Codex Gamicus
Explore
Main Page
Discuss
All Pages
Interactive Maps
navigation
Main page
Community portal
Recent changes
Random page
Admin noticeboard
Forums
Company Index
Character Index
Hardware Index
In-Game Index
Ratings Index
Video Game Index
Fandom
Gamepedia support
Report a bad ad
Help Wiki
Contact us
FANDOM
Fan Central
BETA
Games
Anime
Movies
TV
Video
Wikis
Explore Wikis
Community Central
Start a Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Sign In
Sign In
Register
Fandom's centric source of video game knowledge
42,423
pages
Explore
Main Page
Discuss
All Pages
Interactive Maps
navigation
Main page
Community portal
Recent changes
Random page
Admin noticeboard
Forums
Company Index
Character Index
Hardware Index
In-Game Index
Ratings Index
Video Game Index
Fandom
Gamepedia support
Report a bad ad
Help Wiki
Contact us
Editing
Yu Suzuki
(section)
Back to page
Edit
VisualEditor
View history
Talk (0)
Edit Page
Yu Suzuki
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
===Career at SEGA (1983–2003)=== Suzuki joined [[SEGA|SEGA Enterprises]] in [[1983 in video gaming|1983]] as a [[game programmer|programmer]]. In his first year, he created a 2D boxing arcade game called ''[[Champion Boxing]]'',<ref name="gccx">{{Cite episode|title=|series=[[Retro Game Master|GameCenter CX]]|season=2|number=13|language=Japanese}}</ref> which was later ported to SEGA's first home game console, the [[SG-1000]].<ref name="gccx"/> Under the mantle of SEGA's development studio AM2, Suzuki began working on another arcade game which would prove to be the big stepping-off point of his career. "To develop this game," Suzuki told G4TV, "I rode on motorcycles a lot. When we came up with the prototype (for the arcades), I would ride on that prototype bike for hours and hours every day." His and AM2's efforts culminated into the game ''[[Hang-On]]'', released in {{vgy|1985}}. ''Hang-On'' was a success as it broke new ground in arcade technology. It did not feature any traditional controls, as the movement of the on-screen [[Avatar (computing)|avatar]] was dictated by the movements the player made with their body on the [[motorcycle]] cabinet. This began the "Taikan" trend, the use of [[Motion controller|motion-controlled]] hydraulic arcade cabinets in many arcade games of the late 1980s, two decades before motion controls became popular on [[video game console]]s.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20131113173854/http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1?pager.offset=1</ref> Running on the [[SEGA Space Harrier]] hardware, it was also the first of SEGA's "Super Scaler" [[arcade system board]]s that allowed [[2.5D|pseudo-3D]] [[Sprite (computer graphics)#Move to 3D|sprite-scaling]] at high [[frame rate]]s.<ref>[http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/974/974695p3.html IGN Presents the History of SEGA: World War], [[IGN]]</ref> The pseudo-3D [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]]/[[Tile engine|tile]] scaling was handled in a similar manner to textures in later [[Texture mapping|texture-mapped]] [[3D computer graphics|polygonal 3D]] games of the 1990s.<ref name=pseudo>http://www.extentofthejam.com/pseudo/</ref> Suzuki stated that his "designs were always 3D from the beginning. All the calculations in the system were 3D, even from Hang-On. I calculated the position, scale, and zoom rate in 3D and converted it backwards to [[2D computer graphics|2D]]. So I was always thinking in 3D."<ref name=suzuki>http://web.archive.org/web/20131113174154/http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1?pager.offset=2</ref> Suzuki and AM2 soon followed with the [[2.5D|3D-esque]] [[third-person shooter]] game ''[[Space Harrier]]'' later that year. The game introduced a true [[Analog stick|analog]] [[Joystick|flight stick]] for movement,<ref name="eurogamer">http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-07-space-harrier-retrospective</ref> with the ability to register movement in any direction as well as measure the degree of push, which could move the [[player character]] at different speeds depending on how far the stick is pushed in a certain direction.<ref>[http://retro.ign.com/articles/906/906935p2.html Space Harrier Retrospective (Page 2)], [[IGN]]</ref> It also featured cockpit-shaped [[video game arcade cabinet]] that moved in the direction the player moved the joystick. Its success established Suzuki as the leading arcade game designer at the time.<ref name="eurogamer"/> Showing his interest in Ferraris, Suzuki created the [[Driving simulation video games|driving simulator]] ''[[Out Run]]'', which was released in {{vgy|1986}}. Although it didn't officially feature a Ferrari, the player controlled a car that looked almost exactly like one. ''Out Run'' offered players a wide variety of driving paths and routes to complete the game, adding elements of [[nonlinear gameplay]] and increasing replay value. It also featured a radio with three songs to choose from as players drove through the wide variety of landscapes. At the [[Golden Joystick Awards]], ''Out Run'' was awarded the [[Game of the Year]] award.