Difference between revisions of "Yu Suzuki"

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'''Yu Suzuki''' (鈴木 裕), [[AM2]]'s star developer, is one of the most highly-regarded visionaries in the industry. He joined [[Sega]] in 1983 as a programmer and producer, and two years later he created ''[[Hang-On]]'', the first simulation arcade game. ''Hang-On'' was also the first arcade racing game to feature a fully interactive cabinet, with the player sitting on and controlling a replica motorcycle.
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| image=YuSuzuki 2.png
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| birthplace=Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan
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Suzuki has always tried to push the limits of arcade hardware and was the first to develop a title using the cutting-edge [[Sega Model 1]] arcade board. With the Model 1, Suzuki began his first foray into the world of polygons, and the result was ''[[Virtua Racing]]''. This F1 racing simulator was completely rendered in 3D, and allowed players to experience the action from four different camera angles.
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| dob=1958-06-10{{magref|edge|9|49}}{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20040416181636/http://sega.jp/studio/dr.html}}
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In 1993, Suzuki's next Model 1 masterpiece was the acclaimed ''[[Virtua Fighter]]''. It was the very first 3D fighting game, and featured what is considered to be one of the deepest fighting engines ever. ''Virtua Fighter''’s impact was such that it is housed in the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology Innovation.
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{{Employment
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In 1999, Yu Suzuki released ''[[Shenmue]]'', his first title for a home console. Five years in the making, ''Shenmue'' features a sweeping story, multiple gameplay elements, and an unprecedented level of detail. ''Shenmue'' also marks the start of a new genre, dubbed by Suzuki as FREE, or Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment. The story, graphics, and the innovative system exceeded those of many previous games.
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| company=[[Sega Enterprises, Ltd.|Sega Enterprises]]
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| start=1983-04{{magref|edge|9|49}}
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''[[Shenmue]]'' is currently the second most expensive game to be developed (being recently surpassed by ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', which cost roughly 100 Million USD.) with the whole project costing 70 million USD.
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| divisions=[[Studio 128]], [[Sega R&D 2]], [[Sega R&D 8]], [[Sega AM2]]{{magref|segamagjp|4|16}}, [[Sega Software R&D Dept. 2]],[[AM2 of CRI]]
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In 2003, Suzuki became the sixth person to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame. On April 1, 2009, Suzuki [http://www.segasammy.co.jp/english/pdf/release/20090331_e_.pdf retired] from Sega. Since then he now runs his own game company, [http://www.ysnet-inc.jp/ YS NET Inc.] (established November 11, 2008), but still retains a good relationship with Sega.
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{{Employment
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| company=[[Sega-AM2 (company)|Sega-AM2]]
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==Overview==
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During the mid-to-late-1980s, he created [http://www.giantbomb.com/super-scaler/3015-8389/ Super Scaler] arcade games that popularized pseudo-3D gaming with sprite-scaling graphics as well as motion-controlled arcade cabinets, including racing video games such as ''Hang-On'', ''Out Run'' and ''Power Drift'' as well as third-person rail shooters such as ''[[Space Harrier]]'' and ''[[After Burner]]''. During the early-mid-1990s, he created Sega Model arcade games that popularized and advanced polygonal 3D graphics and gameplay, including ''Virtua Racing'', the ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' series of fighting games, the texture-filtered racing game ''Daytona USA'', and the ''Virtua Cop'' series of light gun shooters.
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{{Employment
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| company=[[DigitalRex]]
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In the late 1990s, he created the racing simulation ''F355 Challenge'', and the critically acclaimed ''[[Shenmue]]'' series for the [[Dreamcast]], which was a major step forward for 3D [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Open world|open world]] gameplay. During the early-mid-2000s, he create several more arcade hits such as ''Virtua Fighter 4'' and ''OutRun 2'' while working on experimental titles such as the cancelled touchscreen fighting game ''Psy-Phi'', but has been mostly inactive since then.
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| start=2003
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In 2003, Suzuki became the sixth person to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame. IGN listed him at #9 in their Top 100 Game Creators of All Time list.{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20090312085140/http://games.ign.com/top-100-game-creators/9.html}}
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{{Employment
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| company=[[Sega Corporation (2000-2015)|Sega]]
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| start=2004
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| end=2009-04{{fileref|IR EN 2009-03-31.pdf|page=2}}
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| divisions=[[AM Plus]]
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}}
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{{Employment
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| company=[[Ys Net]]
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| start=2008-11-11
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| notsega=yes
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}}
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| role=Programmer, Producer, Director, Executive
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| education=
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'''{{PAGENAME}}''' (鈴木 裕), is a former programmer and producer at [[Sega]]. Notable for his works while at [[Sega AM2]], he is widely considered to be a visionary in the video game industry, creating many of Sega's biggest hits throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
  
