Yuji Naka to leave Sega?

[EndR]

"Sources close to Sega say that the company's inspirational creative designer Yuji Naka may be set to quit the company."

Next Generation understands Yuji Naka is planning to set up his own studio. It is possible that the new company will be allied with Sega through some financial arrangement, but details are unknown.

The rest..
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2515&Itemid=2
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Who is in charge of the next-gen Sonic game? Maybe he leaves after that? Maybe this is nonsense?

 

[StefanS]

"Sources close to Sega say that the company's inspirational creative designer Yuji Naka may be set to quit the company."

Well, if you read between the lines of his last couple of interviews, you could sense that he's somewhat unhappy about the direction Sega and the gaming industry as whole are taking. He sounded like he wanted to experiment quite a bit instead of relying on the proven formulas and franchises. Maybe he'll quit because he wants to have more creative freedom.
Anyway, he'll probably have no problem finding a sponsor for his new studio. If there's any truth to it, MS, Nintendo's Q-Fund or Sony are probably eagerly waiting to chip in.

 

[EndR]

Well, if you read between the lines of his last couple of interviews, you could sense that he's somewhat unhappy about the direction Sega and the gaming industry as whole are taking. He sounded like he wanted to experiment quite a bit instead of relying on the proven formulas and franchises. Maybe he'll quit because he wants to have more creative freedom.
Anyway, he'll probably have no problem finding a sponsor for his new studio. If there's any truth to it, MS, Nintendo's Q-Fund or Sony are probably eagerly waiting to chip in.

Yeah, I think you´re right.. he didn´t sound that happy in some recent interviews about the biz and so on.

But.. I have also heard that the is a b*tch to work with..

 

[Farid]

That's good news!

Praise the Sega lords!

Sega needs less Yuji Naka and more Yu Suzuki and T. Nagoshi.

 

[tuna]

Well, Naka IS the Sega lord, he is like second in command from Oguchi.....

 

[Fox5]

Meh, Sega's been rather wierd lately, haven't they let a few of their dev teams go already?
For that matter, it's not like there have been many good Sega games since Dreamcast, and most of the good ones were made by Sonic Team or Amusement Visions. (and most of the bad ones by Sonic Team too I think, they can sure pump out games)

Sega was an industry power house, now they're just another Acclaim.

 

[Jabjabs]

But.. I have also heard that the is a b*tch to work with..

And for good reason, he hates being the producer. In an interview a while back he said he wanted to the demoted back to a programmer as that's want he wants to do, not to lead projects.

 

[poopypoo]

Praise the Sega lords!

Sega needs less Yuji Naka and more Yu Suzuki and T. Nagoshi.

hear, here! SEGA needs more SHENMUE!!!! >:O

 

[StefanS]

And for good reason, he hates being the producer. In an interview a while back he said he wanted to the demoted back to a programmer as that's want he wants to do, not to lead projects.

I think it probably has more to do with the fact that he has very specific ideas. People with clear visions are always a biatch to work with, as it very hard to pleasure them. Most of the time they'll go "Nah Nah I didn't envision it that way" on you and it's back to the drawing board. That's the reason people working for Kubrik, for example, hated him passionately. Maybe Naka loves being programmer because he'd be more involved in the creation process. Instead of having underlings create his ideas he just could do it himself.

 

[Evil_Cloud]

Heh, he almost left Sega during the MegaDrive/Saturn days, doesn't surprise me at all.