Phantasy Star 'Event Movie' (for PSU) Director Revealed

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http://ps2.ign.com/articles/571/571464p1.html?fromint=1
Phantasy Star Event Movie Director Revealed
Plus, some harmless speculation about who's involved in this project.


December 07, 2004 - Sega hasn't been too open with information on Phantasy Star Universe, the next entry in the Phantasy Star series, but today one little bit slipped at Japan's Gpara.com website.

The site has an interview with Sega's Naozumi Yamaguchi, who directed the CG movie scenes in games like Shinobi, Kunoichi and the PS2 remake of the original Sakura Taisen. Yamaguchi reveals in the interview that, working out of Sega's 3rd GE Research Lab, he's currently producing the event movies for Phantasy Star Universe.

There are a few things we can take from Yamaguchi's comments in the interview. First, Sega apparently has some sort of 3rd GE Research Lab (and probably has a 2nd and 1st one as well). Second, Phantasy Star Universe has events, which hints that it may in fact take the series back to its roots as a story driven role playing game.

Finally, because Yamaguchi previously worked on three projects from Sega's old Overworks studio, that studio (in whatever current form it's taken now that Sega has restructured under Sammy) may have a part in the game's development. Reiko Kodama, one of the key hands in the Phantasy Star development history, is a producer from Overworks, so perhaps she has something to do with the project as well.

Speculation aside, it seems that the series is in good hands with Yamaguchi. At the end of the interview, Yamaguchi is asked to name a game that he would describe as a masterpiece, and he cites the Phantasy Star series. Yamaguchi apparently has great respect for the original RPG series, as playing it for the first time during the days of the SNES, he was amazed that a game using sprite-based visuals could paint such powerful story.

We're sure many Phantasy Star fans hope that Phantasy Star Universe will bring back the powerful storytelling that Yamaguchi loved so much.
 
Speculation aside, it seems that the series is in good hands with Yamaguchi. At the end of the interview, Yamaguchi is asked to name a game that he would describe as a masterpiece, and he cites the Phantasy Star series. Yamaguchi apparently has great respect for the original RPG series, as playing it for the first time during the days of the SNES, he was amazed that a game using sprite-based visuals could paint such powerful story.
Good hands indeed...

Seriously, what do IGN editors do?
 
I know who the director is... didn't realize it was a secret though, so perhaps I'd better wait til someone else drops that info!
 
MetatronM said:
Good hands indeed...

Seriously, what do IGN editors do?

*shrug* I don't see what the issue is. He said that Yamaguchi first played the Phantasy Star games during the 'days of the SNES', not that he played them on the SNES. From the way that was written, I'd just assume Yamaguchi first discovered the series during the Super Famicom era. It'd be like me saying that I first played Astrosmash (for the Intellivision) during the days of the Atari 2600.

IGN makes more than their fair share of screw-ups, but sometimes you guys try a little too hard to find fault. :p
 
Tellaerin said:
*shrug* I don't see what the issue is. He said that Yamaguchi first played the Phantasy Star games during the 'days of the SNES', not that he played them on the SNES. From the way that was written, I'd just assume Yamaguchi first discovered the series during the Super Famicom era. It'd be like me saying that I first played Astrosmash (for the Intellivision) during the days of the Atari 2600.

IGN makes more than their fair share of screw-ups, but sometimes you guys try a little too hard to find fault. :p

Sorry, but I think you're trying a bit too hard to justify IGN's glaring fuck-up.
 
....just please let Phantasy Star Universe have more to do with the original series than PSO. PSO was a fun multi-player game, but aside from some familar looking enemies, had little to do with Phantasy Star. it didn't really even feel like a Phantasy Star with all of those character classes. and whatnot. i didn't get too deeply into PSO. i quit after the DC releases, havent played Ep II or Ep III. or anything other than DC PSO. i still play it with friends now and then but....its NOT PHANTASY STAR AS I KNEW IT. even Phantasy Star III felt more like a PS game than PSO.... i don't hate PSO just... blah.

so I have hope that PSU is PS5/PSV or at least takes us back to Algol and has the PS essense......
 
john tv said:
I know who the director is... didn't realize it was a secret though, so perhaps I'd better wait til someone else drops that info!
Spill it! We need to know if it's either Overworks/Sega Wow or Sonic Team!!
 
jarrod said:
Spill it! We need to know if it's either Overworks/Sega Wow or Sonic Team!!

Since the guy doing the movie here is an Overworks dude (worked on Kunoichi and Sakura Taisen), I assume it's safe to say it's an Overworks staff making the game as well. Or an ex-Overworks staff, anyway, since there is no Overworks anymore.

DFS.
 
WarPig said:
Since the guy doing the movie here is an Overworks dude (worked on Kunoichi and Sakura Taisen), I assume it's safe to say it's an Overworks staff making the game as well. Or an ex-Overworks staff, anyway, since there is no Overworks anymore.

DFS.
I thought that too, but wasn't the PSU site previously linked to Sonic Team? I'm confizzled!!
 
jarrod said:
I thought that too, but wasn't the PSU site previously linked to Sonic Team? I'm confizzled!!

