Katamari Creator to Join Experimental MMO Developer, Tiny Speck

[Logan Westbrook]

Katamari Creator to Join Experimental MMO Developer, Tiny Speck

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A collaborative social game set in the minds of giants plagued by an evil crow? Sounds like a great fit for the man who came up with Noby Noby Boy.

Keita Takahashi, the mind behind the colorful, fun, and outright bizarre Katamari Damacy games, is making a triumphant return to game development after leaving Namco Bandai last year. Takahashi has upped sticks and moved to Canada to work with developer Tiny Spec on its experimental MMO Glitch, a game set in the minds of eleven giants.

Glitch is a new take on social gaming, set in the mind of eleven giants, with everyone playing in the same world and working together to expand the world and repair damage done by the villainous Rook. It sounds very different from the likes of FarmVille, where each player inhabits their own private space and can only interact with other players in a very limited way.

Tiny Speck founder Stewart Butterfield said that he know how hard it was to create something that defied conventions, and that he and his whole team had long been admirers of Takahashi's work. "His power of imagination and ability to realize something wholly unique and different stands out in the history of games," he wrote in a blog post [http://glitch.com/blog/2011/07/08/keita-takahashi-joins-glitch/] announcing the move. "It's still a huge thrill and a significant honor to be able to say: we get to work with Keita Takahashi! Glitch's awesomeness will continue to increase."

Takahashi has been critical of the videogame industry, saying that the future of gaming looked "dull [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102790-Katamari-Creator-Gamings-Future-Looks-Dull]." He also criticized [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/104894-Katamari-Creator-Left-Namco-Because-He-Didnt-Belong] developers and publishers who released sequel after sequel, without trying to innovate. He had started to investigate other projects, like designing playgrounds [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/79584-Katamari-Creator-Builds-Playground], and working on music with his wife [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103998-Katamari-Creator-Starts-New-Company]. Glitch is in the alpha stage at the moment. If your interst is piqued and you want to get an invite to the game's testing phase, you can sign up here [http://glitch.com/join/ ].

Source: Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/35757/Keita_Takahashi_To_Work_On_Glitch_With_Tiny_Speck.php]


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[Fogold]

Cute trailer, creepy ending.

Kinda looks a bit like a facebook game, which puts me off a little.

 

[adamtm]

Can someone enlighten me what "social gaming" means?

 

[Jarlaxl]

I watched this trailer a few times, and I still have no idea what happened.

I feel like Maple Story had a baby with Farmville, and Cthulhu was the delivering doctor.

 

[Dissolve]

I watched this trailer a few times, and I still have no idea what happened.

I feel like Maple Story had a baby with Farmville, and Cthulhu was the delivering doctor.

Similar to my own thoughts. Although, I was thinking it looks like Katamari Damacy got knocked up by Zynga one night, woke up the next day terrified and ashamed, and attempted to drink the baby to death for the next nine months. I think we'll agree that either way, we've got a very retarded baby with fetal alcohol syndrome.

 

[Psycho Cat Industries]

Can someone enlighten me what "social gaming" means?

Basically,you pay money for things and brag to others.

 

[Verdilian]

Can someone enlighten me what "social gaming" means?

Social gaming is basically playing with your friends and other various people. Unlike most other genres, it has a more... social feel to it. As in, more emphasis on working together or competing on whatever tasks there are. They are usually casually-orientated, with some notable exceptions (Backyard Monsters and Battle Pirates). Unfortunately, most have a "cash shop" which nags you into buying items. And of course, several of those items have the ability to make your experience considerably better and sped up - if not giving an advantage to those who play over those who don't. It varies depending on the game.

Then again, these are my answers to your question. Your mileage may vary on Social gaming and how "good" each game is. But two things' for certain, we are not exactly sure what path Glitch will take and that the game is undeniably weird.

 

[Podunk]

I will definitely have to try this.

Can someone enlighten me what "social gaming" means?

Social gaming is basically playing with your friends and other various people. Unlike most other genres, it has a more... social feel to it. As in, more emphasis on working together or competing on whatever tasks there are. They are usually casually-orientated, with some notable exceptions (Backyard Monsters and Battle Pirates). Unfortunately, most have a "cash shop" which nags you into buying items. And of course, several of those items have the ability to make your experience considerably better and sped up - if not giving an advantage to those who play over those who don't. It varies depending on the game.

Then again, these are my answers to your question. Your mileage may vary on Social gaming and how "good" each game is. But two things' for certain, we are not exactly sure what path Glitch will take and that the game is undeniably weird.

Good description, but may I also add that the draw of Social games is the 'social' aspect, rather than the 'game' part. I mean, you can play Katamari Damacy or Mario Kart or Smash Bros etc. with your friends but that doesn't make it a social game, because the game is still more about performance/completion/challenge than about socializing. But just because they are less 'game' than other games doesn't mean they can't be fun. Echo Bazaar is definitely a social game but I love it.

 

[lord.jeff]

It's good to see a new development in social games I was getting tired of everything being a farmville clone, I'm gonna try it when it comes out.

 

[adamtm]

Can someone enlighten me what "social gaming" means?

Social gaming is basically playing with your friends and other various people. Unlike most other genres, it has a more... social feel to it. As in, more emphasis on working together or competing on whatever tasks there are. They are usually casually-orientated, with some notable exceptions (Backyard Monsters and Battle Pirates). Unfortunately, most have a "cash shop" which nags you into buying items. And of course, several of those items have the ability to make your experience considerably better and sped up - if not giving an advantage to those who play over those who don't. It varies depending on the game.

Then again, these are my answers to your question. Your mileage may vary on Social gaming and how "good" each game is. But two things' for certain, we are not exactly sure what path Glitch will take and that the game is undeniably weird.

I will definitely have to try this.

Good description, but may I also add that the draw of Social games is the 'social' aspect, rather than the 'game' part. I mean, you can play Katamari Damacy or Mario Kart or Smash Bros etc. with your friends but that doesn't make it a social game, because the game is still more about performance/completion/challenge than about socializing. But just because they are less 'game' than other games doesn't mean they can't be fun. Echo Bazaar is definitely a social game but I love it.

So its a "game" which you play to primarily meet people, like Second Life or PlayStation Home but not play the game.

 

[Podunk]

So its a "game" which you play to primarily meet people, like Second Life or PlayStation Home but not play the game.

Yep. Those are probably the most extreme examples of social games, but I'd say that that is right on. The thing about those games is, like you said, you have the opportunity to meet new people, whereas the social games on Facebook are pretty much just about interacting with the friends you already have.

 

[adamtm]

So its a "game" which you play to primarily meet people, like Second Life or PlayStation Home but not play the game.

Yep. Those are probably the most extreme examples of social games, but I'd say that that is right on. The thing about those games is, like you said, you have the opportunity to meet new people, whereas the social games on Facebook are pretty much just about interacting with the friends you already have.

Cant say im interested then, if SL didnt pull me in 2003.

 

[Podunk]

Cant say im interested then, if SL didnt pull me in 2003.

Perfectly reasonable. Personally I plan to check it out myself, because I respect the developer, but I have generally tried to avoid all social games with the exception of one up until now.