 
==Career==
 
==Career==
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Suzuki was born and raised in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, the older of two children to parents who were elementary school teachers. Suzuki's father was Yuzuru, and his mother, Taka, taught piano. Suzuki has one younger sister named Yuka, who became a dance teacher. Yu Suzuki's interests were wide-ranging as a child. At a young age, he was encouraged by his father to have an interest in music and the arts on which it would end up staying with him for the rest of his life. He also enjoyed building numerous model cars, wooden miniature houses, and robots made of plastic blocks, as well as a passion for drawing.
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Yu Suzuki joined Sega in April 1983{{magref|edge|9|49}} as a programmer, and was set to work designing and programming the [[SG-1000]] game, ''[[Champion Boxing]]''. Released for the console and later in arcade form, the game performed better than expected, and Suzuki was promoted to team leader, achieving something that usually took around seven years at Sega, in just one.
  
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Before entering college, Suzuki flirted with the idea of going into education, having been influenced by his parents. After a while, he thought of becoming an illustrator and then a dentist; however, the latter dream was short-lived, as he didn't pass the required entry exam for dental school. Ever resourceful, Suzuki began to play the guitar, but he stated in an interview with G4TV that, "No matter how much I practiced, I never got that much better."
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Under the management of [[Hisashi Suzuki]], Yu Suzuki would work alongside a small team of developers in what would become a key innovator for Sega, [[Studio 128]]. It is here where Suzuki programmed ''[[Hang-On]]'', the Sega's first "[[taikan game]]". The game's enormous success both in Japan and overseas led to a string of equally important milestones; ''[[OutRun]]'' (1986), ''[[After Burner]]'' (1987), ''[[Power Drift]]'' (1988) and ''[[G-LOC: Air Battle]]'' (1990).
  
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Seeing the similarities between the plastic blocks he played with as a child and the architecture of electronic design, Yu Suzuki decided to pursue computer programming at the Okayama University of Science. He graduated from there in the early 1980s. He was also interested in music. He played guitar at Music club called "Muscat" at Okayama Ridai.
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In the early 1990s, now a producer at the newly formed [[Sega AM2]], Suzuki and his team would go one better by creating ''[[Virtua Racing]]'', Sega's first "3D CG" game in 1992. He would then act primarily as a producer and the public face of AM2 for the following decade, helping to create ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' (1993), ''[[Daytona USA]]'' (1994), ''[[Virtua Cop]]'' (1994) and ''[[Fighting Vipers]]'' (1995). Suzuki has also been instrumental in designing several of Sega's arcade boards; the [[Model 1]], [[Model 2]] and [[Model 3]], as well as the [[NAOMI 2]]{{magref|nextgeneration|77|61}}.
  
