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[Takao]

According to messages posted on his personal Twitter, game director Yasumi Matsuno stepped down his position at Level 5 last month, during the downtime following the worldwide release of Crimson Shroud. He currently plans to take some time off to recharge.

http://bdashnews.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/yasumi-matsuno-leaves-level-5/


Mod Edit: From Matsuno's own Twitter account, in English:

I'd like to formally announce my departure from Level-5, effective last month. With my work done on the domestic and overseas version of my latest 3DSWare game, it was good timing for me to step down and take a short break in order to recharge for my next project. My deepest thanks to everyone at Level-5 and everyone playing our games for your continued support. (thx to @aokajiya for the translation.)

 

[ChosenPredator]

follow the path of cliffy b and spam pictures of different studios

 

[DarknessTear]

Eye cancer returns.

 

[AlphaDragoon]

Was a waste of his talent anyway. Maybe if it was still good Level-5 who made stuff like Dark Cloud, then he would have fit right in.

 

[jgmo870]

Well that was fast.

 

[kuroshiki]

Good. Now he's going to either mobage or gree.

IOS game!

 

[MikeE21286]

Well that was fast.

Exactly my thoughts...

 

[The Return of]

Please find a place that you love to work at and create many games, my heart can't keep taking this leaving news.

 

[Man God]

But who is going to finish FF XII?

 

[Ninjimbo]

When is this guy going to make something of value again?

 

[Kyoufu]

I wish we'd get another Ivalice game by him

 

[speedpop]

Nintendo?

 

[SMT]

Hopefully he will travel to the West and see different studios, like Hideo Kojimbo.

 

[Bladenic]

What's Crimson Shroud? Lol

 

[kuroshiki]

But who is going to finish FF XII?

The game is already done. It's called reverent wings.

Spoiler

shitty game beyond your wildest imagination.

 

[Instro]

He should go work at Monolith or something.

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Well that was fast.

Seriously.

I hope he winds up somewhere else soon. Matsuno is too big of a talent to stay away for long.

 

[taoofjord]

Matsuno, would you please just nab your favorite guys to work with and crowd-fund a game that YOU want to make? Surely you'd be happier and less stressed out And whether you use kickstarter or something else it would pass with ease.

 

[dragonlife]

Well that was fast.

That's what I thought, too.

I hope he takes all the time he needs. I definitely want to see him around for many years to come.

 

[tokkun]

Crimson Shroud did not seem like a particularly weighty project. If he needs to take time off after that, it sounds like his heart is not in it anymore.

 

[TheBaronOfNA]

Well, I think is for the best.

 

[idlethreats]

Well. That didn't take long. Man, things are just not looking that good for Level-5 anymore.

Spoiler

shitty game beyond your wildest imagination.

Lies!

 

[Data West]

follow the path of cliffy b and spam pictures of different studios

 

[@MUWANdo]

Crimson Shroud's not even out yet, is it?

This better not effect Guild02 or the Guild concept in general (it totally will).

 

[Aeana]

Not surprised. I kind of doubt that Level-5 was really willing to give him the amount of freedom or resources he really wanted. It'll be interesting to see where he turns up down the road.

 

[jbug617]

what happened to Level 5? Seems like all their buzz they had is gone.

 

[Aeana]

what happened to Level 5? Seems like all their buzz they had is gone.

Well, they finally started releasing games, and then people actually played them.

 

[vareon]

Crimson Shroud did not seem like a particularly weighty project. If he needs to take time off after that, it sounds like his heart is not in it anymore.

Yeah, I thought Crimson Shroud was the game he puts all of his heart into (story-based, small team, shorter). If he needs to recharge by leaving the studio, I don't think we'll ever see his as a director again.

 

[UberTag]

Nintendo?

Would love to see him join Intelligent Systems and craft a killer Fire Emblem game.

 

[Kagari]

Well, they finally started releasing games, and then people actually played them.

At least Time Travelers is good, at least from what various people have said.

 

[Skilletor]

Matsuno was involved with the Tactics Ogre remake, wasn't he? Was he freelance with SE or actually employed at the time.

 

[Aeana]

At least Time Travelers is good, at least from what various people have said.

Well, Jiro Ishii doesn't make bad games. But it sold so poorly that he probably won't get to make another either, unless he leaves Level-5 as well!

