Yuji Naka Joins Square-Enix

[Yoko/葉子]

I'll just get straight to the point with my honest feelings.

While Square-Enix don't really serve the kinds of games I like, all I want is  for Naka to be sweet with happiness there. 

May he have a grand feast of oopportunity.

This news dishes out happiness for him.

No sour feelings from me.

Good luck, Mr. Center/Middle! (Naka = Middle)

 

[Maxtiis]

Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to have him involved in Mania's development. I doubt he would have been very happy considering developing Sonic games always sounded like a pain in the ass based on how tumultuous his relationship with Sega was, but those guys making Mania clearly had a lot of respect for his work, so who knows it could have been one of the best gigs he had.

Here's hoping his talent isn't wasted on being just another face in a crowd of devs making the next Final Fantasy project. I love Final Fantasy, but this guy is much better suited to arcade-like action games, not rpgs. Nevertheless, I wish him all the best.

[Nicky Nicardo]

6 hours ago, Indigo Rush said:

Yuji Naka joining Square doesn't guarantee a crossover any more than Blinx the Time Sweeper a chance to have a NiGHTS cameo.

I know, I was only joking around.

[Jar Jar Analysis 1138]

Not sure if Hashimoto is still there but join the club Naka. 

[Wraith]

51 minutes ago, Jar Jar Analysis 1138 said:

Not sure if Hashimoto is still there but join the club Naka. 

Hashimoto has been gone. He's not in the game industry anymore

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/yoshihisa-hashimoto-ex-square-enix-ex-sonic-team-starts-new-company.870650/#post-124472525

[Milo]

Prope is actually still around and still making games (you can check their website here), but their output seems to have narrowed their focus more towards the mobile space ever since the early 2010s. Compare the catalog of games they developed for PC/consoles/handhelds (13), to the catalog of games they developed for iOS/Android (35). Moreover, they seem to have exited development for console games completely; the only console game they developed since 2011 (when Prope's Fishing Resort for Wii was released, and the original Wii version of Rodea finished development) is a 2014 Digimon game (All-Stars Rumble) developed for PS3/360 that was never released in Japan.

My personal theory is that Prope's shift to mobile development and Rodea's failure presumably prompted Naka to continue producing / designing games elsewhere. A quick glance of Naka's gameography on Wikipedia and Sega Retro shows few, if any, mobile games he was involved in at either Sega or Prope (Ivy the Kiwi? being the one exception, and even so, an expanded version of the game was released to Wii and DS).

All things said, I'm interested to see how Naka's projects at Square Einx turn out.

[Sean]

Re: Rodea

It's my favorite third-party Wii game. There are few games on the console that use the Wiimote as brilliantly as it does. What happened to its release is a fucking tragedy, and I don't understand why it couldn't have been put on the Wii U's Wii VC section so that people could buy it standalone.

[BlossomHaze]

I absolutely adored Rodea. The story, the character design, the gameplay, the music... everything was spectacular. I wish Naka the best!

[kalion]

8 hours ago, Space☆Yeow said:

Prope is actually still around and still making games (you can check their website here), but their output seems to have narrowed their focus more towards the mobile space ever since the early 2010s. Compare the catalog of games they developed for PC/consoles/handhelds (13), to the catalog of games they developed for iOS/Android (35). Moreover, they seem to have exited development for console games completely; the only console game they developed since 2011 (when Prope's Fishing Resort for Wii was released, and the original Wii version of Rodea finished development) is a 2014 Digimon game (All-Stars Rumble) developed for PS3/360 that was never released in Japan.

My personal theory is that Prope's shift to mobile development and Rodea's failure presumably prompted Naka to continue producing / designing games elsewhere. A quick glance of Naka's gameography on Wikipedia and Sega Retro shows few, if any, mobile games he was involved in at either Sega or Prope (Ivy the Kiwi? being the one exception, and even so, an expanded version of the game was released to Wii and DS).

All things said, I'm interested to see how Naka's projects at Square Einx turn out.

I feel like it was Rodea that was the biggest slap in his face that instigated, I can understand how when you pour so much into your baby and becomes delayed and released as an inferior product. And how much of the blowback and sadness you will feel, that cuts deep even for me.

7 hours ago, Sean said:

Re: Rodea

It's my favorite third-party Wii game. There are few games on the console that use the Wiimote as brilliantly as it does. What happened to its release is a fucking tragedy, and I don't understand why it couldn't have been put on the Wii U's Wii VC section so that people could buy it standalone.

Yeah, but when you have Kadokawa in charge of it do you think they really care anymore. The wii version could have been on the Switch eshop and the old Sega diehards would have still loved it but nope. I hate it when good games end up like this and don't get me started on Dai Gyakuten Saiban being untranslated..

There was so much ambition and love put in that game and it deserved so much better than what it got, the only thing I'm glad about is that the Wii version saw the light of day, probably due to Naka putting his foot down tbh.

[Swing]

Maybe now he has some better use for characters like Princess Elise.

[Swing]

22 hours ago, Ini Miney Jovahexeon said:

Hmph. Seems he's not the smartest business runner. Goes to show,  you get what you deserve when you pull a stunt like he did that really put a dent into Sonic 06's development time, the way he did just leaving in the middle of production.

If there's one person I wouldn't trust with another Sonic game,  it's Yuji Naka.

You can not really blame him for what happen with 06. After all the higher ups are the ones who are in charge with the whole project. And their say and decided how the project will end up. 

[DaddlerTheDalek]

On 22.1.2018 at 6:11 PM, Dee Dude said:

Well um... I wish Mr. Naka the best of luck to Square Enix and hopes of it being a suitable work place for him!

Same here.