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===Career at Sega (1983–2003)===
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After work wrapped up on ''[[Virtua Fighter 3]]'' in 1996, Suzuki's attention was taken up by a pootentially ground-breaking concept for Sega's home video game consoles - what would emerge as the [[Sega Dreamcast]] game ''[[Shenmue]]'' in 1999. The most expensive video game produced up until that point, ''Shenmue'' was a hit with critics but not with consumers, and while follow-up ''[[Shenmue II]]'' launched in 2001, the multiple-part epic was put on hold as Sega went through a period of financial turbulence.
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Suzuki joined [[Sega|Sega Enterprises]] in [[wikia:w:c:gaming:1983 in gaming|1983]] as a programmer. In his first year, he created a 2D boxing arcade game called ''Champion Boxing'', which was later ported to Sega's first home game console, the SG-1000. 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 [[wikia:w:c:gaming:1985 in gaming|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 [[wikipedia:Avatar (computing)|avatar]] was dictated by the movements the player made with their body on the [[wikipedia:Motorcycle|motorcycle]] cabinet. This began the "Taikan" trend, the use of [http://www.giantbomb.com/motion-control/3015-474/ motion-controlled] hydraulic arcade cabinets in many arcade games of the late 1980s, two decades before motion controls became popular on [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Video game console|video game console]]. [http://web.archive.org/web/20131113173854/http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1?pager.offset=1] Running on the [[Sega Space Harrier]] hardware, it was also the first of Sega's "[[wikia:w:c:gaming:List of Sega arcade system#Super Scaler series|Super Scaler]]" [[List of Sega arcade systems|arcade system boards]] that allowed [[wikia:w:c:gaming:2.5D|pseudo-3D]] [[Sprite (computer graphics)#Move to 3D|sprite-scaling]] at high [[wikipedia:Frame rate|frame rate]].{{ref|http://retro.ign.com/articles/974/974695p3.html}} The pseudo-3D [[sprite]]/[[wikipedia:Tile engine|tile]] scaling was handled in a similar manner to textures in later [[wikipedia:Texture mapping|texture-mapped]] [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Three-dimensional|polygonal 3D]] games of the 1990s.{{ref|http://www.extentofthejam.com/pseudo/}} 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 [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Two-dimensional|2D]]. So I was always thinking in 3D." [http://web.archive.org/web/20131113174154/http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1?pager.offset=2]
 
  
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Suzuki and AM2 soon followed with the [[wikia:w:c:gaming:2.5D|3D-esque]] [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Third-person shooter|third-person shooter]] game ''[[Space Harrier]]'' later that year. The game introduced a true [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Analog stick|analog]] [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Joystick|flight stick]] for movement,{{ref|http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-07-space-harrier-retrospective}} with the ability to register movement in any direction as well as measure the degree of push, which could move the [http://www.giantbomb.com/player-character/3015-968/ 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}} It also featured cockpit-shaped [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Video game arcade cabinet|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|http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-07-space-harrier-retrospective}}
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Following the release of ''[[Virtua Fighter 4]]'' in 2002, Suzuki left AM2 to form a new Sega division, [[DigitalRex]] in 2003. However, DigitalRex and its successor, [[AM Plus]] struggled to get products out of the door, and Suzuki fell back to a more advisory role in the company, retiring from Sega in April 2009{{fileref|IR EN 2009-03-31.pdf|page=2}} though maintaining good relations with his former employers.
  
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Showing his interest in Ferraris, Suzuki created the [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Sim racing|driving simulator]] ''[[Out Run]]'', which was released in [[wikia:w:c:gaming:1986 in gaming|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 [[wikipedia:Nonlinear gameplay|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 [[wikipedia:Golden Joystick Awards|Golden Joystick Awards]], ''Out Run'' was awarded the [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Game of the Year|Game of the Year]] award.{{ref|http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=C+VG/Issue079/Pages/CVG07900039.jpg}}
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Suzuki formed his own development company, [[Ys Net]] in 2008, but aside from the occasional interview, was relatively silent over the coming decade. He returned to the limelight again at [[Sony]]'s [[E3 2015]] press conference, announcing ''[[Shenmue III]]'', which would be carried through from Kickstarter to release in 2019.
  
