Jump to content

Mistwalker

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Mist Walker)
Mistwalker Corporation
Native name
ミストウォーカーコーポレーション
Misutowōkā Kōporēshon
Company typePrivate
IndustryVideo games
GenreVideo game developer
FoundedJune 2004; 20 years ago (2004-06)
FoundersHironobu Sakaguchi
Headquarters2222 Kalakaua Avenue Suite 1007, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Additional officesTokyo Midtown Residences 1307, 9-7-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Key people
  • Hironobu Sakaguchi
  • Kimihiko Fujisaka
ProductsGames
Brands
Number of employees
15 (2017)
Websitewww.mistwalkercorp.com
Footnotes / references
[1][2]

Mistwalker Corporation[a] is an American and Japanese video game development studio. The company was founded in 2004 by Hironobu Sakaguchi, best known for creating the Final Fantasy series. The company has created both game franchises such as Blue Dragon and Terra Battle, and standalone titles including Lost Odyssey (2007) and The Last Story (2011). With the financial problems caused by Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, and his growing dissatisfaction with management, Sakaguchi decided that he wanted to make games outside Square. Mistwalker's first two titles were Xbox 360 RPGs; Blue Dragon (2006) and Lost Odyssey. Following The Last Story for Wii, Sakaguchi and Mistwalker changed to focus on in-house mobile titles. The original Terra Battle saw widespread success and acclaim, leading to further mobile projects.

Mistwalker has been described by Sakaguchi as a collective of artists that oversee projects, with its independent small-scale structure setting it apart from most other Japanese game studios. Sakaguchi has commented that his aim with Mistwalker was to create innovative game titles regardless of platform, rather than staying with home consoles or mobile platforms alone. During its first years, Mistwalker co-developed console titles with other developers including Artoon, Feelplus, and tri-Crescendo. They would also work with Cavia on the cancelled Cry On. Recurring individual collaborators include composer Nobuo Uematsu, and artists Kimihiko Fujisaka and Manabu Kusunoki.

Origins

[edit]
Studio founder Hironobu Sakaguchi at the 2006 Tokyo Game Show

Mistwalker was founded in Honolulu, Hawaii by Hironobu Sakaguchi, who had worked at Square since its formation in 1983. He notably conceived and helped develop the role-playing video game Final Fantasy, which saved the company's finances at the time and began a franchise of the same name.[3][4][5] Sakaguchi lost prominence within Square with Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, a CGI film based on the Final Fantasy property that he directed. A highly ambitious title, it greatly exceeded its budget and was a box office bomb, which damaged Square's finances, delayed their planned merger with Enix, and prompted Sakaguchi to step away from direct involvement with future Square productions.[6][7] In 2001, with Square in the red for the first time since inception, Sakaguchi resigned from his position at Square along with two other senior executives.[8][9] His main reason for this was the growing administrative duties he was having to handle in his senior position, something that kept him away from game production.[9] He signed an agreement with Square to act as executive producer for Final Fantasy games.[8]

While Sakaguchi continued to receive credits as executive producer, he described himself as "doing nothing" in Hawaii over the following three years, having been demoralized by the movie's failure.[10] At one point, he felt guilty about his lack of contributions to the industry.[11] Motivated to return to the game industry and create his own original properties, Sakaguchi got into contact with his friends artists Akira Toriyama and Takehiko Inoue about possibly collaborating on game projects.[10] He left Square in 2003, with his last credit with the company being Final Fantasy X-2.[12] Mistwalker was officially formed in July 2004, although its trademark existed as early as 2001.[6] Mistwalker is noted as being one of a group of video game companies—alongside Sacnoth, Love-de-Lic and Monolith Soft—founded by Square staff who had worked on notable games produced during the 1990s.[13] Some of the funds for its foundation came from Microsoft through its Japanese game division.[14] The studio offices are based in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan.[1]

History

[edit]

2004–2011

[edit]

