Support NeoGAF

[KyotoMecca]

LINK

New Sonic Team interview with Yojiro Ogawa, who directed/produced PDS, PSO, SA1, PSO3, Project Rub and more, very important part of team and I think second to Yuki Naka. The interview starts off looking at the completion of Project Rub, working with DS etc, before moving onto broader stuff like Sammy, UGA titles, etc.

We catch up with SEGA veteran, Yojiro Ogawa, to look back at Project Rub and discuss topical Sega matters, like PSP, Sammy's buyout and key Sega franchises.

It wouldn't be unfair to say that Yojiro Ogawa is a lesser-known Sega veteran than some of his well-promoted colleagues. While the likes of Yu Suzuki, Toshihiro Nagoshi and his closest colleague Yuji Naka are well-known industry figures, Ogawa-san is nonetheless an extremely respected game director within Sega, who has started to get a little more limelight in the recent times.

And rightly so; Ogawa has worked on some of the very finest Sega properties of the last decade. After joining the company in 1995, he worked on the legendary RPG for Sega Saturn, Panzer Dragoon Saga, which to this day still fetches prices of up to $200 on eBay. He was central to Dreamcast projects such as Sonic Adventure, Chu Chu Rocket and Phantasy Star Online, while he has more recently produced PSO III, Sonic Mega Collection, and of course, Project Rub / Feel the Magic for Nintendo DS.

And with the popular DS title rolled out worldwide, it's the perfect chance to catch up with Ogawa-san for a pre-E3 flavoured chat. There's a good selection of tasty items on the agenda here, although for the full lowdown on Sonic Team's next big things - like Shadow the Hedgehog, and Phantasy Star Universe, Sonic 360, you're best off checking back during E3 when we'll be delivering our usual, killer Sega coverage...

http://games.kikizo.com/features/sega_sonicteam_interview_apr05_p1.asp

 

[goodcow]

Naka-san checks games at important stages of development on a case-by-case basis, and makes adjustments to directions. But he is very involved with development, and we were told to readjust things down to the minutest details.

Time to initiate Operation Eliminate.

 

[Izzy]

There's a good selection of tasty items on the agenda here, although for the full lowdown on Sonic Team's next big things - like Shadow the Hedgehog, and Phantasy Star Universe, Sonic 360

 

[Katana_Strikes]

There's a good selection of tasty items on the agenda here, although for the full lowdown on Sonic Team's next big things - like Shadow the Hedgehog, and Phantasy Star Universe, Sonic 360.

It begins!

Look out for Halo 360, Project Gotham 360 and Tony Hawks 900. :lol

 

[Alcibiades]

Kikizo: How do Sega's studios feel after the Sammy takeover?

Ogawa: There has been nothing significantly different to affect us; to be honest the atmosphere changed more in the past when the studios became separate companies. At that time the sense of tension increased. Now that we have been re-integrated, we are keeping in step again to become an enormous force.

:lol

 

[ourumov]

Sonic Team boss Yuji Naka with a Ferrari 360

I think it's a Lotus Elise...

 

[gofreak]

It begins!

Look out for Halo 360, Project Gotham 360 and Tony Hawks 900. :lol

Lord. I kinda hope this doesn't happen.

 

[callous]

To those who don't want to go through the whole interview:

 

[bogg]

^^

 

[Odnetnin]

To those who don't want to go through the whole interview:

that chick on the extreme right = hottest.

Um. okay interview. A lot of nothing really. The comments regarding SC5+REZ.. we can only guess we'll never see sequels. If Sega makes Sonic 360 Xbox 360 :lol (what a mouthful)exclusive while ignoring the fanbases of cube/xbox/ps2 combined; with a name like 360; it'd have to be exclusive. I'll say SEGA is off to a bad start.

I'm also not surprised Kikizo would drop hints of a 360 title seeing how.... MSN is a sponsor of theirs.

 

[WrathOfOtaibah]

I hope Sonic 360 turns out to be good. Sega's been in a slump and starting with new hardware, this could be their time to turn it around. They have nowhere to go but up anymore anyways...

 

[callous]

that chick on the extreme right = hottest.

She is awfully cute, isn't she. The one next to her has a chest to die for, though! Ahem .. anyway, carry on.

 

[CO_Andy]

If Sega pulled-off a good launch title for the XBox 360, a sale would be almost guaranteed (good planning on the DS part).

 

[Jeffahn]

LINK

New Sonic Team interview with Yojiro Ogawa, who directed/produced PDS, PSO, SA1, PSO3, Project Rub and more, very important part of team and I think second to Yuki Naka. The interview starts off looking at the completion of Project Rub, working with DS etc, before moving onto broader stuff like Sammy, UGA titles, etc.



http://games.kikizo.com/features/sega_sonicteam_interview_apr05_p1.asp

So when are we gonna find out about VF5, Mr Doree?

...

 

[Koshiro]

She is awfully cute, isn't she. The one next to her has a chest to die for, though! Ahem .. anyway, carry on.

IAWTP

 

[nitewulf]

Lord. I kinda hope this doesn't happen.

ugh, this is going to be so stupid. GTA 360...no, just no. max payne 360? stupid.

 

[kIdMuScLe]

To those who don't want to go through the whole interview:

damn i want to join that development team!!!

 

[Juno]

Not really sure why they'd put Sonic on the 360 - surely they have access to the sales of Sonic Heroes, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, Sonic Mega Collection and so on...

 

[GSG Flash]

She is awfully cute, isn't she. The one next to her has a chest to die for, though! Ahem .. anyway, carry on.

IAWTP although I find the girl wearing red the hottest one.

 

[Odnetnin]

IAWTP although I find the girl wearing red the hottest one.

is it cause of she's carrying

Spoiler

ballistics

?

 

[Kon Tiki]

Hmm, Fishie mentions a 'disappointment' in an Xbox 2 software presentation, now mentions Sonic 360.

 

[Jive Turkey]

To those who don't want to go through the whole interview:

Wow! That really was a great interview! We need more interviews like this.

 

[KyotoMecca]

Hmm, Fishie mentions a 'disappointment' in an Xbox 2 software presentation, now mentions Sonic 360.

But that was not written by Fishie... ;-)

 

[Kon Tiki]

But that was not written by Fishie... ;-)

Cool, Adam udated with me interview: http://games.kikizo.com/features/sega_soni...ew_apr05_p1.asp

He seems to think so.

 

[Willco]

In the future, I recommend you change your interviews from a platform of discussion about various industry topics to pictorials of SEGA centerfolds. Thanks.

 

[KyotoMecca]

He seems to think so.

Yup but the introduction etc etc was all done by Kikizo.

 

[Monorojo]

on a related subject, it seems like Sonic may be making its way to PSP

http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product_id=190122

Atleast according to gamestop....do they know somethign we don't?

 

[KyotoMecca]

Sonic PSP is a dead cert. Sega (Naka) announced this time last year "Project S" for PSP. It would not be surprising if this was a Sonic game. If you know what I mean.

The best made-up rumour I heard about Sonic PSP is that it would be based on Sonic CD, but I doubt that very much. ;-)

 

[Suikoguy]

All this Xbox 360 support from Japanese companies...I might have to actually buy an xbox this time.

Keep in mind the xbox had tons of japaneese support too,
its very easy for a developer to sign up, its another story to release a game.
I'm taking a wait and see aproach.

 

[nitewulf]

Keep in mind the xbox had tons of japaneese support too

what