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Suzuki's later hits included the jet fighting ''[[After Burner]]'' series in the late 1980s and the roller coaster [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Kart racer|kart racer]] ''[[Power Drift]]'' in [[wikia:w:c:gaming:1988 in gaming|1988]]. Improving on the "Super Scaler" technology and road [[wikipedia:Scrolling|scrolling]] effects of ''Hang-On'' and ''Out Run'', ''Power Drift'' created "all of its track layouts with flat [[wikipedia:Bitmap|bitmap]]" to simulate a "wholly [[wikipedia:Three-dimensional space|3D space]] using strictly [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Two-dimensional|2D]] technology.".{{ref|http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/powerdrift/powerdrift.htm}} In [[wikia:w:c:gaming:1990 in gaming|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.
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==Interests==
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Yu Suzuki enjoys fast cars and motorcycles, of which many, particularly Ferraris (see; ''OutRun'' and ''[[F355 Challenge]]''), appear in his works. He is a believer of experiencing the world to better understand how to produce video games. Development of ''OutRun'' saw Suzuki lead his team across Europe for inspiration, while employees working on the likes of ''Virtua Racing'', ''Daytona USA'' and ''[[Scud Race]]'' have been advised by Suzuki to go out and drive real vehicles in order to appreciate how they feel. Meanwhile the likes of ''Virtua Fighter'' and ''Shenmue'' were inspired by real fighting styles and trips across Asia.
  
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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 [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Three-dimensional|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. [[wikipedia:GameSpot|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|http://web.archive.org/web/20130320230656/http://uk.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/15influential/p13_01.html}}
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He prefers to work with different genres and concepts for every project, rather than be stuck refining the same ideas{{ref|http://www.computerandvideogames.com/279529/yu-suzuki-the-difference-between-miyamoto-and-i-is/}}. He also does not believe in extensive planning during video game production, allowing them to evolve naturally to suit the skills of his staff. ''Space Harrier'' is an example of this, evolving from real jets (Harriers) to a fantasy setting, as his artists were more suited to fantasy themes.
  
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In 1993, Suzuki created ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'', the first 3D [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Fighting game|fighting game]], which became enormously popular and spawned a series of sequels and spinoffs. It inspired many 3D fighting games such as the ''[[wikipedia:Tekken|Tekken]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Soul (series)|Soul Calibur]]'' series.{{ref|http://www.gamesradar.com/yu-suzukis-five-finest-moments/}} Some of the [[wikipedia:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]] (SCE) staff involved in the creation of the original [[wikia:w:c:gaming: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 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/}} ''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}} The ''Virtua Fighter'' series was recognized by the Smithsonian Institution,{{ref|http://www.interactive.org/special_awards/details.asp?idSpecialAwards=4}} 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|http://retro.ign.com/articles/974/974695p8.html}}
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Suzuki famously does not play many video games, often leading to unique style of game that is rarely influenced by competitors. While he enjoys programming video games, he has claimed that he loses interest after the project is done{{magref|nextgeneration|11|10}}, and prefers movies{{magref|nextgeneration|11|10}}, theme parks{{magref|nextgeneration|11|10}} and French food{{magref|edge|9|50}}.
  
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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 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}} The same year, he created ''Virtua Cop'', which broke new ground by popularizing the use of 3D graphics in shooter games.{{Ref|http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/07/08/virtua-cop}} It inspired 3D light gun shooters such as ''Time Crisis'' and ''The House of the Dead'' as well as 3D first-person shooters such as ''GoldenEye 007''.{{ref|http://www.zoonami.com/briefing/2004-09-02.php}} Suzuki also oversaw most of the home console conversions of AM2's arcade games.
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==Production history==
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{{ProductionHistory|Yu Suzuki|Yu|鈴木 裕|Yu.}}
  