The concept work for Mistwalker's first two projects, Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, began prior to the formation of the company, with Sakaguchi enlisting both Toriyama and Inoue, and contacts within Microsoft Game Studios Japan (MGSJ).[15][7] Microsoft's Xbox 360 was chosen over the PlayStation 3 due to both difficulties with third-party production and personal disagreements between Sakaguchi and Sony Computer Entertainment leader Ken Kutaragi.[16] Mistwalker's early games for the 360 were notable due to the console's niche status in Japan.[17] Blue Dragon, on which Toriyama collaborated, was a highly traditional RPG intended for genre fans rather than trying anything experimental on the 360, which was a niche console in Japan.[15][14] For Lost Odyssey, which featured character designs by Inoue, Sakaguchi created a narrative focused on emotion and the impact of conflict through the eyes of an immortal protagonist, collaborating with novelist Kiyoshi Shigematsu on a series of visual novel stories within the game.[15][18][19] Also announced in 2005 were two other titles being handled by Mistwalker. They were the Nintendo DS tactical RPG ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat, co-developed with Racjin and drawing from Sakaguchi's work on Final Fantasy Tactics;[20][21][22] and the 360 action RPG Cry On co-developed with Cavia, which aimed to evoke strong emotions from players through the connection between its two leads.[23][24]

Blue Dragon was released in 2006.[25] It went on to spawn a media franchise that included multiple sequels, manga adaptations, and an anime television series.[14][26] ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat and Lost Odyssey were released in 2007.[27][28] Cry On was ultimately cancelled by publisher AQ Interactive in 2008, a decision attributed to then-current market conditions.[29] Mistwalker led production on Away: Shuffle Dungeon for the DS, which was released in 2008; Sakaguchi wrote the scenario, while the character designs were handled by Sega veteran Naoto Ohshima.[30] Following his work on Lost Odyssey, Sakaguchi took feedback from both that game and Blue Dragon and decided to create more atypical action-based gameplay alongside continuing storyline innovation.[31] The Last Story for Wii was originally a science fiction-themed game with a dedicated romantic plot, but through Nintendo's input, it shifted to being a fantasy-based storyline with a general theme of companionship.[32][33][34] Releasing in 2011, The Last Story was Sakaguchi's first work as a director since Final Fantasy V (1992).[35]

2012–present

[edit]

Following its console collaborations and large-scale RPGs, Sakaguchi wanted to focus on smaller-scale mobile titles it could produce mostly on its own.[36][37] The choice to shift away from larger console projects was also motivated by Sakaguchi wanting to work with a small hand-picked team.[38] Mistwalker's first solo project was Party Wave, a surfing simulation.[37] The second released mobile title was Blade Guardian, a tower defence title created with several former Square co-workers; Sakaguchi created the game based on his liking for the genre.[39][40] Party Wave was unsuccessful and prompted Sakaguchi to reevaluate his approach to mobile game development. This led to the production of Terra Battle, a small-scale RPG.[41][42] Terra Battle was one of several proposals created by Sakaguchi, with one such proposal being a game featuring a ballet dancer.[43]

Terra Battle proved to be a worldwide success, prompting Sakaguchi to expand it into a larger franchise that included a direct sequel Terra Battle 2 co-developed with Silicon Studio, and a spin-off titled Terra Wars, which made use of claymation incorporated into the game. As of 2017, he was also planning out a third mainline Terra Battle title.[44] By 2020, all three Terra Battle titles had been shut down; Terra Battle 2 and Terra Wars were closed due to mixed reactions and trouble updating them based on feedback, while Terra Battle shut down after nearly six years due to growing difficulties keeping the game's quality high.[45][46][47] After replaying Final Fantasy VI, Sakaguchi rediscovered an earlier passion for creating emotional narratives. Production began in 2018 on Fantasian, an RPG inspired by Final Fantasy VI and developed for the Apple Arcade service. A notable element was the use of real-life dioramas scanned into the game and used for its environments.[48][49] An enhanced version, Fantasian: Neo Dimension, was released for consoles and PC by Square Enix in December 2024, making it the first collaboration between Sakaguchi and Square Enix in 21 years.[50]

