The Last Guardian Team is "Re-Engineering," Says Yoshida

[Michael Epstein]

The Last Guardian Team is "Re-Engineering," Says Yoshida

Sony president insists someone is still working on The Last Guardian.

The Last Guardian, one of the gaming industry's longest running mystery projects, is still alive and kicking, according to Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida. Speaking with once again [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-10-03-shuhei-yoshida-playstation-4-indies-and-the-xbox-one] that, despite a long media blackout, The Last Guardian is still in production.

"So, we're waiting for the right time to re-introduce The Last Guardian in an appropriate way," said Yoshida. "I can't... Well, the game is in development, and it's well staffed, and Ueda-san is here, working - even though he's not a Sony employee, he's dedicated to the product. But we're not ready to update yet."

According to Yoshida, the game's progress has been unfairly labelled non-existent, in part by comments from SCEA president Jack Tretton, who said development was "on hiatus." (That time GameStop implied the game had been "cancelled" [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/114917-GameStop-Says-The-Last-Guardian-is-Canceled-Sony-Says-No-UPDATED] didn't help, either.)

"Hiatus, I never... It was Jack Tretton! He used that term, and I said no, hiatus is misleading. It was a hiatus in terms of releasing new information. The game has never stopped - the team has always been here. They're going through the re-engineering of the game, so the team size is smaller, because it's more engineering focused right now."

Does that mean The Last Guardian is going to come out on PS4? Yoshida's not telling. For now, Yoshida's repeated insistence that the game will be more than vaporware will have to be enough for fans to hold on to.

Source: Games Industry International [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-10-03-shuhei-yoshida-playstation-4-indies-and-the-xbox-one]

Permalink

 

[Mark D. Stroyer]

Why do I get the feeling that the story of this game goes about like this:

"Alright, so we've got this awesome tech, and sweet animation, and we've got this cool world. This is great!"

"So how's it going to play?"

"I...don't...what?"

"Uh, gameplay?"

"...Gameplay?"

 

[KeyMaster45]

The Last Guardian, aka Duke Nukem Forever: Electric Bugaloo.

If we ever do see this game I have a sinking feeling that it's going to be crap from all the time it has spent wallowing in development hell.

 

[rofltehcat]

Oh, for the love of...
someone please just make a new Shadow of the Colossus title without all that stalling. It doesn't meed to be perfect, good will do.

 

[Miss G.]

Here's hoping this comes out for PS4 in a relatively timely manner, as in hopefully before FFXV and KHIII are on shelves.

 

[Raziel]

I'd like to believe him. But after this long and no release. I doubt it been worked on the whole time.

I'm also really worried it will follow the duke nukem mold and be a terrible dated mess by the time it releases.

 

[AldUK]

Yeah, this is rapidly becoming the new Duke Nuke'em Forever. And we all know how that one turned out.

If they just made more Shadow of the Colossus with updated graphics and a new landscape I'd be very happy.

 

[Seracen]

I just don't care anymore about this release. I preferred ICO to Colossus. If Guardians followed the trend of "better graphics, but not better story," with dated graphics to boot, I just don't see the allure.

 

[DuelLadyS]

The Last Guardian, aka Duke Nukem Forever: Electric Bugaloo.

If we ever do see this game I have a sinking feeling that it's going to be crap from all the time it has spent wallowing in development hell.

Yeah, pretty much this.

Say what you want, until you have a demo and a release date, I'm calling it vaporware.

It's too bad... it probably would've been a great game if they'd just made it and released it instead of doing whatever the hell they're doing. Now I expect either nothing or crap until proven otherwise. (I still kinda hope they prove otherwise.)

 

[james.sponge]

I'm afraid that cuddly creature will die at the end of this game and I will cry.....

Why do I get the feeling that the story of this game goes about like this:

"Alright, so we've got this awesome tech, and sweet animation, and we've got this cool world. This is great!"

"So how's it going to play?"

"I...don't...what?"

"Uh, gameplay?"

"...Gameplay?"

I don't think that's the case it was pretty obvious from the beginning the game will focus on exploration/puzzle solving with the help of your big friend and a little bit of combat, I don't think they need anything radical. Remember Journey is a game about walking towards glowing mountain yet it is one of the best games released on the ps3. Music, atmosphere, story and small artistic touches are what makes simple gameplay mechanics into unforgettable experiences and Last Guardian doesn't need anything more than that.

 

[Zombie_Moogle]

Ueda, please make The Last Guardian not only a reality & everything your fans have spent years hoping for

I believe in you, but I can't go through another Duke Nukem Forever scenario...

http://www.troll.me/images/dramatic-soap-opera-cat/please-just-say-yes-already.jpg

 

[Rad Party God]

The Last Guardian, aka Duke Nukem Forever: Electric Bugaloo.

If we ever do see this game I have a sinking feeling that it's going to be crap from all the time it has spent wallowing in development hell.

Hmmmm... I doubt it. I mean, yes, it might have some resemblance to DNF's everlasting development hell it went through, but saying it will suck is stretching it a little much.

DNF's problem was that it tried to mimic almost every big shooter that came out from '99 to 2011 (among other glaring faults), I highly doubt ICO team has something to mimic, heck, at this point, nobody knows how's the gameplay going to be, save for a few trailers and some vague descriptions from the devs.

I think it's unfair to compare this to DNF, like, very unfair. Yes, there's a chance that it might suck after so many years in development, but I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt, simply because it's neither 3D Realms, nor Gearbox (and they've actually released good games).

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I think they need to come clean and say what the problem is. Whether they are re engineering it for PS4 or its just on hold while they make something else. Either way the fact there has been zero info and they are very vague about it all doesnt bode well. The least they can do is show off a new trailer or gameplay footage so fans have something to see. Even if it has a "coming soon" at the end and no real release date.

 

[Ipsen]

This project is 'out of sight, out of mind' status for me. Ignoring it until it comes out. Ignoring it if it comes out, and it's bad. Hell, ignoring it if it's on the PS4.

I've built too many expectations for this game. It's all my/Sony's fault!

 

[lacktheknack]

It's now joining Duke Nukem Forever as a game that completely missed one or more console generations. Impressive.

Seeing how laggy Shadow of the Colossus was, maybe it's for the best.

 

[VoidWanderer]

ugh...

Hands-up if you actually care about this game anymore...

Just nod if you want them to make the fucking game.

I'm just waiting for Prey 2 to go through this torturous hell...

 

[weirdee]

the announcement gives me the impression that the entire team somehow died in a freak accident and they're trying too hard to cover it up

 

[DoveAlexa]

They really ought to just sell T-shirts, posters, figurines and plushies for a year or 2, then scrap development (if it's really going on in earnest). Keep selling merch till the cost outweighs the profit then stop. They can make back whatever they wasted in developing it with the fan's remaining cares through the merch. Then afterwards we can all go back to forgetting this.

I'd rather not see it become another duke nuken forever, even though I'm not a fan.

 

[Evil Smurf]

I've never heard of this game, why is that?