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Fumito Ueda, the director behind iconic 2005 adventure game Shadow of the Colossus – not the 2018 remake – thinks that the age of pioneering in the video game industry might be over.
Ueda reveals as much in a recent interview with DenfaminicoGamer (Thanks, VGC), speaking alongside the creator behind Katamari: Keita Takahashi. The Shadow of the Colossus mastermind recalls how he reacted to the latest of Takahashi's new games, To a T. "I don't remember exactly why I replied with a 'like' at the time, but I was probably thinking, 'the era of game mechanics is over,'" admits the director – it's more about polishing existing mechanics now.
"I wonder if we are no longer in the era where we need to provide new devices or new game mechanics every single game," he continues. As Takahashi chimes in, however, Ueda has apparently held this line of thought for quite a while. "He's been saying this since Journey," adds the Katamari head. Ueda then expands on his point regarding the potential lack of true innovation: "Even if the mechanics are not new, you can focus on the feel and art."
He doubles down, though, that "whether you like it or not, it's better to sharpen the existing mechanics." The veteran developer's words certainly make sense – after all, video games have existed for decades now, arguably making it pretty difficult to truly conjure something up that hasn't been conceived by another creator before. As for how this sentiment applies to To a T, I suppose it isn't hard to see the connection Ueda makes.
To a T, Takahashi's colorful new narrative adventure game, follows the life of a 13-year-old teenager, whose body happens to be… in the shape of the letter "T."
