Kazunori Yamauchi

  • Thread starter Thread starter scope72
  • 131 comments
  • 13,490 views
Pretty cool guy. Made a very nice game. Could someone else do the job?...Probably. But not without the foundation he laid.
 
Daan and Seismica, I agree with both your points. Clearly, Sony/PD/Kazunori can publish the new GT release whenever they feel it is best. I am not advocating anything else. I have no problem waiting because GT5 will be grande on a scale we have not seen and if it is anything like GT4, we will not know exactly how wonderful it is until after many years of use.

I have a hard time with translators because it feels a bit like hearsay at that point.

I trust in Kaz's judgement, although I believe he is being a bit disingenuous with his perspective. He is a master of many things; he does know the Western market (without being western) and he does know how to cloud information to a point that has his market share anxious. And that anxiety leads to discussions, which leads to publicity.

I get all that. What I am beginning to mistrust (that may be another strong word I don't mean to use) is the purpose. I don't believe this is as simple as another GT game release. Heck, I'll wait until then, whenever then is. And maybe that is the point. Anticipation: the greatest publicity.

*mumbles to himself because he can't quite put his finger on what he's trying to say*

Ah Hah! Got it...

I resent the feeling of being played. Yes, I know, I live in the US, so I should be used to it.

But for some reason this is becoming different.
 
A genius. Pure and simple. The appreciation I have for what he has done can't be explained in words.







He hasn't died, right?
 
Micxster
Is he legend? of course he is

If it weren't for him and Gran Turismo, the racing genre would not be the same today
Click to expand...

This. At least on console's. Forza fans may hate GT, and the way PD takes forever to release them, but they have the thank Kaz because without him, even they wouldn't have a game to play.
 
dave_sz
That is quite something.
He's a Japanese game maker. Japanese is all he needs to know.
Click to expand...

Well I kind of tend to agree, but for his own sanity English would be useful because maybe just maybe he wouldn't be asked the same questions over and over if he was able to give more clear and precise answers.

But I fear for Translator-sans job if that was the case.
 
Shinu
But if you think about it, it will be really fun to explore the game. Well unless you are overhyped about it, then you'll probably be disappointed.

It will be my first full GT on home console, and I'm positive about it. Lets just hope online department (i know there is separate team working on it) will do its job.
Click to expand...

Oh man, trust me, I know. I'm so excited for it. I'll spend so much time with it, but seriously, as a 3D modeler/graphics artist in the making. I would love to work with him. Even with the physics engine... I love that sort of thing. I've worked with AI routines when I was doing Computer Science (I switched to Media Arts and Sciences).
 
Why exactly his he a genius? A legend? He made a game I think 90 % of us would have made given his situation (in the game industry). "Oh, why don't we make a game with lot's of cars, lots of tracks and a GT mode were you race for credits".... I'm sorry but that is not original or groundbreaking - both things I'd expect from a game developer before calling him a legend. Although GT has always been an amazing game series, it's like saying whoever made the first FIFA game is a legend, it's more the source material than him.
 
R1600Turbo
This. At least on console's. Forza fans may hate GT, and the way PD takes forever to release them, but they have the thank Kaz because without him, even they wouldn't have a game to play.
Click to expand...
He introduced the DFP 900º as standard on GT4 and was instantly adopted by all the hardcore PC sims, so even PC players have to thank kaz for making a step up in the simulation world.
 
Bandit6
Well I kind of tend to agree, but for his own sanity English would be useful because maybe just maybe he wouldn't be asked the same questions over and over if he was able to give more clear and precise answers.

But I fear for Translator-sans job if that was the case.
Click to expand...

I think the same questions would pop up no matter what. Gamers and gaming media tend to ask the same things over and over. There is only so much you can ask.
I still think that even if he did speak english, his answers would be just as cryptic as they are now. I wouldn't be surprised if translator san, said everything word for word as Kaz says.
 
machschnel
Why exactly his he a genius? A legend? He made a game I think 90 % of us would have made given his situation (in the game industry).
Click to expand...

The same could be said about almost everything. The difference is that he did it, and we did not.

Alternatively, to me, he is a genius because he created a game that he actually loved and made millions out of it, not to mention fulfill some of his dreams.

I have always been against people treating him like some kind of perfectionist God, but I will give credit to the man when it is due.
 
Lucas
The same could be said about almost everything. The difference is that he did it, and we did not.
Click to expand...

Not really.... Mario, Doom, Goldeneye etc, these are games that broke gaming conventions and I don't believe that just anyone could have come up with the idea for them.
 
I have no problems with Kaz. I just think that he needs to go back to the roots of GT. Stop trying to make everyone happy with all the fluff. The time delay is flat out unacceptable. He has to know that.
 
machschnel
Not really.... Mario, Doom, Goldeneye etc, these are games that broke gaming conventions and I don't believe that just anyone could have come up with the idea for them.
Click to expand...

How do you know? Doom, a game about shooting things/people. Somebody would have come up with that idea sooner or later. In fact, most of us have pretty good ideas Gran Turismo-related. That we can't make them come true is another thing.

