Sonic Creator To Step Down? News
Chris Leyton
17/03/2006
US report suggests Yuji Naka is set to form his own development studio stepping down as Sonic Team chief...
Next-Gen.biz is today reporting information that will leave SEGA fans feeling like kids at the middle of a divorce settlement, with the shocking revelation that Sonic Team's Yuji Naka looks set to leave the Japanese publisher and establish his own studio.
Widely acclaimed to be responsible for the Sonic series and other such classics as Nights: Into Dreams, Burning Rangers, Phantasy Star Online and Chu Chu Rocket, Naka-san's resignation would be the latest in a string of high-profile departures after the SEGA-Sammy merger.
Some cancellation comes from the fact that Next-Gen alleges Naka-san's new studio will still be linked to SEGA through a financial agreement, perhaps setting the way for Naka-san to get more involved in the creative output rather then just overseeing SEGA's entire development under the unified Sonic Team division.
It certainly throws some doubt over the future of Sonic's rebirth on the Xbox 360 and Playstation3 (along with a rumoured Revolution title), a title that takes on increasing importance of the continued disappointment of titles such as Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Riders.
TVG has contacted SEGA Europe for a response but has yet to receive a reply at the time of writing; expect further information to materialise shortly.
[UPDATE]
SEGA Europe has recently responded to our request, with a cryptic "no comment" regarding the situation; hopefully clarification on the subject will materialise soon...