Video Game Legend Hironobu Sakaguchi Joins Microsoft Game Studios as Developer

[CheapyD]

Video Game Legend Hironobu Sakaguchi Joins Microsoft Game Studios as a Developer for Next-Generation Xbox Platform

Father of "Final Fantasy" Series and AIAS Hall of Fame Inductee Will
Develop Role-Playing Games

REDMOND, Wash. - Feb. 24, 2005 - Microsoft Corp. today announced that
Hironobu Sakaguchi, video game legend and president of Mistwalker game
studio, has joined with Microsoft(r) Game Studios to develop
role-playing game (RPG) video games exclusively for the next-generation
Xbox(r) video game platform. Sakaguchi is best known as the creator of
the "Final Fantasy" franchise, which has sold more than 60 million units
worldwide, and was executive vice president in charge of game
development at Square Enix Co., Ltd. until February 2001.

Citing a shared vision with Microsoft for the next generation of video
games, Sakaguchi will lead the creation of two upcoming Xbox-exclusive
RPG titles to be published by Microsoft Game Studios.

"Sakaguchi-san has taken role-playing games - traditionally a niche
market - and introduced them to a broad and diverse audience across the
globe," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Worldwide
Marketing and Publishing at Microsoft. "We are ecstatic to work with
Sakaguchi-san and celebrate what this news means not only for Xbox, but
for gamers worldwide."

"I'm excited about the two epic game titles we will be developing,"
Sakaguchi said. "A number of talented creators have signed on to help
develop these games, and I'm confident we will be able to create games
that provide gamers with a new kind of thrill.

"Microsoft's cutting-edge technologies in the next-generation platform
will allow me to bring to life an array of ideas that I have had for
many years," Sakaguchi said. "I want these games to be alive with a new
vision for gaming and vividly depict new characters that will transcend
the game, find a place in the hearts of gamers, and make time spent with
my games a fond and long-lasting memory."

Sakaguchi started his career at Square Co. Ltd. in 1986 as director of
planning and development. He was promoted to executive vice president in
1991 and eventually ascended to president of Square LA Inc. (now Square
USA Inc.) in 1995. In 2000, Sakaguchi was inducted into the coveted
Academy of Interactive Arts & Science (AIAS) Hall of Fame for his
groundbreaking work on the "Final Fantasy" series. In 2004, Sakaguchi
announced that he had started his own development studio, called
Mistwalker.

Xbox is coming off a blockbuster year as the only video game console to
show year-to-year growth in 2004, while competitors declined*. Driven by
epic, platform-exclusive content - including "Halo(r) 2" by Microsoft
Game Studios, "Fable" by Microsoft Game Studios., "Ninja Gaiden" by
Tecmo Ltd., and Xbox Live(tm), the only unified online video game
console service - gamers worldwide continue to flock to Xbox for an
unparalleled digital entertainment experience.

[jer7583]

*picks self off floor*

[ryanbph]

good to hear

[Snake2715]

This Sony vs. Microsoft war is going to be fun to watch...

Do you guys think this is Microsofts "IN" to the East gamers?

[epobirs]

If this doesn't move units in Japan, nothing will.

[Scorch]

:shock:

[XboxMaster]

This Sony vs. Microsoft war is going to be fun to watch...

Do you guys think this is Microsofts "IN" to the East gamers?


Hopefully, if Microsoft can become successful in the Japanese market, that would really help boost its overall campaign.

[Rig]

If this doesn't move units in Japan, nothing will.

I agree. I don't know if Microsoft can do anything else to help themselves over there. This may be their best chance to move some Boxes.

[kaji7p56]

This is a great addition to the next Xbox. I'd buy one of his games.

[MaxBiaggi3]

If I ever learned anything from Knight Rider, it must be that one man can't make a difference, especially where the presidential election is concerned. I'll be surprised if we ever hear from this guy again once the press releases are done floating to the ground. :?

