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Kazuya Niinou (Trauma Center, Sekaiju no Meikyuu) leaves Atlus?

D

duckroll

Member
This was spotted on the Mixi Community...





If it's true, the director of Trauma Center and Sekaiju no Meikyuu is leaving Atlus Japan this month to "find new horizons" and he feels grateful for all the experience he has gained while at the company. I wonder if this has anything to do with Sekaiju's undershipping bombathon.... ^^;
 
D

DefectiveReject

Banned
Haven't a lot of big guys who have created great content for Nintendo DS left their parent companies to "Find new horizons"??
I'm sure some others Japanese developers have left too??

Iwata's stage 2 battle plan begins?
 
D

Doctor_No

Member
Saw this on the Atlus financial report thread on 2ch; this its pretty sad.

But sales of Skaiju no Meikyuu were above expected and Trauma Center Second Opinon on the Wii supposedly did well with 200k units in the US. Atlus seemed to be pretty happy with the games (at least publicly). Regardless, its unfortunate.
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
well I never played Etrian Odyssey, and I wasn't the biggest fan of Trauma Center, did he make any other "big" Atlus games I would have heard of?
 
A

Acosta

Member
Sekaiju no Meikyuu is Etrian Odissey right? I don´t think the game was doing bad (in fact is sold out everywhere isn´t?)
 
E

Error

Jealous of the Glory that is Johnny Depp
Gaijin To Ronin said:
Sekaiju no Meikyuu is Etrian Odissey right? I don´t think the game was doing bad (in fact is sold out everywhere isn´t?)
Click to expand...
atlus undershipped!

sad to hear tho, the dude has talent.
 
J

jj984jj

He's a pretty swell guy in my books anyway.
Amir0x said:
well I never played Etrian Odyssey, and I wasn't the biggest fan of Trauma Center, did he make any other "big" Atlus games I would have heard of?
Click to expand...
That's all he made, but Trauma Center is undoubtedly one of Atlus's biggest franchises ever made because of how well it was received here in NA. If he's gone who's gonna lead the projects R&D1's awesome DS games from now on?
 
A

Acosta

Member
Amir0x said:
well I never played Etrian Odyssey, and I wasn't the biggest fan of Trauma Center, did he make any other "big" Atlus games I would have heard of?
Click to expand...

According to Mobygames he is credited as Graphic Designer for Hamtaro, but I suppose that knowledge is not very important.
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
Gaijin To Ronin said:
According to Mobygames he is credited as Graphic Designer for Hamtaro, but I suppose that knowledge is not very important.
Click to expand...

well good hamtaro was one of my favorite games of last generation
 
E

ethelred

Member
Definitely a shame -- a loss for Atlus and for gamers. The guy is quite an impressive talent, and I was looking forward to seeing him get to make the Sekaiju sequel he seemed so enthusiastic about, as well as whatever he'd come up with next.
 
D

duckroll

Member
I wonder if this means Atlus R&D1's handheld division is temporarily dead. After all, he was the only guy that conceptualized and directed original handheld titles. Oh well, guess this is what happens when you don't want to sell your game to fans! :lol
 
J

jj984jj

He's a pretty swell guy in my books anyway.
Zyid said:
WTF?

NO MORE TRAUMA CENTER?

THIS BETTER NOT BE TRUE!
Click to expand...
I doubt this is true. They can probably still make sequels with the team still at R&D1 but it's the original games we won't be seeing much of anymore I fear now that he's gone.
 
A

Acosta

Member
ethelred said:
Definitely a shame -- a loss for Atlus and for gamers. The guy is quite an impressive talent, and I was looking forward to seeing him get to make the Sekaiju sequel he seemed so enthusiastic about, as well as whatever he'd come up with next.
Click to expand...

Is not like he is dead. The guy has worked for Nintendo and Atlus, I am sure we will see a game from him again in few years (if he doesn´t quit of gaming, I hope not).
 
A

Avalon

Member
duckroll said:
I wonder if this means Atlus R&D1's handheld division is temporarily dead. After all, he was the only guy that conceptualized and directed original handheld titles. Oh well, guess this is what happens when you don't want to sell your game to fans! :lol
Click to expand...