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Suzuki's ''[[Shenmue]]'', released for the [[Dreamcast]] in 1999, gave rise to a new style of adventure games, bending it away from the typical mold most games of its nature seem to fit into, with Suzuki's own concept denoted as "[http://www.giantbomb.com/full-reactive-eyes-entertainment/3015-171/ 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|http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/08/08/shenmue-through-the-ages}} equivalent to $93 million USD in 2011.{{ref|http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm}} ''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 characters 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, ''Fallout 3'', and ''Deadly Premonition''.{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20090312085140/http://games.ign.com/top-100-game-creators/9.html}}{{ref|http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_285/8455-Lost-in-Yokosuka}}{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20110102193343/http://www.nowgamer.com/features/1148/interview-with-shenmue-creator-yu-suzuki}}{{ref|http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1}} The game also revived and modernized the [http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-time-event/3015-6/ Quick Time Event] mechanic, and coined a name for it, "QTE". The mechanic has since appeared in many later titles, including popular [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Action game|action game]] such as ''Resident Evil 4'', '''God of War'', ''Tomb Raider: Legend'', ''Heavenly Sword'', and ''[[Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy]]''.{{ref|http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/waypoints/1310-On-Screen-Help-In-Game-Hindrance}}
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[[Category:Uncredited role]]
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[[Category:Use ProductionHistory template]]
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Suzuki's arcade game ''Ferrari F355 Challenge'' was a racing simulator created upon a strong partnership with [[wikipedia:Ferrari|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 racing simulation of the Ferrari F355 possible up until that time.{{ref|http://www.gamesradar.com/yu-suzukis-five-finest-moments/}}{{ref|http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/20/f355-challenge}}
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{{multicol|
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* ''[[Champion Pro Wrestling]]'' (1985) — Director, Producer
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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.
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* ''[[Hang-On]]'' ([[Sega Master System|Master System]] Version) (1985) — Special Thanks
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* ''[[Super Hang-On]]'' (Arcade Version) (1986) — Producer
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===Digital Rex (2004–2009)===
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* ''[[GP Rider]]'' (Arcade Version) (1990) — Producer
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* ''[[Strike Fighter]]'' (''[[After Burner III]]'') (Arcade Version) (1991) — Designer, Producer
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At DigitalRex, Yu Suzuki worked on 4 games: ''Psy-Phi'', ''[[Shenmue Online]]'', ''Sega Race TV'', and an unannounced fantasy sports game. ''[[Shenmue Online]]'' and the Sports game were cancelled during development. PsyPhi a game that was initially delayed due to development shifting from Sega Chihiro to Sega Lindbergh Arcade boards.{{ref|http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/09/01/jamma-2005-hands-on-with-psy-phi}} The game was successfully completed but was never shipped as it performed poorly at location testing.{{ref|http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/11/03/psy-phi-update}} One of the biggest problems with the game the developers couldn't get around was that players' fingers heated up too much from the friction of moving over the screen, and the game just became painful to play.{{ref|http://www.gamespot.com/articles/yu-suzuki-still-wants-to-make-shenmue-3/1100-6301637/}}
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* ''[[F1 Exhaust Note]]'' (1991) — Producer
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* ''[[Soreike Kokology]]'' (1991) — Producer
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The goal of his new studio was to make ''[[Shenmue Online]]'' to penetrate the rising Asian MMO RPG markets.{{ref|http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/05/yu-suzuki-talks-shenmue-online}} After numerous problems in development ''Shenmue Online'' was quietly cancelled.{{ref|http://www.gamespot.com/articles/shenmue-online-facing-trouble/1100-6130382/}} The development of Shenmue Online cost Sega and [[wikipedia:JCEntertainment|JCEntertainment]] almost $26 Million dollars {{ref|http://www.gamespot.com/articles/whos-got-the-rights-to-shenmue-online/1100-6131932/}}{{ref|http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/08/03/shenmue-goes-online}}
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* ''[[Virtua Formula]]'' (1993) — Producer
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* ''[[Soreike Kokology 2]]'' (1993) — Producer
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After 4 years away from AM2 Yu Suzuki released his first game an [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Arcade game|arcade]] racing game titled ''[[Sega Race TV]]'' released under the studio name AM plus. The game was given a limited release and did not do well commercially. After the release of the game Suzuki resumed non executive work as an adviser for AM2.
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* ''[[Virtua Cop 1-2 Pack]]'' (1998) — Supervisor
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* ''[[What's Shenmue]]'' (1999) — Director
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In the spring of 2009, rumors surfaced that Yu Suzuki would step down from Sega after 26 years of employment. However, an article written by Brendan Sinclair, a reporter for the American video game journalism website GameSpot, stated the rumors to be false and that an anonymous representative for Sega of America revealed that Suzuki was in fact not retiring but staying "in a much more diminished capacity" than in the past. He has become the manager of the R&D department for Sega's new development studio, AM Plus. AM Plus has solely focused its attention on the Japanese video arcade market with such titles as Psy-Phi (which was cancelled), a dodgeball-esque one-on-one fighting game using touchscreen controls whose development was headed by Suzuki, and the character-based racing game ''Sega Race TV'' (limited release).{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20111010010952/http://www.segaarcade.com/racetv-twin}}
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* ''[[Yu Suzuki Game Works Vol. 1]]'' (2001) — Special Thanks
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According to a gamasutra interview, Yu Suzuki plans to officially leave Sega in September 2011 to concentrate on his own development studio YS NET. However, he will not completely cut ties with Sega as he will take an advisory role within the company.{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20080817061059/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3756/the_evolution_of_sega_a_.php?page=4}}
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* ''[[Pure Breed]]'' (cancelled) — Concept
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* ''[[Psy-Phi]]'' (2005) — Director
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===Mainstream return with YS.Net (2010–present)===
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* ''[[Shenmue Online]]'' (2007) — Director
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In 2010, it was rumored that Yu Suzuki would be appearing at [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]], and revealing a game for the [[wikipedia:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]] incorporating the new [[wikipedia:PlayStation Move|PlayStation Move]] motion control technology. The game was rumored to be a reworked Psy-Phi.{{ref|http://segabits.com/blog/2010/04/05/rumor-yu-suzuki-to-show-playstation-move-game-at-e3/}}{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20100407092820/http://www.gofanboy.com/go-fanboy-news/2317-yu-suzuki-bringing-formerly-canceled-game-to-playstation-3}} Although this was proven as a hoax as Suzuki was not in attendance at E3 and no updates are available on the cancelled Psy-Phi.
+
* ''[[Shenmue City]]'' (2010) — Director
 +
* ''[[Virtua Fighter Cool Champ]]'' (2011) — Director
 +
* ''[[Shooting Wars]]'' (2012) — Director
 +
* ''[[Bullet Pirates]]'' (iPhone & [[wikipedia:Android (operating system)|Android]] Versions) (2013) — Director
 +
* ''[[Virtua Fighter Fever Combo]]'' (iPhone & Android Versions) (2014) — Director
 +
* ''[[Shenmue III]]'' ([[PlayStation 4]] & PC Versions) (2017) — Director & Producer
 +
}}
  