Fact of the matter is that such a simple idea as a game with hundreds of cars and dozens of tracks hadn't been used at the time of the first Gran Turismo (according to what I know). Right now it may seem stupid, but at the time it was ground breaking.
 
machschnel
Why exactly his he a genius? A legend? He made a game I think 90 % of us would have made given his situation (in the game industry). "Oh, why don't we make a game with lot's of cars, lots of tracks and a GT mode were you race for credits".... I'm sorry but that is not original or groundbreaking - both things I'd expect from a game developer before calling him a legend. Although GT has always been an amazing game series, it's like saying whoever made the first FIFA game is a legend, it's more the source material than him.
Click to expand...

Not defending Kaz for being a genius or legend ( takes more than being a game developer to be called that IMO ) but he is probably somewhat of a conceptual artist at least, as he created an original platform and blueprint for all racing/driving games to follow and he didn't start out in the position where he finds himself now ( being succesful for being original ).

He was the one who introduced mainstream cars and that whole credit system in the first place, so yes, that was original and groundbreaking.
And he was the one who introduced driving aspects in a console game not seen before in accuracy and scope apart from many other things now considered to be logical within the racing/driving game genre ( just look at all those driving games before, say 1997, not the graphical or technological side but purely the content ).

Whether he continues to deserve the respect I currently have for him as a developer ( I'm not into the whole celeb-cultus ) depends on what GT5 will finally bring.
He was original in making mainstream cars exciting, just hope the excitement the GT-series has always given me doesn't turn out to be hampered by a mainstream product.
 
I never saw that one before. I hope he don't come out of anger swinging his samurai to everyone because of the overwhelming GT5 release date questions. :lol:
 
Well I think that he means that hes gonna be happy only when there is no more room for improvement (and its logical, its how it should be), basically when hes dream is complete.

I'm always not happy of the outcome of my work. When you look at your own creations after some time, you always think. "Damn, now i could do it 10 times better"
 
machschnel
Not really.... Mario, Doom, Goldeneye etc, these are games that broke gaming conventions and I don't believe that just anyone could have come up with the idea for them.
Click to expand...

Wolfenstein. That is all.
 
Kazunori Yamauchi Sama has earned and deserves our utmost respect. It is extremely rare to find such dedication to a principle and it is that dedication that has led to the creation of a game that we all love and have devoted a significant proportion of our lives to.

I hope that he can and will continue to work on GT for many years to come. I think I can safely say that without him, the game will not continue to be up to the standards I have come to expect.
 
Last edited:
Nothing but admiration for the man and his craft. I honestly hope to meet him one day.

The original Gran Turismo introduced me to game genre that I instantly fell in love with. I have played and enjoyed every game with the name Gran Turismo on it, and I am looking forward to the day when I get to play Gran Turismo 5.

I have no problem waiting longer for GT5 for I know the longer I wait, the closer the game becomes to reaching his vision for the title.
 
machschnel
Not really.... Mario, Doom, Goldeneye etc, these are games that broke gaming conventions and I don't believe that just anyone could have come up with the idea for them.
Click to expand...
Prove it.

Fact is, you can't, so all we are left with is your opinion, which is fine. However, it just shows how selective you are in who and what you perceive to be legendary.

Sooner or later, I'm sure (but cannot prove) somebody else would have come up with something like those games you mentioned, but as Seismica already said, Wolfenstein preceeded Doom... Goldeneye was a great story-based shooter, but not the first. If that broke gaming convention, then the same can be said for Gran Turismo - it wasn't the first racer by any stretch, but it was a a great racer in its own right that had a lot of unique elements and became the benchmark by which other racers were compared.
 
I've been lucky enough to meet the man in person and would have nothing but praise for him. Very polite and he and his team/entourage went out of their way to meet our group in the hotel (GT4 finals Le Mans 05') we were staying in. Happy to pose for photographs and even handed out signatures on GT4 inspired postcards :cool: He was there for most of the competition and watched me(quizzically) at one point as i use the outside view when racing :)
 
machschnel
Not really.... Mario, Doom, Goldeneye etc, these are games that broke gaming conventions and I don't believe that just anyone could have come up with the idea for them.
Click to expand...

None of those "broke gaming conventions", they did however popularise their genres and introduce various elements, nothing revoltionary with those though.
I don't think Gran Turismo was a revolution for games or specifically racing games. It was a revolution for its use of real world car manufacturers in a new marketing strategy - this was the main reason it became highly acclaimed outside of video games. Its focus on trying to realistically depict a vast library of cars is and always has been its main selling point.
There were many games before hand though that had real-world manufacturers and its not really a giant leap forward to say "lets make a game with lots of them!".

No, Kazunori wasn't great because he was an innovator per se, as mentioned before in this thread, he's great because he's managed to keep his series focused and the quality of his product has only gone up since GT1.
 
Just a reminder that one day the world will come to an end, and nooo one, trust me, will be thinking of these lengends or hero's when that happens. Man should never be idolized.
At the end of the day they are all still mortals.

KY, is gifted with brilliance and innovation. Know doubt he is great, probably the greatest at what he does, and has brought great entertainment and thrills to the lives of many. For this I can say thank you Kaz. You have made a difference.
 

Latest Posts

Back