Sony confirms Ueda's departure; The Last Guardian to be completed on contract

That's a little sad :/ Truthfully, his games were my favorite exclusives back in the PS2 days, and I feel like they were a little overlooked by the mainstream/majority of gamers. Which reminds me, I still really need to get the ICO & SOTC Collection...

Good luck to Ueda as well!

@That One Guy

really really off topic...but would you happen to know what episode that's from?

I'm very glad to hear this game still has a future. I would be interested in knowing more on the split, but appreciate hearing this much at least.

Does this mean that Sony is basically shutting down their Japan Studio?

Maybe he can start working on some multi-platform stuff. I would like to see him come up with something on the Wii U.

I don't know why people think this is sad news. The source article states that he's leaving so it's not like Sony is letting him go. He must have something big in the works to make that kind of move OR he's been exhausted by the long development of a game that's also highly anticipated. I can't even begin to understand the pressure he's under. Good luck to him and thanks for being diligent in getting this game completed Mr Ueda. I look forward to it and I know I'm not the only one.

If this game doesnt come out holiday 2012 I fear the likely hood of this being a good game will drop down to nearly zero. The only way it takes this long is when the team runs into a huge problems and then in the end they must sadly released un-complete work. Really makes me fear the japanese video game industry going into a new console gen in probably 2013 when they have only just gotten used to PS3 hardware.

Well it sucks that he is leaving,
Its awesome that its getting finished.

I just really really really hope that it isn't going to be something where we will be able to pinpoint in the game play where it was he left because of a notable drop in quality.

If this game doesnt come out holiday 2012 I fear the likely hood of this being a good game will drop down to nearly zero. The only way it takes this long is when the team runs into a huge problems and then in the end they must sadly released un-complete work. Really makes me fear the japanese video game industry going into a new console gen in probably 2013 when they have only just gotten used to PS3 hardware.

I think Sony of Japan looked at all their sister companies like Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, Insomniac, Sucker Punch and noticed the quick turnaround time of sequel after sequel with pretty decent results and was wondering wtf was taking so long with Last Guardian. The pressure got to this guy, so instead of being fired shamefully, he decided to quit and work on it as a contractor.

I'm still very much looking forward to Last Guardian, and I'm sorry for all that has happened to Japan within the last year, but hopefully they can become competitive again with said sister developers.

@That One Guy ahhh okay that was this season I remember now! Thanks!

:-(

@That One Guy

well i guess the last guardian really was a prophetic name....it´s a shame but i fell good for Ueda and for the community in general, his games are awesome i always found unfair to see that you had to have a PS3 if you wanted to play them, i think the old exclusive idea is a very old one and it doesn´t really work in this times, and that´s how sony loves to work. I hope he stars creating more awesome games for all the platforms not only the ps3......

Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

@Hunter141072
Exclusives are the ONLY reason to buy a console. What reason would I have to buy a PS3 if all the same games were on 360 or PC?

That's the whole reason I don't own a 360. I can get everything else on PS3 and PC.

@Hunter141072

I don't think first party studios fall under the "old exclusive model" mantra. That's something that obviously will never change. I also doubt Ico or SotC would have gotten funding from a 3rd Party publisher.

@mywhitenoise

I agree 100% with you. What would Uncharted be if it was on Wii and 360. What would Halo be if it was on ps2 and Gamecube which it was suppose to be?

Exclusives games are usually superior than a multi-platform game. The developer can focus just on one console or PC and make it the best for that specific system. The developer doesn't have to worry about 2 different version of the game either and put resources in those versions.

Also if you are a new developer with a great idea but need more money to make it happen guess what? You may go to Sony Microsoft or wherever to try and sell your idea to them. They may help your budget so your dream of making will come true.

@madforaday

At the end exclusives were created to force people to buy a specific console, that´s the main reason, not to use the power of the console. in this times is very hard to make real money if you stay with only one console, true there are games that sell good amounts and are exclusive, like halo or uncharted. But that´s only a minority, must games need to get all over the platforms to make money, why to stay with lest say 6 million copies of a game when you can sell an additional million?? or maybe more??? if that was not the case then ALL the games would be exclusive for certain platforms, but companies want to get as many copies as possible because well, they are here to make profits, not just stay with a single market....I know many games are exclusive but at the end of the day that model is not really a good idea anymore, do you think COD would be making those insane amounts of money by staying with one console only????.