−
Yu Suzuki's actual main stream return took place in fall of 2010, with a new game in the ''Shenmue'' Series, titled ''Shenmue City'', was being developed by Sunsoft and YS Net (Yu Suzuki's new studio) for Yahoo Games.{{ref|http://www.ysnet-inc.jp/about_yu.html}}{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20101104062851/http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/11/02/yu_suzuki_speaks}}
+
==Song credits==
 +
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Song credits}}
  
−
In December 2010, 1UP posted an interview with Yu Suzuki titled "The Disappearance of Yu Suzuki" it was his first English interview in several years. It was also a career retrospective conducted by former 1UP Editor in Chief James Mielke with Tak Hirai (both are employees at Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment).{{ref|http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3182648}}
+
==Gallery==
 +
<gallery>
 +
YuSuzuki signature.svg|Signature
 +
</gallery>
  
−
In March 2011, Yu Suzuki was at GDC to receive a pioneer award for his body of work.{{ref|http://www.gamespot.com/articles/yu-suzuki-still-wants-to-make-shenmue-3/1100-6301637/}} Prior to the award ceremony, He also participated in an open panel career retrospective hosted by Mark Cerny. Also at GDC he participated with MEGA64 to record his voice for a parody video on "How Shenmue was meant to end" In December 2011, Yu Suzuki flew to TGS (Toulouse Game Show) in France and participated in an open panel career retrospective. He also participated in an open with Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada, they both talked about their games and fought each other in both of their respected fighting franchises.
+
==Magazine articles==
 +
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}}
  
−
In 2012, Suzuki designed a mobile game for the [[Virtua Fighter]] series, titled Cool Champ.{{ref|http://www.ysnet-inc.jp/file/120217.pdf}}
+
==Interviews==
 +
{{InterviewList|Yu Suzuki}}
  