<ref>http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=C+VG/Issue079/Pages/CVG07900039.jpg</ref> Suzuki's later hits included the jet fighting ''[[After Burner]]'' series in the late 1980s and the roller coaster [[kart racer]] ''[[Power Drift]]'' in {{vgy|1988}}. Improving on the "Super Scaler" technology and road [[scrolling]] effects of ''Hang-On'' and ''Out Run'', ''Power Drift'' created "all of its track layouts with flat [[bitmap]]s" to simulate a "wholly [[Three-dimensional space|3D space]] using strictly [[2D computer graphics|2D]] technology.".<ref>http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/powerdrift/powerdrift.htm</ref> In {{vgy|1990}}, Suzuki brought out a spiritual sequel to ''After Burner'' called ''[[G-LOC: Air Battle|G-LOC]]'', which featured a gyroscope-like cabinet that rotated 360 degrees to give players the realistic illusion of flying a fighter jet. Suzuki had been interested in 3D technology since his days in college. Although ''Space Harrier'' and ''Out Run'' had graphics similar to 3D, they did not fully utilize the capabilities. When SEGA released the [[Model 1]] development board, a piece of hardware capable of generating [[3D computer graphics|3D polygonal graphics]], Suzuki and AM2 began developing games for it. In 1992, they released the 3D Formula 1 racer ''[[Virtua Racing]]'', which was considered one of, if not the most, realistic-looking arcade games on the market at that time. [[GameSpot]] listed it as one of the 15 most influential video games of all time, commenting that "It wasn't the first fully polygonal game on the market... but along with ''Virtua Fighter'', SEGA's 1993 release on the same hardware, it introduced the concept of polygonal graphics to the masses."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Virtua Racing--Arcade (1992)|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/15influential/p13_01.html|work=15 Most Influential Games of All Time|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2012-05-02|year=2001 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130320230656/http://uk.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/15influential/p13_01.html|archivedate=2013-03-20}}</ref> In 1993, Suzuki created ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'', the first 3D [[fighting game]], which became enormously popular and spawned a series of sequels and spinoffs.<ref name="gccx"/> It inspired many 3D fighting games such as the ''[[Tekken]]'' and ''[[Soul (series)|Soul Calibur]]'' series.<ref name="gradar_suzuki">{{Cite web|last=Towell|first=Justin|title=Yu Suzuki's five finest moments: As legendary SEGA man steps down, we celebrate his legacy|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/yu-suzukis-five-finest-moments/|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|accessdate=2012-04-15|date=April 6, 2009}}</ref> Some of the [[Sony Computer Entertainment]] (SCE) staff involved in the creation of the original [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] console credit ''Virtua Fighter'' as inspiration for the PlayStation's 3D graphics hardware. According to SCE's former producer Ryoji Akagawa and chairman Shigeo Maruyama, the PlayStation was originally being considered as a [[2D computer graphics|2D]] focused hardware, and it wasn't until the success of ''Virtua Fighter'' in the arcades that they decided to design the PlayStation as a 3D focused hardware.<ref>http://www.wired.com/2012/09/how-virtua-fighter-saved-playstations-bacon/</ref> ''[[Next Generation]]'', in 1995, stated ''Virtua Fighter'' "epitomizes Suzuki's skill of finding the perfect blend of state-of-the-art technology with solid gameplay".<ref>http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/virtuafighter/virtuafighter.htm</ref> The ''Virtua Fighter'' series was recognized by the [[Smithsonian Institution]],<ref>http://www.interactive.org/special_awards/details.asp?idSpecialAwards=4</ref> as an application which made great contributions to society in the field of art and entertainment. The same year, he debuted the [[SEGA Model 2]] with ''[[Daytona USA]]'', which featured the use of [[texture mapping]] with [[texture filtering]], producing graphics that were, according to [[IGN]], "light-years ahead of anything anyone had seen."<ref name="ign_SEGA8">[http://retro.ign.com/articles/974/974695p8.html IGN Presents the History of SEGA: Reap What You Sow], [[IGN]]</ref> In 1994, he created ''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'', which featured filtered, texture-mapped characters. Suzuki noted that the game's texture-mapping technology was limited to the military and cost millions, which his AM2 team acquired and used to create a much cheaper affordable [[Graphics processing unit|graphics chip]] for the Model 2 that could be mass-produced. ''Virtua Fighter 2'' was also known for its character animations, which were produced using [[motion capture]] technology that had previously never been used by the game industry.<ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/228512/Yu_Suzuki_recalls_using_military_tech_to_make_Virtua_Fighter_2.php</ref> The same year, he created ''[[Virtua Cop]]'', which broke new ground by popularizing the use of 3D graphics in [[shooter game]]s.