Ico designer to finish work on The Last Guardian 'in freelance capacity'
The creative figurehead behind Ico and Shadow of the Colossus has quit Sony Japan with his third project unfinished, a new report suggests.
Eurogamer sources claim that Fumito Ueda has departed as Team Ico creative director at Sony’s Tokyo development hub.
It is speculated that the 41-year-old will finish his third major PlayStation project, The Last Guardian, in a freelance capacity.
He will leave the company altogether when The Last Guardian is complete, Eurogamer said. He reasons for leaving the studio, if true, are unclear.
A Sony spokesperson was unavailable for comment when approached by Develop.
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The report claims that Ueda’s departure has delayed the project past set milestones – an implication that Ueda has worked in a freelance capacity for some time.
The Last Guardian, a key PlayStation 3 project that completes a trilogy of Team Ico exclusives for Sony, has not yet been unveiled to the public in playable form. This year it was conspicuously absent at both the Tokyo Game Show and E3.
The first mention of the title in public was nearly three years ago, in March 2009, though the production phase will likely have run further back.
Shuhei Yoshida, who commands Sony’s global fleet of 16 development studios, recently claimed progress for The Last Guardian has been “very difficult, not as fast as we'd been hoping for, and the team has been under big pressure.”
I certainly hope this isn't true, as I loved both Ico and Shadow of the Collossus. I can't really think of a reason why he would leave unless it has to do something with him wanting to take a break from video game development or just quit making video games altogether because there's very few publishers other than Sony that would give him the time and money to create niche, but impactful titles like The Last Guardian. If he did leave, I'm just thinking it has to be because of personal reasons.
It's just disappointing to hear because I hope it doesn't end up affecting the quality of the finished product...or possibly end up getting canned altogether (which I doubt considering the resources already spent on the game for YEARS. For a small studio like Team Ico, I really don't think they'd be the same without him if he really did leave. As much as I hate to admit it, I think it's probably true.
What Adrian.C Said,I just hope That, After the last Gardian is done. They can take a break, if so, Then think about after all the games they made was worth it, Cuz Im a HUGE Fan of them & I & others Seriously Love the Games they Created & Produced. I will never get tired of playin all there finished Games they created not one bit, I still go on Youtube to get the latest cheats & stuff, after I finished playin all the games. But other then that I do Hope & Pray Ueda still makes great Awesome Games, such as those The Shadow of Colosus & such. After I play Shadow of Colossus every time I still was in aww that he never got to see the girl. & I do get sad, but I also do think as well as not just me but probably many others that 1 day Ueda, Can at least make & hope to do a sequal, & @ the end was able to see the girl again & reunite,finally. & with Ico, I wish there was another sequal as well. Maybe if so, U can some what make another game after the Last Gardian, Combine in such of way 3 games to be sequal in one, & I know that would be some what difficult But maybe interacted all of them in one big story line. But thats just my Imagination. But in other words, in Speaking u can not stop, after the last Gardian & I know there are others that play ur games out there that are Crazy as much as a fan then I am that will never stop playin ur created games & still play the ones u made over & over again, If u do leave sony Ueda, You better think about the Ppl out there That Love ur games, as much as me, & think about how bad u scared us from playin ur recent games over & over thinking that we need @ least a sequal to any of the previous games u made If u made those games with the such greatness, don't stop now, we need more like other sony games, One day u will reach he ppl out there like most of us & the top of all ur number 1, In all the previous games u play & make more & dimish all of the other games out there as u can be on top of the Number 1 Chart, Think about that.