−
In 2013, Suzuki designed a new shooting game, titled ''Shooting Wars'' with Premium Agency; this was YS.Net's first original game unrelated to any of Suzuki's previous Sega franchises.{{ref|http://www.premiumagency.com/english/vision/global.html}}{{ref|http://www.premiumagency.com/news_release/files/PressRelease_Premiumagency_20110602_yusuzuki_EN.pdf}}
+
==Photographs==
 +
:''Main article: [[:Category:Photos of {{PAGENAME}}|Photos of {{PAGENAME}}]]
  
−
In July 2013, Suzuki returned to France for the Monaco Animé Game Show.
+
==External links==
 +
*''[https://www.sega-16.com/2005/03/sega-stars-yu-suzuki/ Sega Stars: {{PAGENAME}}]'' article by Ken Horowitz at ''[https://www.sega-16.com Sega-16]''
 +
*''[https://medium.com/@MoosaviAmir/a-weekend-with-yu-suzuki-6ff4d9d9edb6 A Weekend with Yu Suzuki]'' article by Amir Moosavi at ''[https://medium.com Medium]''
 +
*''[https://www.polygon.com/a/life-in-japan/Yu-Suzuki-kitchen Two hours in Yu Suzuki's kitchen]'' article by Matt Leone at ''[https://www.polygon.com Polygon]''
  
−
On March 19, 2014, Yu Suzuki held a Shenmue Postmortem at the [[wikipedia:Game Developers Conference|Game Developers Conference]] 2014, with Suzuki discussing the development of ''Shenmue''.{{ref|http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/feature/a558875/shenmue-postmortem-10-revelations-from-yu-suzukis-gdc-2014-talk.html#~oD5dkzIbVT2oCP}}
+
==References==
 +
<references/>
  
−
On June 2014, Yu Suzuki received a "Legend Award" in Barcelona, Spain during Gamelab Barcelona 2014.{{ref|http://www.gamelab.es/2014/en/press/news/#93}}
+
[[Category:Lead Programmers]]
−
 
 
−
==Production History==
 
−
{{cleanup}}
 
−
{{multicol|
 
−
* ''[[Champion Boxing]]'' (1984) — Programmer, Director
 
−
* ''[[Space Harrier]]'' (Arcade Version) (1985) — Producer, Director
 
−
* ''[[Hang-On]]'' (Arcade Version) (1985) — Producer, Director
 
−
* ''[[OutRun]]'' (Arcade Version) (1986) — Producer, Director
 
−
* ''[[Super Hang-On]]'' (Arcade Version) (1986) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[After Burner II]]'' (Arcade Version) (1986) — Producer, Director
 
−
* ''[[Space Harrier]]'' (Master System Version) (1986) — Special Thanks (as '''Yu''')
 
−
* ''[[Power Drift]]'' (Arcade Version) (1988) — Producer, Director
 
−
* ''[[Turbo Outrun]]'' (Arcade Version) (1989) — Sp. Thanks  (as '''Yu.''')
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Racing]]'' (Arcade Version) (1992) — Director / Chief Programmer [NOTE: Also Producer]
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' (Arcade Version) (1993) — Producer & Director
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' (Saturn Version) (1994) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Daytona USA]]'' (Arcade and Saturn Versions) (1994/1995) — Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop]]'' (1994/1995/1997) — Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'' (Arcade Version) (1994) — Producer, Director
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter Remix]]'' (1995) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop 2]]'' (Arcade and Saturn Versions) (1995/1996) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' (32X Version) (1995) — Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Fighting Vipers]]'' (1995/1996) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'' (Saturn Version) (1995) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Sonic the Fighters]]'' (1996) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 3]]'' (1996) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Fighters Megamix]]'' (1996) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'' (PC Version) (1997) — Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 3: Team Battle]]'' (1997/1998) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop 2]]'' (PC and Dreamcast Versions) (1997/2000) — Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Ferrari F355 Challenge]]'' (Arcade and Dreamcast Versions) (1999/2000) — Produced and Directed by
 
−
* ''[[D-2]]'' (1999) — Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Shenmue]]'' (1999) — Story by, Produced by, Directed by, Executive Producer (Sega Enterprises Ltd.) (Shenmue (Orchestra Version) OST)
 