[FriskyTanuki]

One man can't make the games, so even if he's attached to it, it doesn't guarantee anything. Though he does have plenty of experience to give it a good chance of doing well.

[Indiana]

If I ever learned anything from Knight Rider, it must be that one man can't make a difference, especially where the presidential election is concerned. I'll be surprised if we ever hear from this guy again once the press releases are done floating to the ground. :?

I thought one man did make a difference didn't George Bush's cousin working for Fox News allow him to publish Bush won Florida when all other networks said Gore won it? :roll:

[epobirs]

If I ever learned anything from Knight Rider, it must be that one man can't make a difference, especially where the presidential election is concerned. I'll be surprised if we ever hear from this guy again once the press releases are done floating to the ground. :?

I thought one man did make a difference didn't George Bush's cousin working for Fox News allow him to publish Bush won Florida when all other networks said Gore won it? :roll:

It's rather more complicated than that. There was additional scandal fodder in that the networks calling it for Gore were doing so impossibly early and raising the question of why they thought it in the bag. The number of dead felons and their pets voting Democrat didn't become an issue until later but still a factor.

[epobirs]

This may be the turning point for Microsoft. This studio, besides being lead by a household name among Japanese gamers, has a lot of highly reputable talent attached to it and they've been working on their projects for quite a long time before announcing the existence of the studio and now this publishing deal. This raises the hope that one or both of the products will appear within a year of launch and have an effect similar to FFVII. If so, being the first to launch in the coming generation will be to Microsoft's advantage. Many developers are looking for opportunities to make their games stand out from the established standard of this generation. Having had a over a year to develop tools and skills on DX9 class hardware they're ready for a console of that capability to be their new showcase.

If Xbox 2 hits the ground running with a good flow of titles displaying things that are clearly beyond the current machines, the plan could be successful. If not, it could stall horribly and only be getting up to speed as the competition starts to appear.

For Xbox 2 in the Asian markets this could be the equivalent of Halo.

[Survivor Charlie]

Kudos to Microsoft. The man knows how to make a popular RPG.

[neocisco]

Major coup!

[chubbyninja1319]

I'm excited and I'm really pissed off. I told myself that I WAS NOT going to get all three next gen systems. I have to have the Nintendo system (I'm a fanboy, so sue me), and I have to have Final Fantasy and Metal Gear games (fanboy times 3), so i was gonna get a PS3. Now, I gotta get an Xbox2 or whatever they're calling it.

I, too, think this could be huge for Microsoft. I couldn't think of anything stronger to take over in Japan besides Square Enix themselves.

[Dr Mario Kart]

Sakaguchi seems to be on board because of what he will be able to do with the power that this next gen system will have.

Surely he knows that Microsoft intends to launch first and may be lacking slightly in that very department (relatively)

I wonder who approached who first with this deal.

Thats unfortunate, since I'll have to go over to friends house to play it (I wont be buying any such Microsoft product)

[spoo]

This is great for NeXtBox and selling units in JP.

OffTopic but free iTunes song: KNYQHPSBQB
Post if you use the code.

[Dr Mario Kart]

really, One man and a handful of games isnt going to make a big difference. Xbox sold like crazy here in America because of Halo, but they're still in debt like crazy.

If everyone in Japan buys a nextbox and the two games he makes, its probably still not going to recoup the losses taken from the hardware.

[chubbyninja1319]

really, One man and a handful of games isnt going to make a big difference. Xbox sold like crazy here in America because of Halo, but they're still in debt like crazy.

If everyone in Japan buys a nextbox and the two games he makes, its probably still not going to recoup the losses taken from the hardware.

I don't know........Sakaguchi is that big. Take, for example, if Miyamoto left Nintendo and joined up with microsoft. That'd sell more than a few systems before any game was even announced. I think this could make a real difference. I had zero plans for buying the next Xbox system and now I am considering it just because i'm such a fan of Sakaguchi's work (and halo 3).

