keita takahashi
Latest
Whimsical 'Wattam' debuts on Steam December 18th
The Katamari Damacy creator's friend-making game, 'Wattam,' is coming to Steam on December 18th after spending a year on the Epic Games Store.
Katamari creator's friend-making game 'Wattam' arrives December 17th
Ready to once again dive into the weird-but-welcoming mind of Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi? You won't have to wait too much longer. Funomena and Annapurna Interactive have finally nailed down a release date for the friendship-focused Wattam, and now expect to release it on PS4 and PC (through the Epic Games Store) on December 17th. It's available for pre-order on Epic's store now for a discounted $17, and you should see a similar discount for the PS4 when it reaches the PlayStation Store. The game is eventually coming to Steam, although there's no date for that just yet.
Katamari creator's friendship game 'Wattam' arrives in December
You won't have to wait too much longer for a new game from Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi. His weird but adorable Wattam is now slated to arrive on PS4 sometime in December 2019. To recap, it's all about a mayor who wants to reconnect with friends through increasingly oddball activities, like making eyelid characters cry using an onion -- yes it's definitely a Takahashi game. It's meant to be the polar opposite of the violent, conflict-driven titles you normally see, and it might be worth a look if you want a break from the angst of the modern world.
Keita Takahashi and Journey producer Robin Hunicke working on new project
During the E3 alternative Horizon conference, former Journey producer and now Funomena head Robin Hunicke announced a partnership with Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy creator Keita Takahashi. Very little was revealed about the game, though Takahashi asked the audience to "imagine blocks coming to life." The idea came from playing with his son, said Takahashi. The game will be present at tonight's Horizon mixer, and we'll be on the scene.
Takahashi shows off over 200 unused Glitch ideas
It may be gone, but it's not forgotten. Tiny Speck's browser-based MMO Glitch closed late last year, but a recent addition to the game site's encyclopedia adds almost 200 internal design "Quick Ideas" from designer Keita Takahashi. These notes not only prove that Glitch was (and could have further been) a truly unique MMO, but they show why Takahashi was hired in the first place. OK, Katamari Damacy probably had something to do with it I guess. If you were (and are) a fan of Glitch, this is certainly worth a look. Be prepared for the sads.
'Alphabet' made by Takahashi and Saltsman for LA Game Space backers
Alphabet (written by its creators as A͈L͈P͈H͈A͈B͈E͈T͈) is a new game put together by Katamari Damacy's Keita Takahashi and Canabalt's Adam Saltsman. It was created for the bundle of indie games being given away to Kickstarter backers of the LA Game Space.The mysterious Alphabet will be shown off later this week in Austin as part of "Juegos Rancheros," an event for the game development community. Also on display will be Takahashi's Tenya Wayna Teens, which involves two players – with sixteen buttons each – trying to avoid awkward social mishaps while trying to express teen love.Alphabet, whatever it is, will be rewarded to backers as a playable game for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Your first fleeting look at Keita Takahashi's 'Tenya Wanya Teens'
No questions will be answered by the six seconds of Vined gameplay shown here, in which two people use their delightfully be-socked feet to play Keita Takahashi's Tenya Wanya Teens. There's a "Confess!" button, and kneeling, and part of it takes place in a bathroom, and ... we don't know.Sure is cute, though! If anything, we're happy to be on the verge of discovering something weird and new.
Katamari creator Takahashi meets the Tenya Wanya Teens
Tenya Wanya Teens is a new game from Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy creator Keita Takahashi and his wife Asuka Sakai. Their studio, Uvula, is creating Tenya Wanya Teens in collaboration with UK outfit Wild Rumpus and indie game site Venus Patrol, the latter which describes the game as "a coming-of-age tale about love, hygiene, monsters and finding discarded erotic magazines in the woods."Tenya Wanya Teens was originally set to be unveiled during GDC, as a party game for two players using massive 16-button controllers. Game designer Robin Hunicke posted this image of the prototype controllers onto Instagram recently, and Wild Rumpus is currently working on the final controllers that will be unveiled alongside the game next week. Plans are also in motion for an actual release to the gaming public at large, ridiculous controller and all.
Keita Takahashi unveiling new multiplayer game during GDC
Keita Takahashi, creator of the Katamari Damacy series and Noby Noby Boy, is currently working on a new multiplayer-focused game. Takahashi will unveil his new work during the joint Wild Rumpus/Venus Patrol party on March 27 during GDC in San Francisco.Wild Rumpus and Venus Patrol both collaborated with Takahashi on the new project, and promise all parties involved will reveal more on the lead-up to GDC at the end of March. Takahashi's last collaboration was with Canabalt creator Adam Saltsman, late last year when the two contributed to the LA Game Space Kickstarter campaign.
