When we talk about legendary studios and classic games today, we usually do so in a nostalgic tone, one that strips away all the negatives and only leaves room for the positives. However, Hideki Kamiya does not do this, something he made clear when he recently recalled Okami, a title that calls it a commercial failure and points out that its team was not the best.
In a recent chat between Kamiya and Ikumi Nakamura, the two developers reminisced about their days working at Clover Studios. Thus, the topic of Okamithe penultimate title of this team, emerged, and Kamiya acknowledged that he intended to create the dream team to make this project a reality, but this was the case. This is what he said:
“Okami was supposed to be Clover Studio’s signature title. That’s why we wanted to create a dream team. It was supposed to be a dream team with the best staff in each section. That was the plan, but in the end, not everyone, but the entire team, I frankly thought was weak.
It wasn’t a dream team. There was a very drastic contrast within it. Certainly, there were people without whom Okami wouldn’t exist. Those members shined brightly. Some of them actually resonated stronger than those I had worked with previously. I don’t say this as a compliment, but you [Nakamura] You certainly did. Naoki Katakai and Keniichirou Yoshimura, Sawaki Takeyasu, Mari Shimazaki, Hiroshi Yamaguchi. I am very grateful, but taken as a whole, it was not a dream team.”
After multiple games in the Viewtiful Joe series, Okami was positioned as one of the studio’s most ambitious projects. However, The end result was a commercial failureone that Kamiya regrets:
“Even Okami produced 150,000 units? The initial shipment was 90,000. It was a huge failure. If it had been successful, Clover would probably have continued.”
After the failure of OkamiClover Studio still delivered to us God Hand that same year, which also failed to meet Capcom’s expectations. Thus, the studio came to an end in a way that Kamiya and everyone involved surely regret. However, and as we already know, This was not the end, as from the ashes of this team emerged PlantinumGames. In related news, Kamiya talks about the future of Okami and Viewtiful Joe.
Author’s Note:
It’s interesting to hear Kamiya’s perspective. Nowadays, we all point to this title as one of the best of its generation, and a cult classic that we’ve all played. However, it seems that Kamiya is still stuck in the past, and doesn’t see this title from his perspective today, but rather as the failure that it was at the time.
Via: Unseen
#Hideki #Kamiya #talks #Okamis #failure #Atomix