<ref name="ngage">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/07/08/virtua-cop|title=Virtua Cop|author=IGN N-Gage|publisher=IGN|date=July 7, 2004|accessdate=2009-02-27}}</ref> It inspired 3D [[light gun shooter video games|light gun shooters]] such as ''[[Time Crisis (series)|Time Crisis]]'' and ''[[The House of the Dead (series)|The House of the Dead]]'' as well as 3D [[first-person shooter video games|first-person shooter]] such as ''[[GoldenEye 007]]''.<ref name="hollis-speech">{{Cite web |url=http://www.zoonami.com/briefing/2004-09-02.php |title=The Making of GoldenEye 007 |publisher=Zoonami | first=Martin | last=Hollis |date=September 2, 2004 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110718160021/http://www.zoonami.com/briefing/2004-09-02.php |archivedate=2011-07-18 |accessdate=2011-12-22}}</ref> Suzuki also oversaw most of the [[Video game conversion|home console conversions]] of AM2's arcade games.<ref>{{Cite news|last= |first= |title=In Your Home by Christmas!|work=[[SEGA Saturn Magazine]]|issue=5|publisher=[[Emap International Limited]]|date=March 1996|page=19}}</ref> Suzuki's ''[[Shenmue]]'', released for the [[Dreamcast]] in {{vgy|1999}}, gave rise to a new style of [[adventure game]]s, bending it away from the typical mold most games of its nature seem to fit into, with Suzuki's own concept denoted as "[[Open world|FREE]]" (''Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment''). ''Shenmue'' was the most expensive game to be developed until ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'' in 2008, with the whole project costing 70 million USD,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shenmue: Through the Ages|publisher=IGN|last=Kolan|first=Patrick|date=August 7, 2007|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/08/08/shenmue-through-the-ages|accessdate=2014-05-02}}</ref> equivalent to 93 million USD in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CPI Inflation Calculator|publisher=Bureau of Labor Statistics|url=http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm|accessdate=2011-03-22}}</ref> ''Shenmue'' was a major step forward for 3D [[open world]], [[nonlinear gameplay]], touted as offering an unparalleled level of player freedom, giving them full reign to explore an expansive sandbox city with its own day-night cycles, changing weather, and fully voiced [[non-player character]]s going about their daily routines. The game's large interactive environments, level of detail and the scope of its urban sandbox exploration has been compared to later sandbox games like ''[[Grand Theft Auto III]]'' and its sequels, SEGA's own ''[[Yakuza (series)|Yakuza]]'' series, ''[[Fallout 3]]'', and ''[[Deadly Premonition]]''.<ref name=gamesign /><ref name=Escapist>{{Cite web|first=Brendan|last=Main|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_285/8455-Lost-in-Yokosuka|title=Lost in Yokosuka|publisher=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|accessdate=2014-05-02}}</ref><ref name=GTM>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/1148/interview-with-shenmue-creator-yu-suzuki|title=Shenmue: Creator Yu Suzuki Speaks Out|publisher=[[GamesTM]]|date=December 28, 2010|accessdate=2014-05-02|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110102193343/http://www.nowgamer.com/features/1148/interview-with-shenmue-creator-yu-suzuki|archivedate=2011-01-02}}</ref><ref name=1UP>{{Cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1|first=James|last=Mielke|year=2010|title=The Disappearance of Yu Suzuki: Part 1|publisher=[[1UP.com|1UP]]|accessdate=2014-05-02}}</ref> The game also revived the [[quick time event]] mechanic and coined a name for it, "QTE". The mechanic has since appeared in many later titles, including popular [[action game]]s such as ''[[Resident Evil 4]]'', ''[[God of War (series)|God of War]]'', ''[[Tomb Raider: Legend]]'', ''[[Heavenly Sword]]'', and ''[[Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Adam|last=LaMosca|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/waypoints/1310-On-Screen-Help-In-Game-Hindrance|title=On-Screen Help, In-Game Hindrance|publisher=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|date=July 24, 2007|accessdate=2014-05-02}}</ref> Suzuki's arcade game ''[[Ferrari F355 Challenge]]'' was a racing [[Vehicle simulation video games|simulator]] created upon a strong partnership with [[Ferrari]]. [[Rubens Barrichello]] of the [[F1]] Team Ferrari was quoted by Suzuki to "have considered to purchase one for practicing." The game was considered the most accurate [[Sim racing|racing simulation]] of the [[Ferrari F355]] possible up until that time.<ref name="gradar_suzuki"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=F355 Challenge: It's hard. It's hard. And it's hard. But god, is it worth it.|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/20/f355-challenge|author=IGN Staff|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2014-05-02|date=September 19, 2000}}</ref> In 2003, Yu Suzuki, along with Hiroshi Kataoka, produced sequels for ''[[OutRun]]'' and ''[[Virtua Cop]]'', entitled ''[[OutRun 2]]'' and ''[[Virtua Cop 3]]'', respectively. Suzuki left AM2 to form a new Studio eventually named [[DigitalRex]].
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to the Codex Gamicus are considered to be released under the CC BY-SA 3.0
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Follow on IG
TikTok
Join Fan Lab