Katamari and Canabalt creators make a game just for LA Game Space
LA Game Space has 10 days to reach its Kickstarter goal and is half way there, with $125,000 more to go. Today it's sweetening the deal for potential backers: Keita Takahashi, the creator of Katamari Damacy, and Adam Saltsman, the (running) man behind Canabalt, are teaming up to create a game just for people who back the project.Anyone who pledges $5 or more to the LA Game Space Kickstarter will get Takahashi and Saltsman's game – whatever it turns out being – for PC, Mac or Linux. This is on top of the reward for pledges of $15 and more, which offers 30 new games from prominent indie developers such as Hotline Miami's Cactus, Steve Swink of Scale, Ben Esposito of Unfinished Swan, and Adventure Time's Pendleton Ward in collaboration with QWOP's Bennett Foddy, among others. Check out the entire list on on the Kickstarter's main page.LA Game Space is looking to create a hub of game creation in Los Angeles, featuring development tools, pseudo classrooms, mentorship and networking opportunities, along with game development workshops streamed, for free, around the world. We interviewed co-founder Adam Robezzoli in a special episode of the Super Joystiq Podcast; give it a listen right here.
Namco Bandai removing Noby Noby Boy from iOS App Store
The iOS version of Noby Noby Boy, which isn't so much a port of the PlayStation 3 original insomuch as a weird collection of Noby Noby Boy-based activities, is being removed from the App Store on Tuesday, October 9, according to creator Keita Takahashi's personal blog.The $1.99 app is being removed by Namco Bandai itself (rather than, say, Apple) for unknown reasons – though the app's Facebook integration and cumulative point goals haven't been functioning properly for a few months, which may have something to do with it. No announcements were made regarding the cancellation of any other Noby-related services, such as the PS3 version's worldwide goal of having GIRL reach the edge of the solar system."Thank you for playing this silly app," says Takahashi. Anyone interested in grabbing Noby Noby Boy for their iDevice of choice before it disappears can do so here.
Tiny Speck's 'Glitch' MMO launches today [update]
Update: if you're having trouble getting in (it's open to all, but there might be a wait), Tiny Speck has set up a "fast pass" site for Joystiq readers here. Glitch, the cute browser MMO set inside the minds of giant monsters, is officially opening up to the public today at 10AM PDT after a long beta period. The game is the work of Tiny Speck, a new company formed by Stewart Butterfield, Cal Henderson, Eric Costello, and Serguei Mourachov, four co-founders of Flickr. It's a free-to-play game with subscription and virtual currency options, both used for avatar customization items. Speaking to me in a phone interview yesterday, Butterfield claimed that the game is playable in a casual style, but also accommodates players interested in a more intense experience. "We wanted to have enough depth to capture the imaginations of people who want to go deep," he said. "There are 1000-plus items and 90 skills." Glitch has potential for emergent gameplay, which he compared to Eve Online, though he was quick to note that it's not as combat-oriented as Eve and more fun to actually play. For example, he related an anecdote from the beta, about players creatively using a "notes" system. "Early on, some of the richer players started a bank, with an alternative currency that was based on notes," Butterfield said. "They just guaranteed the notes with their supply of in-game currency based on the timestamp and the person who created it."
Katamari creator to work on Glitch MMO
Tiny Speck has just added one of gaming's wunderkind developers to the team working on its Glitch MMO. Keita Takahashi, renowned as the brains behind Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy, left Namco Bandai last year and has been keeping a low profile ever since. He's also apparently been having serious discussions with Tiny Speck, and founder Steward Butterfield says that Takahashi has a lot in common with the existing creative team. "We shared the same values -- deep beliefs in curiosity, humor, absurdity, and above all a belief in the positive power of play," Butterfield told GamaSutra. Glitch is a browser-based side-scrolling casual MMO that is currently undergoing beta testing. The game will launch sometime in 2011 according to the its official website.
Keita Takahashi joins Tiny Speck, working on 'Glitch' MMO
Keita Takahashi has stretched the Boy in his iPhone Noby Noby Boy app all the way from Tokyo to Vancouver, as developer Tiny Speck announces that the Katamari Damacy creator has moved there to join the team working on Glitch. What's that feeling? Yes, many of you are now contemplating playing an MMO for the first time. Glitch, in case you don't remember, is the cute side-scrolling MMO about occupying the imaginations of eleven giants with multifarious googly eyes, created by a team put together by Flickr co-founder Stewart Butterfield. "A few months ago we were lucky enough to start talking to [Takahashi]," Butterfield said on the game's blog. "We played some Glitch together, batted ideas back and forth and found that we shared the same values - deep beliefs in curiosity, humor, absurdity, and above all a belief in the positive power of play." As a result of this summit, Takahashi joined Tiny Speck in an unspecified capacity. In addition to this new role, Takahashi's company Uvula appears to still be active, mostly in creating artwork for other media. Glitch is currently in beta, and expected to launch this summer.
