Feature: 'Namco's Keita Takahashi On Playgrounds, Haircuts, and Space Aliens'

In this exclusive interview with Gamasutra and Game Developer magazine, Namco's Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi discusses patents, the continuation of the Katamari franchise, his next project, and what he thinks of the Nintendo Wii, all in his own inimitable style. When asked about patents and gaming, which the U.S. version of the Katamari franchise was affected by, with the removal of onscreen prompts for the analog stick movement due to a patent-related issue, Takahashi comments: "That whole thing is really annoying. It's a great thing that companies come up with this technology, but it's something that should be shared. It really affects a lot of different game companies. Here we are in the 21st century, and I think we could be doing a lot more if we used our minds to move forward, rather than keep dwelling on who owns what." The entire interview also includes comments from Takahashi on the future of the Katamari Damacy franchise ("I won't be having anything to do with it anymore, but Katamari is not finished), as well as his full comments on his previously reported dislike of the Nintendo Wii ("I'm not really interested in it. I don't think a controller should have that much influence on the enjoyment of games") You can now read the full Gamasutra feature on the subject, including much more from this fascinating game developer (no registration required, please feel free to link to this feature from external websites).