Oh woe woe, the most innovative game series in ages has now officially closed its doors, dismantling the website that was its hub in the three years since it launched on the PlayStation 2. Gamasutra reports that the Katamari team has been officially dissolved.
Namco Japan's official website for popular franchise Katamari Damacy has announced that the team behind both the original game and its sequel, We Love Katamari, has dissolved, and that no sequels have been planned.
This may not be a surprise for most, as series director and creator Keita Takahashi has publicly stated that the idea of building a franchise off of the original game was never his intention, and that his involvement in the game's sequel was forced on him by publisher Namco's willingness to green-light a sequel with or without his involvement. ... Me and My Katamari, the portable iteration being released in North America for the PSP next week, is the last officially announced game in the series. However, the game was done without the direct supervision of Takahashi, which shows publisher Namco's willingness to create games in the series without his input.
Sadly, all things must end (unless they're the FIFA series, in which case, they go on forever and ever and ever and ever), but it is rather disappointing that publishers Namco didn't at least wait until after the European release of the final game in the trilogy, Me and My Katamari for the Sony PSP, before shutting up shop. Harumph.
Still, I'm glad that Katamari touched my heart, and didn't become a hackneyed shell of its former self, over-used and over-designed by a hungry sequel-happy publisher.
And speaking through the allusions, EA's in trouble. The company's profits continue to decline steadily. In response, the publisher is actively seeking new and innovative content. According to Wonderland and Business Week, more things like the forthcoming Spore are on the cards. They'll be pumping up their new property output from 30% to 50%. How they have managed thus far with such a low low standard in innovation is beyond me. Perhaps the Katamari story could be a lesson to those who believe re-launching something to death makes it a better product.