Keita Takahashi still working on games post-Namco
During last week's GameCity conference, Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi explained his departure from Namco Bandai in an interview with Eurogamer. "The games I was making were not necessarily the best-selling ones," he said. "I realized 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." On the subject of why his own games didn't sell better: "Maybe because they're not so interesting," Takahashi said. "The reason why is one of the things I'm trying to find out. If I knew, I wouldn't struggle. I don't know." Personally, we hope he never learns the secrets to game industry success (like Unreal Engine and Nolan North). He opined that the constant development of sequels by major publishers is "boring," while also admitting that he understood the business perspective. "I haven't seen anyone trying to make something really new out of the profit they made from those sequels," he said. Since leaving, Takahashi and his wife have formed a new company, Uvula. He's also working on a playground in Nottingham, the town that hosts GameCity. "I'm going to work on more videogames," Takahashi said, including ideas to present to other publishers. "In general, I want to work on lots of different things that I couldn't work on when I was at Namco."
Katamari Damacy director and wife reveal new company
Katamari Damacy director Keita Takahashi and wife Asuka Sakai officially unveiled their new company, named "Uvula," with a low-key website. Rather than focusing solely on game development, the company's "About Us" page details a focus on "music and video games," adding that "we want to widen the our [sic] limit." Oddly, Uvula's first project falls outside of the realm of music and video games, with Takahashi designing a playground in the UK. In typical Takahashi fashion, the company's website contains an "Others" page filled with, well ... other, often bizarre stuff that he created over the years (our fave was the hippo tissue holder seen above). Sure, the announcement of the new business is exciting and all, but, um, have you seen this goat flower box? Remarkable.
Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi leaves Namco
King of all kings of the cosmos -- Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy creator Keita Takahashi -- is leaving Namco, reports Play.tm. A Namco representative confirmed Takahashi's resignation. The developer expressed his dissatisfaction in the past with developing for the Japanese publisher, even saying he was disappointed with the support he received for Noby Noby Boy. He's also expressed interest in branching out to other careers, telling the BBC in 2005, "In 10 years time, I am not going to be making games any more." More recently, he got to work on plans for a playground in Nottingham, UK. [Image credit: jontintinjordan]
Noby Noby Boy out now on iPhone, and it's awesome
Keita Takahashi is a strange guy. He's most known for delivering the brilliant Katamari Damacy to us on the Playstation 2, a game in which you rolled around a ball that stuck to everything in the world, growing bigger and bigger as more and more stuff collected on it. But after that early success, he's gotten weirder, at one point saying that he didn't want to make games at all, and then releasing Noby Noby Boy for the PS3, an "experience" in which you stretch a tubelike creature named BOY, which in turn stretches another creature named GIRL, out into the solar system with all of other players in the world. It's the kind of thing that has to be played to be understood, and even then, you don't understand it so much as experience it. Noby Noby Boy on the iPhone is a similar release: while it's an app that comes from a game platform, it's actually in the Productivity section of the App Store. Even though the goal seems to again be to stretch the BOY out as far as you can, while in turn stretching GIRL along with PS3 players ("cross-platform compatibility!" exclaims the ingame Fairy, the most charming and weird help system you've ever seen), it's really just a chance for Takahashi's brilliance to run wild on the iPhone platform. There's more to explore, do and experience in this app than any other $1.99 app I've seen, and while some of it is wacky, and strange, and just plain crazy, Noby Noby Boy is a product of imagination -- both his and ours.
Noby Noby Boy available now for 'iPhone, iPhone, iPod Touch!'
We want to be up front with you: We're not entirely sure Noby Noby Boy is a "game" in the usual way we understand it. No, we're not talking about last year's PS3 release (though one could argue ...); instead, we're talking about today's iPhone release. Let's examine the evidence: The trailer, included after the break, eschews traditional marketing tactics in favor of puppets and nonsensical dialogue. The screenshots depict a series of seemingly unrelated "functions" (minigames?) including a camera app, a map app, a stretchable Boy app, and others. And our final piece of evidence, Noby Noby Boy is filed under "Productivity" in the App Store and, regardless of its status as a "game" we're almost certain it's not going to make us more productive at anything, short of unlocking its mysteries. While we think calling it a "game" may be a bit of a stretch, as a toy, it's now got a better price on a more appropriate platform. Noby Noby Boy ($1.99): %Gallery-85924%
iPhone Noby Noby Boy demonstrated by puppets
Most publishers make dramatic trailers for their games, with carefully chosen game footage augmented by thrilling cinematics. Namco Bandai did not do that for the iPhone Noby Noby Boy game. Instead, creator Keita Takahashi put on a puppet show in a conference room. Using adorable handmade puppets, Takahashi provided the clearest look yet at the mobile version, including the stretchable Boy, several minigames and a camera app in which ... some cartoon guy hangs onto your photo. We like this approach to trailers. "iPhone, iPhone, iPod Touch!" See the rest of the videos at Famitsu.
