Keita Takahashi, the creator of the Katamari Damacy series, has shared his reasons for leaving Bandai Namco in 2006. In a recent interview, Takahashi explained that he wanted to work with developers from different countries to gain new perspectives and ideas. I left the company because I didn’t want to be limited to only working with the people there,” Takahashi said.
I wondered why I was only making games with Japanese people. I thought that if I could develop games with more people from other countries, I would get ideas from different perspectives.
Takahashi’s departure from Bandai Namco coincided with the company’s merger with Bandai in 2006. He had initially worked in Namco’s art department before leading the development of Katamari Damacy, which was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2.
The game, which involves rolling a magical adhesive ball called a “katamari” to rebuild celestial bodies, was praised for its creativity and originality. Its success led to the development of a sequel, We Love Katamari, a year later. Since leaving Bandai Namco, Takahashi has established his own company, Uvula Studio, in 2010.
Leaving Bandai Namco for diversity
His latest project, “To a T,” is a 3D adventure game that draws inspiration from his experiences in Japanese schools while incorporating eccentric elements. The game tackles real-world issues like bullying and features a unique cultural setting.
Despite working with a more diverse team, Takahashi admitted that he struggled with cultural differences when developing the game. “I don’t know what school culture is like in the US, so I had no choice but to use Japanese elements,” he said. Takahashi’s approach to game development remains focused on creating games that satisfy his own creative vision.
“I make games that I feel satisfied with, so I’d like people to play them if they want to,” he said. I probably should make games while considering the target audience, but I’ll work on that in my next life.
While Takahashi has moved on to new projects, the Katamari Damacy series thrives under Bandai Namco. The company has remastered Katamari Damacy and We Love Katamari for modern platforms and is set to release Katamari Damacy Rolling Live on April 3.
A recent trademark filing for “Once Upon A Katamari” suggests that new projects in the series may be in the works, much to the excitement of fans who continue to celebrate the charm and creativity of Takahashi’s early works.
Noah Nguyen is a multi-talented developer who brings a unique perspective to his craft. Initially a creative writing professor, he turned to Dev work for the ability to work remotely. He now lives in Seattle, spending time hiking and drinking craft beer with his fiancee.