 

[TheBaronOfNA]

what happened to Level 5? Seems like all their buzz they had is gone.

Creating IP for the sake of having cartoon franchises are not exactly good for creativity when you start milking it even before is out.

 

[Kagari]

Well, Jiro Ishii doesn't make bad games. But it sold so poorly that he probably won't get to make another either, unless he leaves Level-5 as well!

:<

 

[kadotsu]

As long as he stays the fuck away from GREE and Mobage I'll be happy.

 

[raven777]

go back to SE

 

[sorijealut]

They should all leave level-5 and gather together to make level-5 games.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Yeah, I thought Crimson Shroud was the game he puts all of his heart into (story-based, small team, shorter). If he needs to recharge by leaving the studio, I don't think we'll ever see his as a director again.

It kinda wasn't. L5 got Matsuno to do...Matsuno. He's actually been whistful about going into other forms of narrative than deep dark 'n difficult low fantasy, but he's one of the few left in Japan who does that any more in RPGs. It's kind of a wierd place to be at, ya know, to be hired for that one reason as a toehold to a niche unsupported as it is.

If anything, I would guess it was the horrific sales that did this.

 

[brinstar]

Well, they finally started releasing games, and then people actually played them.

Curious, what's wrong with their games? I've only played their Dragon Quests

 

[massoluk]

Please send your resume to Monolith.

 

[Eusis]

Not surprised. I kind of doubt that Level-5 was really willing to give him the amount of freedom or resources he really wanted. It'll be interesting to see where he turns up down the road.

Doesn't Akihiro Hino want to have a huge hand in every game Level 5 puts out? I feel his sort of, I dunno, Disney-esque approach to being all ages friendly doesn't exactly mesh with what Matsuno would've wanted to make.

Curious, what's wrong with their games? I've only played their Dragon Quests

Dark Cloud 1 & 2 had loads of random dungeons, which is fine with some people... but then Rogue Galaxy had huge, long dungeons that felt like they may as well be randomly generated. That was my problem, but it also feels like they rarely manage to make that last push to really making FUN games. Charming typically, but I think as a result stuff like Dragon Quest, Layton, and Time Travellers comes out best as either A. they aren't designing the gameplay systems fully, or B. they're not really gameplay focused anyway, at least not in the sense a core game is.

 

[Yuterald]

Recharging his batteries, eh? Damn, I was hoping he got an offer somewhere else or something along those lines. Square should pull the old team together for a Vagrant Story remake/update like what they did with Tactics Ogre. =O

Regardless, I'm super excited to check out Crimson Shroud when it drops this year. I hope this guy doesn't bail on the industry! =(

 

[dragonlife]

I don't think PG is the best place for him, but I wouldn't say "no" to another game of theirs with him on board.

Would love to see him join Intelligent Systems and craft a killer Fire Emblem game.

As much as I enjoy Matsuno and love Fire Emblem, I don't know how I'd feel about such a mix, honestly. Two different kinds of "charm" that would end up clashing, I think. I'd rather keep FE not-so-serious

 

[Data West]

I don't think PG is the best place for him, but I wouldn't say "no" to another game of theirs with him on board.

I'm just trying to think of HD twin Japanese developers other than Square and Nagoshi's team. Tango, maybe?

 

[Seven Force]

Huh. That didn't take long.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Recharging his batteries, eh? Damn, I was hoping he got an offer somewhere else or something along those lines. Square should pull the old team together for a Vagrant Story remake/update like what they did with Tactics Ogre. =O

Regardless, I'm super excited to check out Crimson Shroud when it drops this year. I hope this guy doesn't bail on the industry! =(

Wada's got most of those guys bailing water out of that listing hulk that is FFXIV, it's a goddamn crime.

 

[Ridley327]

Curious, what's wrong with their games? I've only played their Dragon Quests

Those games are ones where they had at most extremely minimal involvement on the creative and design side, if any at all.

 

[MagiusNecros]

Obviously recharging for Vagrant Story/FF Tactics 2

 

[Derrick01]

what happened to Level 5? Seems like all their buzz they had is gone.

Punishment for keeping dark cloud 3 in purgatory. I get my vengeance eventually.

 

[raven777]

did crimson shroud release?

how was it?