Fumito Ueda No Longer Works For Sony

it says a lot about the guy and the game that he quit the company before shipping it.

I hope where ever he goes they dont allow him to make this kind of mistake again. 6 years + to ship a game is dumb and should have never happened with a well managed team with a clear vision on the game.

I hope team Ico can continue after he leaves for good. There is a lot of talent in that group. Music, art design, etc. I would hate if they got stuck making Loco Roco or whatever SCEJ makes.

Hopefully someone steps up to takes Ueda's place.

Tin Foil Hat GO!!!

I would bet money that he is going to off make mobile or social games. Last Guardian will be named dropped by Sony to get a few more show awards and then brushed under the rug by news of PS4 by the end of 2012.

If LG does come out, it will have forced in Move and 3D support. Few will be happy and Patrick will give it his Game of the Year.

@UltorOscariot: SquareEnix, anyone?

Thank god, maybe this means that Team Ico will start actually finishing games.

I don't want to sound to pessimistic, but the departure of Ueda and Hayama and the general lack of news in what has been one of the most anticipated games on the PS3 for years makes me feel uneasy about the future of that game.

I feel like it got the MGS Rising way (got cancelled but no one has the guts to make it public)...

@jakob187 said:

Ueda can go multi-platform now? Probably the best news that I've heard all goddamn year.

Absolutely. He was the only reason I would consider getting a PS3.

@UltorOscariot said:

Where does he go after? Start his own studio? Work for Nintendo, Konami, or Valve, where it's still fashionable to spend years making a single game? Maybe even mobile games? It will be interesting to see what the future holds.

Ohhh I hope it would be Valve .... just imagine the possibilities , but it wont happen :/

It's kind of a shame, but I can't imagine that HD development really suited him, much as it hasn't suited most Japanese developers. Hopefully The Last Guardian turns out alright, but it seems nowhere near as sure as it was.

Where does he go after? Start his own studio? Work for Nintendo, Konami, or Valve, where it's still fashionable to spend years making a single game? Maybe even mobile games? It will be interesting to see what the future holds.

I wanna play The Last Guardian.

Ueda can go multi-platform now? Probably the best news that I've heard all goddamn year.

I'm still sad about Team Silent dissolving. Now Team Ico, too?

Hmm.. wonder what this will mean in the long haul.

That's a big loss as far as I'm concerned.

Just because a company says “no comment” doesn’t mean it’s true, but when the question is as simple as whether a lauded, acclaimed employee like Fumito Ueda is still working for you, that’s an easy one to answer.

The rumors were true, unfortunately.

Sony has issued a statement to Gamasutra confirming the lead designer on Ico and Shadow of the Colossus has officially left the company.

Ueda is still contracted to work on the still-in-development The Last Guardian, and is apparently “committed to completing” the game.

The Last Guardian is scheduled for a release in 2012, but the game has been delayed several times.