Still on that eh? Wasn't the cart shortage... not entirely their fault?
 
D

duckroll

Member
Gaijin To Ronin said:
Is not like he is dead. The guy has worked for Nintendo and Atlus, I am sure we will see a game from him again in few years (if he doesn´t quit of gaming, I hope not).
Click to expand...

That's what people are saying about Matsuno and Kamiya too! :lol
 
S

SumGamer

Member
Anyone have a full list of what games he's done?

As much I love TC, I have to admit that I dont think there should be any sequal to the game. What else can you put in to improve the game? Sure you can add new guilts and such but the tools cant really be improved that much, hence the game will feel pretty similar.

I hope whoever direct Riviera is still in Atlus. There are so many great games from Atlus that I actually fall in love with the company.
 
E

ethelred

Member
Gaijin To Ronin said:
Is not like he is dead. The guy has worked for Nintendo and Atlus, I am sure we will see a game from him again in few years (if he doesn´t quit of gaming, I hope not).
Click to expand...

He may not be dead, but he's been removed from his position in control of a talented development team where he's thus far been able to create two highly original, high quality games, and had significant creative control in doing so. Whether he eventually makes new games or not isn't the issue -- it's still a huge loss, to Atlus and to gamers. And who knows -- as ducky said, his leaving could mean that the future of original Atlus development on handhelds is in jeopardy (or ended).

SumGamer said:
I hope whoever direct Riviera is still in Atlus. There are so many great games from Atlus that I actually fall in love with the company.
Click to expand...

Sting is not part of Atlus.
 
A

Avalon

Member
SumGamer said:
I hope whoever direct Riviera is still in Atlus. There are so many great games from Atlus that I actually fall in love with the company.
Click to expand...

Riviera was from String wasn't it? The game was only published by Atlus in NA.
 
E

ethelred

Member
SumGamer said:
Ow.

What about?

Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2
Yggdra Union
Contact
Click to expand...


Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2 --> Flight Plan
Yggdra Union --> Sting again
Contact --> Grasshopper Manufacture (the team is now Audio Inc)
 
J

jj984jj

He's a pretty swell guy in my books anyway.
SumGamer said:
Ow.

What about?

Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2
Yggdra Union
Contact
Click to expand...
All just published by Atlus USA. The only DS game they did internally was Trauma Center and the upcoming Etrain Odyssey. The only internal games on the GBA Atlus USA brought us are the Demikids games which I'm not 100% sure about either (could've been outsourced).
 
A

Avalon

Member
SumGamer said:
Ow.

What about?

Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2
Yggdra Union
Contact
Click to expand...

No to all of those.

Atlus = Trauma Center, Etrian Odyssey, Shin Megami Tensei (and all it's spin-offs), Kartia, Growlanser, Odin Sphere... missing a bunch I'm sure.
 
A

Acosta

Member
ethelred said:
He may not be dead, but he's been removed from his position in control of a talented development team where he's thus far been able to create two highly original, high quality games, and had significant creative control in doing so. Whether he eventually makes new games or not isn't the issue -- it's still a huge loss, to Atlus and to gamers. And who knows -- as ducky said, his leaving could mean that the future of original Atlus development on handhelds is in jeopardy (or ended).
Click to expand...

For what we know, he could have left Atlus for himself, it seems so.

In any case is a loss for Atlus, and it seem they didn´t have lot of faith on him given how many units of Etrian Odissey put on the market. If he manages to create a new studio or land in one that gives him more support, it will go in benefit of him or gamers.
 
T

TFIFF

Banned
Don't worry, he;s joining Matsuno and the Clover guy to form a Brownie Brown style Nintendo second party.
 
E

Error

Jealous of the Glory that is Johnny Depp
Avalon said:
No to all of those.

Atlus = Trauma Center, Etrian Odyssey, Shin Megami Tensei (and all it's spin-offs), Kartia, Growlanser, Odin Sphere... missing a bunch I'm sure.
Click to expand...
odin sphere is not atlus, that's vanillaware.
 
P

PantherLotus

Professional Schmuck
For the record, I dutifully bought my copy of Trauma Center Second Opinion before I even got my Wii (which I'm still ****ing waiting for!), so I can't be blamed.
 
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