Keita Takahashi

The Jitty was lucky enough to be able to speak with Katamari creator Keita Takahashi during GameCityNights Episode 5. While people were busy in the next door taking part in a competition to put together an assortment of weird and wonderful additions to Keita’s new playground project, we were finding out a bit more.

Hi Keita, thanks for agreeing to talk to us. The talk that you gave earlier was quite different, especially with Mister Dog, are you enjoying things so far?

[Laughing] Yes.

Firstly, Noby Noby Boy is quite a different style of game, where did you get the inspiration from for this?

Noby Noby Boy actually isn’t something that has come from my inspiration. Rather than coming from inspiration, I wanted to use my mind to create something that didn’t have any rules, that was outside the norm. I wanted to make something that anybody could have fun with. So by thinking along those lines for a really long time, the idea for Noby Noby Boy came.

Ah right, okay. Was that part of the reason for choosing the Apple platforms, the iPhone and the iPad, because they’re more accessible to everyone?

It’s actually quite a serious reason that the Apple platforms were chosen. At Namco [the company that Keita works for], the people who do the programming usually work with PlayStation3 or Xbox, but I wanted a new programming language, which is why we thought to try it out.

Apple’s way of doing things is so different, the way they make things, the way they sell things, it’s completely different, so that was also a reason.

A new challenge for you?

Yes.

How long did it take to create Noby Noby Boy?

For iPhone? Around 7 months.

If it’s okay, I’d like to talk a bit about the playground now while everyone is in the next room creating entries for the competition. Where did the idea for the playground come from- it’s quite a leap from Katamari to Noby Noby Boy to playground.

Katamari and Noby Noby Boy are games that people can experience, to have some fun. The things that have been done with Katmari and Noby Noby Boy are the only place to do those things, and I want to use that same thinking with the playground, to create a playground where the space is the only play to experience those things.

Were you aiming the playground at children, or were you hoping is would be a place for children and their parents to learn and experience together and to have a chance to bond?

It’s for children, for parents and for dogs to play together. [Laughter].

Ah, the inspiration for Mister Dog’s appearance tonight?

Yes. [More laughter].

What made you choose Nottingham to host the park?

The simple answer is Iain [GameCity director] asked me to come to Nottingham and that’s why Nottingham ended up being the location for the play ground.

Did you see many other potential sites in the area, or did Woodthorpe Park just spring out at you?

We did look at lots of other different sites, and there was actually a better site that we wanted to use, but for other reasons we couldn’t, so it was decided on Woodthorpe Park, but I like Woodthorpe Park.

What are you hoping to see from the competition entries?

I don’t know what’s going to come out of it, so I don’t know what I want to see yet.

Hoping for a big surprise then?

[Laughter] Yes.

To find out more about Noby Noby Boy, or to hear about what Keita had to say about the new playground, see our GameCityNights Episode 5 article by clicking here.