Games

[edit]
List of video games developed by Mistwalker
Year Title Platform Co-developer
2006 Blue Dragon Xbox 360 Artoon[51]
2007 ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat Nintendo DS Racjin[21]
Lost Odyssey Xbox 360 feelplus[52]
2008 Blue Dragon Plus Nintendo DS feelplus, Brownie Brown[53]
Away: Shuffle Dungeon Nintendo DS Artoon[30]
2009 Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow Nintendo DS tri-Crescendo[54]
2011 The Last Story Wii AQ Interactive[55]
2012 Party Wave[56] Android, iOS
Blade Guardian[57] iOS
2014 Terra Battle Android, iOS
2017 Terra Battle 2 Android, iOS Silicon Studio[44]
2019 Terra Wars Android, iOS Arzest[58]
2021 Fantasian iOS, macOS, tvOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows

Structure and staff

[edit]

During its early days, rather than developing titles themselves, Mistwalker would oversee production.[9] It would act as a concept studio with a staff of at most twenty people, outsourcing most of development to chosen production partners.[2] The studio was described by Sakaguchi as a collective of elite developers similar to a Hollywood studio.[6] This approach of a concept studio that moves freely between development partners is rare in Japan, where larger corporations and studios with sizeable teams is the norm.[2] Many of the companies Mistwalker worked with would eventually become first subsidiaries of and then be absorbed into AQ Interactive, including Artoon, Feelplus and Cavia.[59]

A notable team member at Mistwalker from 2009 onwards was artist Kimihiko Fujisaka, known for his work on the Drakengard series.[12][60][61] In later years, a second artist called Takatoshi Goto would contribute to titles, being described as Fujisaka's protegee.[62][63] Another recurring artist is Manabu Kusunoki, known for his work on the Panzer Dragoon series.[64][65] Under Artoon and later Arzest, Kusunoki contributed concept art and in-game illustrations to multiple projects.[63][65][66] A recurring musical collaborator is composer Nobuo Uematsu, who also worked on the Final Fantasy series.[67]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Japanese: ミストウォーカー, Hepburn: Misutowōkā

