Katamari Creator Wasn't Interested in Sequel

MTV Games, in a report on the Katamari sequel, reports that game creator Keita Takahashi wasn't slightly interested in making a sequel. From the article: "Suddenly celebrated for his originality, Takahashi would soon have to tackle the possibly contradictory idea of doing a sequel. He told his bosses at Namco several times that he wouldn't do one. 'But it came to a point where the company was willing to release a sequel without me,' he said. He discovered that the company's planned sequel seemed more like a re-release, primarily swapping Christmas graphics into the original game. 'That went against everything I wanted to do with Katamari,' he said. So he agreed to get involved. "

Meanwhile, at Nintendo Headquarters...

[by Anonymous Coward]

"Miyamoto's not interested in making new Mario games? Alright, tell him we're making one without him where Mario plays baseball or some shit. That'll scare him straight."

Re: Waiting for Mario

[Delphiki (646425)]

What about Grand Theft Mario? Who needs all these kiddy games... and don't say kids, they don't matter.

Well, I (We) Love Katamary Damacy!

[garcia (6573)]

Well, being that I typically hate video game (and movie) sequels, I was worried when I decided I *had* to buy this one. I ordered it on Amazon and after noticing that the delivery date (from 9/25) was in late November I had a friend buy it for me at Gamespot.

The gameplay is nearly the same (look and feel wise) but they have added new and different challenges and removed most of the annoyances that the first version had (getting stuck under objects or moving to slow when you were huge during eternal levels).

I enjoy the new soundtrack immensely and love the crisper and clear graphics they've added. It's basically the same damn game but 100x better.

Thank you for releasing a worthwhile sequel that was still true to the original! If you haven't played We Love Katamari yet, I suggest you do.

Re:Well, I (We) Love Katamary Damacy!

[Castar (67188)]

Yeah, I really like We Love Katamari. It takes the concepts from the original and builds on them in a unique and interesting way.

That said, I hope they don't make a Katamari 3. Part of the appeal of the game is in the uniqueness of it, and making sequel after sequel would kill the magic. Of course, since it was so successful I have no doubt there will be more. We'll get sequels and spin-offs until Dead or Alive: Beach Katamari 6 comes along, and then it will die a quiet death in the bargain bin, mourned

That sucks

[frederec (911880)]

I was actually hoping that We Love Katamari would have been developed by a separate team. This way the original group could continue doing innovative things, but then all of us who really liked the first team and wanted more could have that too.

Though from the sound of it, the sequel was much better for the presence of Takahashi. Sad that he was pushed into it.

It always gives me hope to hear about teams like the group working on Shadow of the Colossus. A group that has apparently been allowed to wo

You can tell! (in a good way)

[sycomonkey (666153)]

You could sort of tell, from the way the game is presented. The King of All Cosmos seems terribly bored with the whole idea, and amazed that we're still interested in katamaring. He only obliges because the fans flatter him and insist. I am very glad the game came out, it's all kinds of fun, but it wasn't exactly nessicary. Katamari Damacy was quite sufficient in the first place.

Re:You can tell! (in a good way)

[frederec (911880)]

To a certain extent Katamari Damacy was sufficient. But at the same time, for me playing that as well as the new one just increases a desire to roll up new and stranger things.

They make me think of things like rolling up microscopic objects. Sure, the game is awesome when you get huge. But wouldn't it also be cool if you could roll up the whole world after starting at the subatomic level? Or perhaps setting stages in other times and settings. Like rolling up the battle of Waterloo. Or maybe a haunted house or something. The joy of rolling up new stuff in different places to me seems like it could just keep going in so many different ways.

Re:You can tell! (in a good way)

[game kid (805301)]

Or perhaps setting stages in other times and settings. Like rolling up the battle of Waterloo.

Keita Takahashi, is that you?

That'd be absofuckinglutely awesome. I'd love to see Napoleon yelling Sacre balls! GAAHH!! as he gets added to the rolling mix.

Re:You can tell! (in a good way)

[Alkaiser (114022)]

So you say what you're looking for is Katamari Damacy plus Odama, then. :)

More Katamari puns

[tepples (727027)]

So you say what you're looking for is Katamari Damacy plus Odama, then.

Don't you mean Katamari Odamacy? Or breaking the words in a different spot, what about Katamario Damacy? [deviantart.com]

On a different note (or arrow or gem or bar or whatever), what about Katamari Frequency [gamespot.com]? Or Katamarket Damasweep [wikipedia.org]?

Re:You can tell! (in a good way)

[May Kasahara (606310)]

I noticed this as well. In the way this story is presented, We Love Katamari is perhaps the most fourth-wall video game I've ever played, and not without a good reason. I was looking forward to this new game a lot, and haven't been disappointed with it so far, but the very idea that the original needed a sequel at all still seems strange.

Sounds like they psyched him out...

