Contrary to expectations, a rumour has sprung up that another Katamari Damacy game will be released in the US in October for all consoles. While obviously overjoyed with this (potential) news, I'm rather surprised. The creator of the series, Keita Takahashi, has been adamant that he will not work on another sequel to the game, to the extent that he was not part of Namco's Me and My Katamari on the Sony PSP handheld. Instead, the last we heard the sculptor-turned-game-designer was hoping to make children's playgrounds rather than continue working in the games industry.
If the rumours are true, this will be a Katamari game helmed by the corporation, rather than by the man who made the game an award-winning breath of fresh air. It's likely that the successful elements - the ball rolling up quirky objects - will remain the same, but the conservative nature of money-makers will keep Namco from innovating within the boundaries of the original. Which is a shame. I could, of course, be proven completely wrong.
We shall have to wait and see.