Ah, true, I forgot about that part.

God knows how Sega's teams have been reshuffled. Overworks was mashed into Wow to make Sega Wow, but I've been told part of Wow was let go during the Altered Beast fiasco, plus you have the whole suck-everyone-back-into-Sega thing, so this 3rd R&D outfit could be anybody.

Considering Reiko Kodama hasn't been noticeably attached to a project in a while, though, she'd be my first guess.

DFS.
 
No offense to the old games, but I hope this takes the art direction of PSO... I loved the original games, but PSO is just so damn pretty.
 
WarPig said:
Ah, true, I forgot about that part.

God knows how Sega's teams have been reshuffled. Overworks was mashed into Wow to make Sega Wow, but I've been told part of Wow was let go during the Altered Beast fiasco, plus you have the whole suck-everyone-back-into-Sega thing, so this 3rd R&D outfit could be anybody.

Considering Reiko Kodama hasn't been noticeably attached to a project in a while, though, she'd be my first guess.

DFS.
Yeah, evidently Wow Shanghai was dropped completely (who were originally working on Altered Beast). Sonic Team seems to have somehow maintained itself though (post UGA take over), they're still using their logo even. I'm guessing the 5 basic divisons (Sega Wow, Sega-AM2, Hitmaker, Amusement Vision & Sonic Team) are probably still in place, just brought under one overriding management.

I want Reiko to do a Rayearth DS port. :)
 
jarrod said:
I want Reiko to do a Rayearth DS port. :)

You know, that's not a bad idea. Rayearth on DS or PSP, with wireless multiplayer co-op. 'Course, Square's supposedly doing a Seiken Densetsu for the DS, which would be pretty much up the same alley.

DFS.
 
Well, of course it's Sonic Team. Did you forget about the Sonic Team logo, and all the info that was posted on Sonic Team's site around E3?
 
john tv said:
Well, of course it's Sonic Team. Did you forget about the Sonic Team logo, and all the info that was posted on Sonic Team's site around E3?
Yup, just follow this link, and the intro movie that plays displays the Sonic Team logo.
Link!
 
Sonic Team is also plastered all over the official PS Universe website. Personally, I don't care which way the game goes. If it's a very traditional RPG, great, if it's more an action RPG game like PSO, even better (as long as the story is fleshed out more than it was in the PSO games). Also, why does this new game have to have much to do with the originals? Do you want the new game's story to tie back into the old ones? I'd rather see a new story that has elements of the old Phantasy Star games (like Final Fantasy games do).

Rayearth on DS or PSP would be cool, but does anyone care about that property in Japan anymore?
 
john tv said:
Well, of course it's Sonic Team. Did you forget about the Sonic Team logo, and all the info that was posted on Sonic Team's site around E3?
I've still got that November hangover. I'm lucky I remember my own address when I'm going home.

Rayearth on DS or PSP would be cool, but does anyone care about that property in Japan anymore?
See, that's why ya do it now, when you don't have to pay too much for the rights :)

DFS.
 
PC Gaijin said:
Sonic Team is also plastered all over the official PS Universe website. Personally, I don't care which way the game goes. If it's a very traditional RPG, great, if it's more an action RPG game like PSO, even better (as long as the story is fleshed out more than it was in the PSO games). Also, why does this new game have to have much to do with the originals? Do you want the new game's story to tie back into the old ones? I'd rather see a new story that has elements of the old Phantasy Star games (like Final Fantasy games do).

Rayearth on DS or PSP would be cool, but does anyone care about that property in Japan anymore?
I'm expecting them to release SEGA Ages: Phantasy Star Trilogy a little while before this comes out, so then anybody who needs to be caught up can be done so easily.
 
WarPig said:
I've still got that November hangover. I'm lucky I remember my own address when I'm going home.
Oh, for what it's worth, I was talking to jarrod, not you. But either way, I think I came off sounding a little bitchy when I never intended to, so my apologies to both of you! :)
 
WarPig said:
See, that's why ya do it now, when you don't have to pay too much for the rights :)
Didn't Sega actually hold a large stake in Clamp or something? Is Rayerth at all a valuable property over there anymore, I know it's somewhat known over here now thanks to the digests.


john tv said:
Oh, for what it's worth, I was talking to jarrod, not you. But either way, I think I came off sounding a little bitchy when I never intended to, so my apologies to both of you! :)
Yeah, I remembered the Sonic Team logo but this loose Overworks/Wow connection got me confused. :/
 
jarrod said:
Didn't Sega actually hold a large stake in Clamp or something? Is Rayerth at all a valuable property over there anymore, I know it's somewhat known over here now thanks to the digests.

Sega owned a piece of the Rayearth property, at least, they co-produced the show (that's why Sega's toys division did all the Rayearth toys as well). That was during the period when Sega was involved in a couple of animation productions (they had a piece of Nadesico, too).

DFS.
 
All I want is an update on Phantasy Star Online, maybe with some more RPG elements, but keeping the game as an A.RPG for the most part. What ever console it comes out already has my $$$ gauranteed.

<3's the PSO
 
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