, with exclusive videos.
Keita Takahashi's PSN game Noby Noby Boy is updated today, gaining offline multiplayer support for four players, as well as improved sound and music and a few other novel features. We jumped at the opportunity to have another chat with the eccentric creator about the game we think is an absurdist masterpiece, even if it is just us. Below, Takahashi details the multiplayer, the unique linguistic flatulence features of the update, the iPhone version he revealed in his amazing GDC presentation, and more.
Takahashi: Noby Noby iPhone is "bait"
To fund more PS3 updates in future.
Noby Noby Boy creator Keita Takahashi has said that he's using the iPhone version of the game as "bait" to secure more funding for the ongoing development of the PS3 original.
Noby Noby Boy adds farts, multiplayer
Meaty title update out today.
Noby Noby Boy gets an automatic title update today that adds multiplayer, farts, poses and hair styles.
Katamari was comment on consumerism
"I don't use drugs at all" - Takahashi.
At his talk at last week's Game Developers Conference, Namco Bandai's Keita Takahashi revealed that he intended his first game, cult hit Katamari Damacy, to be a comment on consumer culture.
GDC: Noby Noby Boy coming to iPhone
Plus multiplayer update late next month.
Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi revealed that he's working on an iPhone extension of his PSN game Noby Noby Boy at his Game Developers Conference talk today.
Multiplayer confirmed for Noby Noby Boy
Offline but "still fun", says Takahashi.
Keita Takahashi has confirmed an offline multiplayer mode is on the way for Noby Noby Boy.
"In the hopes that more people can enjoy the game, we are currently working on an update," he wrote on the US PlayStation blog.
"A featured addition to the update is going to be offline multiplayer. Some may say, “Offline!?” But it’ll still be fun. Please check it out," Takahashi added.
Offline multi for Noby Noby Boy?
Plus new music, teases website.
Teaser images on the website for Noby Noby Boy suggest that the PSN game will be updated with an offline, four-player multiplayer mode soon.
Boy meets world.
When artistically-inclined creators set out to do something different in the videogame "space" - like thatgamecompany's Flower, to take a recent and excellent example - they often start with the subject matter, the atmosphere, the style. They might create something that has the bones of a game, but the looks of a painting and the heart of a song - something that creates a different mood in the player.
Noby Noby Boy, released today for PS3 on the PlayStation Network, isn't like those other experiments. It's deeper, wilder, more unhinged, more radical - and more brilliant. It disposes with even the bones of gaming, reducing it down to its very core - the simple notion of play - and then elevating that to an art form. It doesn't just change your mood; it changes your whole frame of mind.
Noby Noby, or nobinobi, is a Japanese term meaning to stretch, to relax, to be yourself, to take your time, to be late. In Noby Noby Boy, you control BOY, a cheerful little quadruped whose body can stretch to almost infinite length. You control his front and rear end independently, one with each analogue stick. Pull them away from each other and he stretches like rubber, straining for a second, before popping out into a rainbow-striped, floppy snake. Keep pulling and he keeps stretching, and growing, and stretching, and growing. And growing. And growing some more.
"Big update" due in around two months.
Speaking to Eurogamer in an interview published today, Namco's Keita Takahashi has revealed that his new PSN game, Noby Noby Boy, will get a substantial downloadable update in the near future.
FeatureNoby Noby Boy's Keita Takahashi
Katamari's creator on stretching, eating, sleeping, and inter-planetary peace. Exclusive videos inside!
Thursday sees the PSN release - for a mere GBP 3.19 / EUR 3.99 - of Noby Noby Boy, the new game by Katamari Damacy's creator Keita Takahashi.
Half a Flower.
Namco Bandai has told Eurogamer that Noby Noby Boy will cost GBP 3.19 in the UK when it launches on Thursday, 19th February.
Takahashi unsure why he made Noby
"Seriously, I don't know."
Namco Bandai's Keita Takahashi had admitted that even he has no bloody idea what Noby Noby Boy is all about, or why he made it.
Worms! Ragdoll Kung Fu! Diner Dash!
Sony plans to release Worms, Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic, Diner Dash and many others on PlayStation Network this spring.
That's according to a Sony US press release outlining plans for "PSN Spring Fever", which was sent out yesterday.
However, the same list reproduced on the US PlayStation blog has a few amendments, notably the removal of Worms and Diner Dash. There's no explanation, so we've gone in search of one. We'll let you know.
Noby Noby Boy to get February release
Not a "so-called 'game'" - Namco Bandai.
Namco Bandai has apparently said Noby Noby Boy will now be released on PlayStation Network worldwide from 19th February. Japan and Korea had expected a 29th January launch. Suckers.
Noby Noby Boy dated and priced
Katamari creator's next coming soon.
Namco and Sony have put a date and price - precise for Japan, vague for Europe - on Noby Noby Boy, the new PS3 game-thing from Katamari creator Keita Takahashi.
Katamari creator's new game set for TGS
Nobi Nobi Boy confirmed as PS3 exclusive.
The new game from Keita Takahashi, Nobi Nobi Boy, will be demoed at the Tokyo Game Show next week.
Katamari creator at GameCity.
Keita Takahashi used his keynote at this weekend's GameCity festival to show off an early demo of his new PlayStation 3 game Nobi Nobi Boy.
Katamari creator to keynote GameCity
Wealth of talent signs up.
Katamari Damacy developer Keita Takahashi will be delivering the keynote address at this year's GameCity event in the UK, GamesIndustry.biz is reporting - as well as showing his new title Nobi Nobi Boy for the first time in the West.
Nobi Nobi Boy for PS3.
Namco Bandai has revealed a new game from the creator of Katamari Damacy, Keita Takahashi.