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b ミストウォーカー - About Us. Mistwalker website (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  2. ^ a b c Leone, Matt (2018-03-16). "Directing from the sidelines". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2018-03-16. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
  3. ^ Fujii, Daiji (January 2006). Entrepreneurial choices of strategic options in Japan's RPG development (PDF) (Report). Faculty of Economics, Okayama University. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
  4. ^ Parkin, Simon (January 2018). "Never-Ending Story: The Untold Legend of the World's Greatest RPG". Edge. No. 314. Future plc. pp. 56–91.
  5. ^ Gifford, Kevin (2011-12-21). "Hironobu Sakaguchi on Final Fantasy I's Roller-Coaster Development". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 2013-09-02.
  6. ^ a b c "Hironobu Sakaguchi Forms Independent Studio". 1UP.com. 2004-07-21. Archived from the original on 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  7. ^ a b Parkin, Simon (2012-02-27). "Hironobu Sakaguchi: Fantasy Man". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  8. ^ a b 坂口博信氏がスクウェアを辞任!. Famitsu (in Japanese). 2001-02-08. Archived from the original on 2004-04-06. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  9. ^ a b c Leone, Matt (2017-01-09). "Final Fantasy 7: An oral history". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2017-01-09. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  10. ^ a b 坂口博信氏が自身のクリエイター人生とこれからを語る―過激な発言も次々に飛び出した「黒川塾(四十)」をレポート. Gamer.ne.jp (in Japanese). 2016-10-03. Archived from the original on 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  11. ^ 【黒川塾40】坂口博信氏の半生を振り返る:FF開発秘話から2017年新作予定まで. Games.App (in Japanese). 2016-10-03. Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  12. ^ a b "Iwata Asks: The Last Story Vol 1 - Hironobu Sakuguchi and Kimihiko Fujisaka". Nintendo UK. 2010-08-17. Archived from the original on 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2015-01-09.
  13. ^ Ciolke, Todd (2013-02-06). "The X Button - Squared Circle". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2017-09-28.
  14. ^ a b c Colan, Patrick (2007-04-03). "Mistwalker and Blue Dragon". IGN. Archived from the original on 2021-04-09. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  15. ^ a b c インタビュー『坂口博信氏』E3インタビュー. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). 2005. Archived from the original on 2015-06-02. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  16. ^ Intihar, Bryan (May 8, 2007). "Exclusive Interview: Fantasy Man". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 216. EGM Media, LLC. pp. 48–50.
  17. ^ Perry, Douglass C. (2005-02-24). "Former Square President to Create Xbox 2 Games". IGN. Archived from the original on 2007-01-04. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  18. ^ Sheffield, Brandon (2008-04-21). "Developing An Epic: Nakazato On Lost Odyssey And The Future". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 2015-12-24. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  19. ^ Barnholt, Ray (2008-01-30). "Preview: Lost Odyssey". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  20. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2005-10-05). "Final Fantasy Father Brings Ash to DS". IGN. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  21. ^ a b Ochoa, Rolando (2007-10-22). "The mixed flames of ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  22. ^ Creator's Voice -『ARCHAIC SEALED HEAT』. Nintendo (in Japanese). 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-02-05. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  23. ^ "Mistwalker Unveils Another Title". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2014-12-31.
  24. ^ Gantayat, Anoop. "Japan's Most Popular Developer Speaks". IGN. Archived from the original on 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2014-12-31.
  25. ^ Donaldson, Alex (2006-09-22). "Blue Dragon Release Date". RPG Site. Archived from the original on 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  26. ^ "America's Cartoon Network to Run Blue Dragon This Spring". Anime News Network. 2008-02-29. Archived from the original on 2014-03-28. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  27. ^ 『ロストオデッセイ』がいよいよ発売!Xbox LIVE マーケットプレイスなどに新コンテンツが続々と追加. Famitsu. 2007-12-06. Archived from the original on 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
  28. ^ 任天堂×ミストウォーカーが放つ大作RPG『Archaic Sealed Heat』10月4日発売!. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). 2007-08-06. Archived from the original on 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  29. ^ Barres, Nick Des (2008-12-25). "AQ Interactive Announces Cancellation Of Cry On For Xbox 360". 1Up.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  30. ^ a b 坂口氏らが放つRPG『AWAY シャッフルダンジョン』の発売日が10月16日に決定!!. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). 2008-07-04. Archived from the original on 2019-02-05. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  31. ^ Gifford, Kevin (2011-01-05). "Hironobu Sakaguchi Reflects on His Last Story". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  32. ^ Sahdev, Ishaan (2011-11-11). "What Do Xenoblade Chronicles And The Last Story Have In Common?". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2014-09-17. Retrieved 2015-12-09.
  33. ^ Drake, Audrey (2012-05-30). "The Legend Returns: Hironobu Sakaguchi on The Last Story". IGN. Archived from the original on 2015-10-05. Retrieved 2016-01-09.
