Hironobu Sakaguchi Joins Microsoft Game Studios

[ivol07]

LINK

Microsoft Corp. today announced that Hironobu Sakaguchi, video game legend and president of Mistwalker game studio, has joined with Microsoft® Game Studios to develop role-playing game (RPG) video games exclusively for the next-generation Xbox® video game platform. Sakaguchi is best known as the creator of the ?Final Fantasy? franchise, which has sold more than 60 million units worldwide, and was executive vice president in charge of game development at Square Enix Co., Ltd. until February 2001.

Citing a shared vision with Microsoft for the next generation of video games, Sakaguchi will lead the creation of two upcoming Xbox-exclusive RPG titles to be published by Microsoft Game Studios.


?Sakaguchi-san has taken role-playing games ? traditionally a niche market ? and introduced them to a broad and diverse audience across the globe,? said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Worldwide Marketing and Publishing at Microsoft. ?We are ecstatic to work with Sakaguchi-san and celebrate what this news means not only for Xbox, but for gamers worldwide.?

?I?m excited about the two epic game titles we will be developing,? Sakaguchi said. ?A number of talented creators have signed on to help develop these games, and I?m confident we will be able to create games that provide gamers with a new kind of thrill.

?Microsoft?s cutting-edge technologies in the next-generation platform will allow me to bring to life an array of ideas that I have had for many years,? Sakaguchi said. ?I want these games to be alive with a new vision for gaming and vividly depict new characters that will transcend the game, find a place in the hearts of gamers, and make time spent with my games a fond and long-lasting memory.?

Sakaguchi started his career at Square Co. Ltd. in 1986 as director of planning and development. He was promoted to executive vice president in 1991 and eventually ascended to president of Square LA Inc. (now Square USA Inc.) in 1995. In 2000, Sakaguchi was inducted into the coveted Academy of Interactive Arts & Science (AIAS) Hall of Fame for his groundbreaking work on the ?Final Fantasy? series. In 2004, Sakaguchi announced that he had started his own development studio, called Mistwalker.

Xbox is coming off a blockbuster year as the only video game console to show year-to-year growth in 2004, while competitors declined*. Driven by epic, platform-exclusive content ? including ?Halo® 2? by Microsoft Game Studios, ?Fable? by Microsoft Game Studios., ?Ninja Gaiden? by Tecmo Ltd., and Xbox Live?, the only unified online video game console service ? gamers worldwide continue to flock to Xbox for an unparalleled digital entertainment experience.

Looks like MS is buying the big guns to make Xbox 2 a hit. I was never to big on RPGs, but everyone I know who has liked them said Final Fantasy were the best ones.

 

[ironcrotch]

So will we be seeing some Square games on the Xbox2?

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: ironcrotch
So will we be seeing some Square games on the Xbox2?

I dont think whatever he's going to make with Microsoft will be labeled under Squaresoft. I'm pretty sure square has an exclusive contract with Sony

 

[tk149]

Crap, now I'm going to have to buy an Xbox.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Square doesn't have an exclusive deal with Sony. They make Nintendo games as well. However, the article says that the dude was hired my MS so he will probably create a whole new world and it will be amazing and breath taking in his vision, but MS will out source the development to India and the games will suck.

 

[PricklyPete]

Definitely a possible win for MS...although we have seen what appear to be talented designers go to different development studios and produce crap. I think this may be because a development studio is the sum of its parts and not just the designer himself. I know that from my own experience in software design. A lot of products I work on become a lot better because of the talent of the programmers working on my design and the suggestions/extra effort they make than what I put into the original design of the app.

 

[BigJ]

This news is giving me goosebumps. Guess I'll be buying an X-Box II.

 

[Rogue]

It looks like Microsoft refuses to play second fiddle in the Japanese market again. This round of console wars will prove to be interesting, that's for sure.

 

[ivol07]

Originally posted by: Rogue
It looks like Microsoft refuses to play second fiddle in the Japanese market again. This round of console wars will prove to be interesting, that's for sure.

I agree. I think the two biggest complaints in the Japanese markets were that the Xbox was to big and clunky and that it didn't have any good RPGs. It looks like Xbox 2 will now take care of both of those problems.