[hackwrench (573697)]

It doesn't seem like they were actually planning to release what they showed him. (Christmas graphics? Oh please!) They just wanted him to go "Oh no! I can't let them ruin my vision!" so he'd do the second one.

well honestly

[Joe the Lesser (533425)]

The whole thing seems silly to me, I mean, a dude running around with a little ball. What's the point. Roll an average sized ball around a course over and over again? There's no progression whatsoever! Give me a sword or a gun, not some huge ball rolling toward m-oh shi-,

Re:well honestly

[superpulpsicle (533373)]

Dude I said the same thing when I first saw the original Katamari Damacy at a buddies house. Now I own the sequel, we love Katamari. It seemed like a boring timed puzzle version of marble madness at first. But when they started rolling sumo wrestlers and expanded the over the top plots, it became a great and addictive game.

Mod Parent Funny®

[game kid (805301)]

Notice the last few words. NOT a flame--or at least, it's one he kicked himself for in the end...

If Namco isn't careful

[iamnerd (917614)]

They could lose one of their best designers. There has been alot of game designers who have quit working at a company because they were forced to make sequels or weren't allowed to be creative. The first two that come to my mind are when Gunpei Yokoi and Masahiro Sakurai. One of which wasn't even allowed to make games and the other was forced to create sequels. To be fair to Nintendo, they didn't allow Gunpei Yokoi to create games because he created the failure that was the Virtual Boy.

Re:If Namco isn't careful

[kinglink (195330)]

Virtual Boy's failure was at the level where you would be expected to commit hari kari long ago. Granted the Japanese business enviroment has changed in the last century radically, but it still was a massive failure in the extremes (sorry to say but it was) and the shame gotten from it was horrible.

Remember in America a failure isn't critical to your career in some cases, Windows ME probably didn't get many people fired, in Japan a critical failure like that would likely have entire departments liquidated.

Re:If Namco isn't careful

[MilenCent (219397)]

He also created the massive success that was the Gameboy, arguably the most popular thing the company's ever made. Letting him go was a tremendous mistake, period.

Re:If Namco isn't careful

[J_Meller (667240)]

Umm, of course Gunpei Yokoi was "allowed" to make games, he was the mastermind behind the entire metroid series including arguably the best game for the SNES, Super Metroid

Must admit he did a good job.

[kinglink (195330)]

His Sequal at the heart was a "thank you" to the fans who loved the game. I gotta say it worked, it was the same as the original but different enough to be enjoy able, it was 10 bucks more than the original (30) but you know what? It was perfectly fine.

Too bad 90 percent of the articles is fluff, and almost none of it is about the creator. "Look people, People liked this game 'Katamari Damacy'" but what else should I expect from mtv.com? ... Music? *cracks up*

Dont forget...

[Gogo0 (877020)]

...the PSP version that was announced.

It doesnt make any sense considering the DS is perfectly suited for this kind of game, but apparently it doesnt make sense that there is a PS2 sequel either, so there are obviously a lot of nonsensical ideas being put to action over at Namco.

Re:Dont forget...

[hords (619030)]

Sure looks legit to me. [ign.com] They even have videos of gameplay.

Nice freakin' grammar

[Leiterfluid (876193)]

Keita Takahashi wasn't slightly interested in making a sequel.

Does that mean he was, instead, greatly interested in making a sequel?

On a side note, I just bought Katamari Demacy for my wife this weekend. We haven't played it (or even opened it yet), but based on the reviews, I think she's gonna dig it.

Convictions against an uninspired sequel

[joystickgenie (913297)]

I have to say I'm a bit saddened that he didn't stick to his convictions on this. If he would have stuck with "no I don't want to work on this sequel" and they did put out the other game without his support at least it would have shown as some sort of protest to making the unnecessary sequel and shown the public (well the public that hears about it anyway) that designers do actually care about their product enough that they wont be part of it's uninspired sequel.

The fact that designers are willing to let go their ideals is one of the reason I think that games aren't being taken seriously as a form of expression/art. What are you trying to express if you're willing to put a sticker on it, put it out as a sequel, and say that it's better then the previous artistic expression?

I loved the original Katamari Damacy. The visuals, game play, and sounds were all just so different then the conventional video game. I saw the game as a breath of fresh air in a game industry that is growing stale.

In my opinion, contrary to previous posters, I don't find we love Katamari worth buying if you already own Katamari Damacy. The game play and concepts are exactly the same as the last game with a shiny new wrapper. You're still just rolling a ball trying to get it bigger in every level. They may add an additional theme for a level (you're not rolling a ball this time you're rolling a thin sumo wrestler) but that's the entire difference.

To me this sequel is about as much of an addition and improvement to the original game as Metal Gear Solid VR Missions added to Metal Gear Solid. It turned an original creative idea into a gimmick.

An alternative opinion

[xenocide2 (231786)]

Perhaps MGS VR Missions were great, because they were more of the fun stuff, with less Transciever conversations. If I want to hear a girlfriend talk about missing her period, I think I'd rather skip the condom than play MGS2.