  34. ^ Sanchez, David (2012-06-13). "E3 2012: The Last Story interview with Takuya Matsumoto". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2015-01-13. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  35. ^ "Sakaguchi's Last Story". Computer and Video Games. 2012-02-20. Archived from the original on 2012-02-21. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  36. ^ Leone, Matt (2017-08-07). "Hironobu Sakaguchi's six-year, eight-game plan". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2018-03-16. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  37. ^ a b "JPGAMES.DE – Our Interview with Hironobu Sakaguchi". JPGames. 2012-08-08. Archived from the original on 2012-08-10. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  38. ^ Schreier, Jason (2014-09-02). "Things Are Very Different For The Creator Of Final Fantasy". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  39. ^ Nicholson, Brian (2012-09-25). "Mistwalker Announces 'Blade Guardian', A Tower Defense Game". Touch Arcade. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  40. ^ Yip, Spencer (2012-10-02). "Hironobu Sakaguchi Made Blade Guardian Because He's A Big Tower Defense Fan". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  41. ^ Ike, Sato (2014-07-04). "Terra Battle Is Sakaguchi's Second Try On Smartphones After Failing Once". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2014-07-08. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  42. ^ Brown, Peter (2014-09-27). "Why the Creator of Final Fantasy is Making a Free-to-Play Mobile Game". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2014-09-28. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  43. ^ Nakamura, Toshi (2014-07-03). "Final Fantasy's Creator Almost Made a Ballet Dancing Game". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  44. ^ a b Barder, Ollie (2017-11-29). "Hironobu Sakaguchi On The 'Terra Battle' Games And The Untapped Potential Of Mobile". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  45. ^ Romano, Sal (2020-05-29). "Terra Battle to end service on June 30". Gematsu. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  46. ^ Ike, Sato (2018-06-28). "Terra Battle 2 To End Its Service In Japan On September 28, 2018". Siliconera. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  47. ^ Lada, Jenni (2019-11-22). "Mistwalker's Terra Wars Shutdown Will Happen On December 24, 2019". Siliconera. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  48. ^ ミストウォーカー新作『ファンタジアン』の情報が公開!. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). 2021-03-03. Archived from the original on 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  49. ^ Scullion, Chris (2021-03-24). "Final Fantasy creator Sakaguchi says his next game could also be his last". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  50. ^ "FANTASIAN Neo Dimension announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. 2024-06-18. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  51. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2005-05-13), "Pre-E3 2005: Blue Dragon Revealed", IGN, archived from the original on 2006-11-17, retrieved 2009-05-15
  52. ^ Alexander, Leigh (2008-02-21). "GDC: Feelplus' Nakazato Details Lost Odyssey's Collaborative Process". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 2015-12-31. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  53. ^ Yip, Spencer (2008-05-19). "Blue Dragon Plus set for September". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2011-12-31. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  54. ^ Yip, Spencer (2010-04-15). "D3 Publisher Producer Says There Are Opportunities With Namco Bandai Titles". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  55. ^ "Iwata Asks: The Last Story Vol 3 - Hironobu Sakuguchi and Takuya Matsumoto". Nintendo UK. 2010-08-17. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2015-01-09.
  56. ^ Reilly, Jim. "Mistwalker's 'Party Wave' Arrives Next Month". Game Informer. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  57. ^ Siliconera Staff. "Blade Guardian, Mistwalker's Second iOS Title, Is A Tower Defense Game". Siliconera. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  58. ^ アーゼスト - Works. Arzest (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  59. ^ Sahdev, Ishaan (2020-05-29). "The People Who Helped Make NieR and The Last Story Are Mounting a Comeback as First Studio". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  60. ^ Ward, Robert (2014-09-16). "Hironobu Sakaguchi On The Development Of Mistwalker's Terra Battle". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2015-01-29. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  61. ^ Fujisaka, Kimihiko (2009). "Fujisaka - Artist of Mistwalker". Mistwalker. Archived from the original on 2009-03-28. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  62. ^ 「テラバトル2」における“守護者”の詳細システムが明らかに。クラスやスキルなどの成長要素が盛り込まれた冒険に欠かせないパートナー. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 2017-08-16. Archived from the original on 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  63. ^ a b 『FANTASIAN』間もなく配信!死械球、邪神……冒険を彩る新たなストーリーの情報を公開!!. Famitsu (in Japanese). 2021-03-24. Archived from the original on 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  64. ^ 【GDC 2019】苦難を乗り越え、新しいことに挑戦し続ける「若い力」が「パンツァードラグーン」を生んだ!. Game Watch Impress (in Japanese). 2019-03-02. Archived from the original on 2019-03-21. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  65. ^ a b Xbox 360 ストラテジー 2007 - ミストウォーカー. Famitsu Xbox360 (in Japanese) (March 2007). ASCII Media Works: 75. 2007-01-30.
  66. ^ Mistwalker (2019-10-10). Mistwalker Corp._JP - 2:00 AM - 10 Oct 2019. Twitter (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2019-10-10. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  67. ^ Shanker, Brad (2021-03-03). "Final Fantasy's creator returns with classic RPG Fantasian on Apple Arcade". Mobile Syrup. Archived from the original on 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
[edit]