@mywhitenoise


yeah and at the end there ARE things you can buy on all the other platforms, just as you said. the real "exclusive" titles that the ps3 has could be counted with the fingers of your hands....maybe you don´t even need both to count them. As i said if there were no real reasons to go multi-console then every company would go it, all the companies would stay with one console only and that´s not the case.

completed on contract?

.......uh oh

@Hunter141072
exclusives have always benefited the gaming community. it creates competition. If i could play halo on the PS3 why would i ever buy a xbox.

@Hunter141072
"the real "exclusive" titles that the ps3 has could be counted with the fingers of your hands"

off the top of my head...
Uncharted, Uncharted 2, Uncharted 3, God of War III, Warhawk, Starhawk, MAG, Metal Gear Solid 4, Ratchet and Clank Tools of Destruction, Ratchet and Clank A Crack In Time, Twisted Metal, Fat Princess, Super Stardust, Demon's Souls, 3D Dot Game Heroes, inFamous, inFamous 2, Heavy Rain, Kilzone 2, Killzone 3, Resistance, Resistance 2, Resistance 3, Gran Turismo 5, Motorstorm, Motorstorm Pacific Rift, Motorstorm Apocalypse, Modnation Racers, LittleBigPlanet, LittleBigPlanet 2, Valkyria Chronicles, The Last Guardian, The Last of Us
...you must have a lot of fingers.

@Hunter141072

Despite what some developers would make you think, there are those who develop games just to make their fans happy.

Sure COD wouldn't make as much money, but some companies (Team ICO seems to be an example) wouldn't worry about that. They're thankful to Sony for supporting their game ideas, and thankful to their fans for showing that they loved the games.

Well that sucks. I'm eager to see where the future takes him though. As long as he continues to work on quality titles I have no qualms concerning this.

Sorry things didn't work out. I just hope he keeps making great games wherever he decides to go, and that I own the hardware to play them.

"Ueda project 4" cross-platform? One can dream... One can dream...

Also, "Mr. Shadow of the Colossus" made me lol.

@mywhitenoise


Even if those are more than 10 fingers, which is obvious as i was talking on a figurative way but i can see that is a little too complex for the normal fan boy (yeah more down-vote go ahead) not all of those titles have sold more than a million, and certainly not 6. Whatever you like it or not those titles could be selling more if they were on more platforms that´s a fact and it´s how many companies work, as i said if that wasn´t real then why we have titles for the xbox, ps3 and pc??? hell they should stay with the ps3 only, less development, less problems making a game for all the platforms, and there!!! 6 millions copies sold right??? yeah right.......

@liquidsoap89


Sure, Sony is a big company who has made millions just by charity and making the people feel happy... i´m sure they paid Ueda´s salary with peanuts, after all they are only moved by love.

@That One Guy

First of all i can answer as much as i want just like you, don´t want to get updates??? cancel them, pretty simple......i don´t have to lose my right to answer just because you don´t know how to stop joystiq email updates.... so.......sorrryyyyy.......

@mywhitenoise The only reason I haven't bought a PS3 all these years is that I've been waiting for its Team ICO game. Exclusives are a good idea... for the console manufacturers, anyway.

@That One Guy

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

THAT was worth the whole discussion :D

@Lucky48

Exactly....duh...many people here are implying that the best reason for a game to be developed on one console is because they can "squeeze the power out of it", to be honest that´s crap and i think you agree with me on that one, yes they buy studios and yes they own them, but to think that Ueda was creating a game only for the love of it... well, some guys here are not really thinking like a normal human who works like everybody else for money.. also even though sony is investing in those studios to have exclusive titles it´s impossible to deny the fact that creating a game for all the platforms gives more money than an exclusive title, don´t believe me?? just check out how many copies did ICO sold compared to COD....ok, compare those sales with shadow of the colosus.......ok, if you think those games are old and it´s unfair to compare them with COD then let´s wait and see how many copies the last guardian sells compared with COD or Skyrim or arkham or mass effect 1,2 or 3.....that´s more than enough proof that games that go multiplatform makes more money, that´s something that can´t be denied.