‘The age of game mechanics is over’, claims Shadow of the Colossus director Ueda
Fumito Ueda believes the current era of games is focused on improving existing mechanics
Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian director Fumito Ueda believes that the age of new game mechanics is over.
Speaking in a new interview alongside Katamari creator Keita Takahashi, Fumito Ueda shared that he believes the current era of games is focused on improving existing mechanics, or focusing on the look and feel of a game, rather than introducing something entirely new.
Speaking to DenfaminicoGamer, Ueda recounted his first reaction to Takahasi’s latest game, To a T.
“I don’t remember exactly why I replied with a ‘like’ at the time, but I was probably thinking, ‘the era of game mechanics is over,” Ueda said. “I wonder if we are no longer in the era where we need to provide new devices or new game mechanics every single game.”
According to Takahashi, this is something Ueda has been saying for some time. “He’s been saying this since Journey.”
Ueda then said, “Even if the mechanics are not new, you can focus on the feel and art. Whether you like it or not, it’s better to sharpen the existing mechanics.”
Ueda is best known for his thematic trilogy of games, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian. Developed in collaboration with the now defunct Sony Japan Studios, the games were praised at the time for their minimalist storytelling and unique mechanics.
Shadow of the Colossus is considered one of the best PlayStation 2 games. It was remade for the PlayStation 4 by Bluepoint.
Ueda’s last game, The Last Guardian, was released almost a decade ago in 2016.
Ueda’s next game, Project Robot, was announced in 2024. Little is known about the project.
The game is in development at genDESIGN, a Tokyo-based studio led by Ueda and composed of a team of veteran developers from Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian.
Project: Robot will be published by Epic Games, and will be available on the Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles. This also marks the first time that a game led by Ueda will be released on an Xbox platform.
