Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi recently talked about why he left Bandai Namco Games (now Bandai Namco Entertainment) and formed Studio Uvula. Speaking to Game*Spark, Takahashi discussed creativity, the importance of working with developers from around the world, and the inspirations behind his upcoming game To a T, which is set to release in late May.
Having worked in the art department of Namco for many years, Keita Takahashi first came to the attention of gamers worldwide when he created Katamari Damacy. Originally released on PS2 back in 2004, the colorful, quirky game that involved a pint-sized prince rolling up increasingly big objects into a massive balls to rebuild the solar system became a huge cult hit, spawning many sequels. Leaving Namco in 2006, around the time that they merged with Bandai, Takahashi took on various other projects before forming his own company Uvula Studio in 2010, which worked on his latest game To a T.
In the interview, Keita Takahashi reveals that he parted ways with Bandai Namco Games to broaden his horizons, particularly from a creative perspective. “I left the company because I didn’t want to be limited to only working with the people there. I wondered why I was only making games with Japanese people. I thought if I could develop games with more people from other countries, I would be able to get ideas from different perspectives. I’m currently developing games with a range of people from all over the world.”
Despite this global team and the fact that Takahashi now lives in the US, the Katamari Damacy creator explains that the school in To a T is mostly inspired by Japanese schools and his own experiences of them. This meant that he sometimes had to explain unique aspects of Japanese schools to developers from other countries.
“American schools don’t have the custom of changing shoes like Japanese schools do,” Takahashi gives an example, referring to how students in Japan switch from outdoor shoes to indoor shoes at the school entrance. “I was once asked by a team member about what the school space full of shoe cupboards was like. I tried to convey to them that there are loads of shoes, and there’s a kind of smell… but it really is something that’s unique to Japan.” (I can confirm that shoe storage in Japanese schools has a distinctive smell, but probably not the kind of stinky feet smell you’re imagining. It’s more like an inoffensive rubber/wood scent that changes with the seasons.)
Takahashi mentions that many other things in the game, such as the traffic lights are also reminiscent of Japan. He clarifies that it wasn’t a deliberate decision to use Japanese style things, rather that “I don’t know what school culture is like in the US, so I had no choice but to use Japanese elements.”
Fans of Takahashi’s previous works can rest assured that this is no normal school though. Not only is the main character, simply named Teen, always stuck in a T-pose, the school in To a T also has a whole bunch of eccentric characters like a giraffe with a passion for cooking. However, at the heart of the game there is a serious, universal theme and message. Although the T-pose may seem comical at first glance, To a T explores the protagonist’s difficulties with everyday activities and the bullying they suffer.
“The reason the main character in this game doesn’t want to go to school is because their classmates are bullying them. I think this is something that happens worldwide, not just in Japan. I was actually bullied myself, and never felt like going to school.” Takahashi reveals.
However, To a T’s story seems to be one of hope as the protagonist discovers a special use for their T pose and learns to accept their uniqueness. Takahashi explains that the game will be split into 8 chapters, with the mystery behind the main character’s T-posing condition being revealed at the end.
In closing, Takahashi adds that he is often asked who the target audience is for his quirky titles, however this is something he doesn’t think about when making games: “I make games that I feel satisfied with, so I’d like people to play them if they want to. I guess I probably should make games while thinking about the target audience, but I’ll work on that in my next life,” he quips.
To a T is scheduled to be released on Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC (Steam) on May 28, 2025 (The Steam version is set to release a day later on May 29).
