Katamari Creator: iPhone, Google, Facebook Mark "Massive Shift" in Games
Current platform holders under threat
Keita Takahashi
Acclaimed Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi has said that current platform holders should expect to see fierce competition from Apple's iPhone and social networking websites.
At a game creator's conference at the Japanese Embassy in London, titled 'The Videogame Playground,' the artist and former sculptor said that we will soon see Apple, Facebook and Google join Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft as competent gaming platforms.
He added that these three companies in particular would mark a "massive shift in the video game industry."
The comments were made during part of a keynote which explored the role of the video game in adult life. It follows similar statements made at this week's Develop conference, and the recent GameHorizon event where developers have been advocating the benefits of self-publishing for emerging platforms.
Takahashi suggested that the introduction of casual games from these rising platforms would allow games to be enjoyed by everyone, rather than just a specific elite known as 'gamers.'
"It sounds harsh, but I think it would be great if we took the 'video' out of 'video game,' and replace the word 'game' with 'play,'" the Noby Noby Boy creator said. "The connotations of 'play' is to have fun - in fact, we could just change the word 'play' to 'fun' too.
"I think that would open games up to become more accessible, but I'm aware that some gamers are very... protective," Takahashi joked.
The artist has had cult success in the West for developing some of the most original, colourful and downright wacky games in recent memory. After two Katamari Damacy games and Noby Noby Boy, Takahashi is now taking a break from games to design a real-life playground for children in Nottingham.
At a game creator's conference at the Japanese Embassy in London, titled 'The Videogame Playground,' the artist and former sculptor said that we will soon see Apple, Facebook and Google join Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft as competent gaming platforms.
He added that these three companies in particular would mark a "massive shift in the video game industry."
The comments were made during part of a keynote which explored the role of the video game in adult life. It follows similar statements made at this week's Develop conference, and the recent GameHorizon event where developers have been advocating the benefits of self-publishing for emerging platforms.
Takahashi suggested that the introduction of casual games from these rising platforms would allow games to be enjoyed by everyone, rather than just a specific elite known as 'gamers.'
"It sounds harsh, but I think it would be great if we took the 'video' out of 'video game,' and replace the word 'game' with 'play,'" the Noby Noby Boy creator said. "The connotations of 'play' is to have fun - in fact, we could just change the word 'play' to 'fun' too.
"I think that would open games up to become more accessible, but I'm aware that some gamers are very... protective," Takahashi joked.
The artist has had cult success in the West for developing some of the most original, colourful and downright wacky games in recent memory. After two Katamari Damacy games and Noby Noby Boy, Takahashi is now taking a break from games to design a real-life playground for children in Nottingham.
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Keita Takahashi
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