[epobirs]

really, One man and a handful of games isnt going to make a big difference. Xbox sold like crazy here in America because of Halo, but they're still in debt like crazy.

If everyone in Japan buys a nextbox and the two games he makes, its probably still not going to recoup the losses taken from the hardware.

Think for a moment. What are the odds of someone who has already purchased a console on the basis of a couple of exclusives buying still more software for that system vs. someone who doesn't already have the hardware?

Getting your foot in the door is the first step. This has network effects. In addition to the installed base leading to more sales as people favor the hardware they already own over yet another purchase, developers of similar products are also influenced. It doesn't have to be exclusives. Convincing an RPG producer to take a title multi-platform because much of your base is acknowledged to be RPG oriented is another useful network effect.

This has been seen already in one of the areas where the GameCube wasn't underserved by third party publishing. There was a strong perception of any Nintendo console offering a strong 10 and under demographic. While this had some negative effects, it also meant the GC received a lot of very successful titles that weren't released on the Xbox, even though the same publisher would do titles with a more adult orientation on the Xbox. The one platform was perceived as able to deliver customer the other couldn't. Thus big royalty generators like Spongebob and Harry Potter were not to be found on Xbox for a couple of years until it proved itself with system sales. It did so well enough that several kid oriented titles that were already quite old got Xbox ports.

It works the other way around as well. Until recently the GameCube was considered the least friendly platform for survival horror and similarly adult titles. The RE series had done a mediocre business on improved ports. Now RE4, with a completely original title, has shown the platform can move serious units in the genre and gives companies pause to consider whether they should producing more GameCube product.

No one title wins a generation for a platform but if that title sells a lot of hardware it sure as hell changes the odds.

[Stryffe2004]

The fact that Xbox360 (or whatever) is an American product is going to hurt. I hope they really can make inroads in Japan though and this seems liek a good step. They really need a whole development studio. One man + vision is good, but unless you can churn out game after game, this could end up being the Rare purchase V. 2.

[epobirs]

The fact that Xbox360 (or whatever) is an American product is going to hurt. I hope they really can make inroads in Japan though and this seems liek a good step. They really need a whole development studio. One man + vision is good, but unless you can churn out game after game, this could end up being the Rare purchase V. 2.

Read more closely. This guy does have his own development studio. It includes a lot of the talent that worked under him at Square as well as people who left Enix and other major developers. They've had their product in devlopment for a few years already with the platform and exact game mechanics coming last in the cycle.

This isn't a unique situation, especially for RPGs. Final Fantasy VII was quite far in development before it became a PS1 game. The programmers drew up a set of specification they felt confident the coming generation of systems would support and set the artists and designers a target to use from that. One of the reasons FFVIII was so dramatically better in its use of the platform was not merely the passage of time but also the fact that the game had it target set from day one and didn't have to operate with an underpowered virtual platform. Even so, FFVII was a vitally important product for the PS1. It made the system a real player in the eyes of a major market segment in Japan. The same title grew the RPG genre considerably in the US, benefitting the PS1 all the more.

The capabilites embodied by OGL 3/DX9 hardware has been known to the development community for a very long time. Most of the specs were already taking form as the first DX9 games were shipping.

It can also be noted this individual while running Square had a better track record for consistent deliveries than Rare ever did. Only a fraction of Square's products, especially the Final Fantasy series got US releases in their original form. We only received half of the NES/SNES FF titles until many years late when they were redone as PS1 games.

Rare is a bad comparison. They haven't been merely slow. They've verged on non-existent. If they had delivered just one game of comparable impact as Donkey Kong Country on the SNES there would be far fewer complaints.

A better comparison is Bungie. They haven't exactly produced a tower of Xbox titles but there is no question of the critical role they played in getting the system going and keeping it's momentum growing.

[Darkside Hazuki]

This is great for NeXtBox and selling units in JP.

OffTopic but free iTunes song: KNYQHPSBQB
Post if you use the code.

Used! Thanks!

I would've bought the next Microsoft console even without this announcement.