Masayuki Kato, founder of Ys and Legend of Heroes series developer Nihon Falcom, died in December last year at 78. The company organized a farewell ceremony for the late chairman on March 14, inviting fans and fellow industry peers.
On the occasion, game designer Henk Rogers delivered a eulogy to Kato (reported on by Dengeki Online), expressing admiration for his career, personality and attitude towards making games. “Kato was dedicated to making great games. I know just how hard he worked and how much he loved his games. The games he made were like his children to him, and he loved the people playing his games.”
Rogers also looks back on his first encounter with Kato, which happened through STAC, an organization of Japanese game companies formed in the 1980s around fighting software rental and piracy. “I think we first met at a STAC conference where we discussed problems we were facing in the game industry. Compared to the other members, Kato-san was older, more thoughtful and mature. He always acted as our voice and advisor, as we were young and impulsive. We all miss you, Masayuki Kato.”
Rogers started his career in Japan’s PC game scene in 1893, when he founded Bullet-Proof Software (BPS). The following year, he released The Black Onyx, which is recognized as one of the oldest major RPGs made in Japan and went on to influence creators like Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto.
Meanwhile, Kato founded Nihon Falcom Coporation in 1981. Nihon Falcom was also initially oriented towards computers games, which seems to have led to Kato’s connection with Rogers. While Kato stepped down from his position as Nihon Falcom’s president in 2001, he continued to be involved in the company’s management as chairman of the board of directors until his death. He was also involved in game development as general producer up until the latest Ys and Legend of Heroes titles.