−
* ''[[Eighteen Wheeler: American Pro Trucker]]'' (2000/2002) — Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Shenmue II]]'' (Dreamcast Version) (2001) — Story by
 
−
* ''[[Propeller Arena: Aviation Battle Championship]] (2001; unreleased) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 4]]'' (Arcade Version) (2001) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 4]]'' (PS2 Version) (2002) — Executive Director
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution]]'' (Arcade Version) (2002) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop: Elite Edition]]'' (2002) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Ferrari F355 Challenge]]'' (PS2 Version) (2002) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Shenmue II]]'' (Xbox Version) (2002) — Executive Producer (Xbox Version), Directed by (Tie‑up With), Produced by (Tie‑up With)
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution]]'' (PS2 Version) (2003) — Executive Director
 
−
* ''[[Devastation]]'' (2003) — Special Thanks to
 
−
* ''[[OutRun 2]]'' (Arcade Version) (2003) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 8: Virtua Racing FlatOut|Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 8: Virtua Racing -FlatOut-]]'' (2004) — Executive Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 13: OutRun]]'' (2004) — Executive Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned]]'' (2004) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 19: Fighting Vipers]]'' (2005) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Sega Race TV]]'' (2008) — Director
 
−
* ''[[Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing]]'' (2010) — Creative Officer (Sega Japan)
 
−
* ''[[Shenmue III]]'' (2017) — Director & Producer
 
−
}}
 
−
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suzuki, Yu}}
 
−
[[Category:Sega AM2 Developers]]
 

Latest revision as of 16:29, 17 December 2023

YuSuzuki 2.png
Yu Suzuki
Place of birth: Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan
Date of birth: 1958-06-10[1][2] (age 65)
Employment history:
Sega Enterprises (1983-04[1] – )
Divisions:
DigitalRex (2003 – 2004)
Sega (2004 – 2009-04[4])
Divisions:
Ys Net (2008-11-11 – )
Role(s): Programmer, Producer, Director, Executive

Yu Suzuki (鈴木 裕), is a former programmer and producer at Sega. Notable for his works while at Sega AM2, he is widely considered to be a visionary in the video game industry, creating many of Sega's biggest hits throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Career

Yu Suzuki joined Sega in April 1983[1] as a programmer, and was set to work designing and programming the SG-1000 game, Champion Boxing. Released for the console and later in arcade form, the game performed better than expected, and Suzuki was promoted to team leader, achieving something that usually took around seven years at Sega, in just one.

Under the management of Hisashi Suzuki, Yu Suzuki would work alongside a small team of developers in what would become a key innovator for Sega, Studio 128. It is here where Suzuki programmed Hang-On, the Sega's first "taikan game". The game's enormous success both in Japan and overseas led to a string of equally important milestones; OutRun (1986), After Burner (1987), Power Drift (1988) and G-LOC: Air Battle (1990).

In the early 1990s, now a producer at the newly formed Sega AM2, Suzuki and his team would go one better by creating Virtua Racing, Sega's first "3D CG" game in 1992. He would then act primarily as a producer and the public face of AM2 for the following decade, helping to create Virtua Fighter (1993), Daytona USA (1994), Virtua Cop (1994) and Fighting Vipers (1995). Suzuki has also been instrumental in designing several of Sega's arcade boards; the Model 1, Model 2 and Model 3, as well as the NAOMI 2[5].

After work wrapped up on Virtua Fighter 3 in 1996, Suzuki's attention was taken up by a pootentially ground-breaking concept for Sega's home video game consoles - what would emerge as the Sega Dreamcast game Shenmue in 1999. The most expensive video game produced up until that point, Shenmue was a hit with critics but not with consumers, and while follow-up Shenmue II launched in 2001, the multiple-part epic was put on hold as Sega went through a period of financial turbulence.

Following the release of Virtua Fighter 4 in 2002, Suzuki left AM2 to form a new Sega division, DigitalRex in 2003. However, DigitalRex and its successor, AM Plus struggled to get products out of the door, and Suzuki fell back to a more advisory role in the company, retiring from Sega in April 2009[4] though maintaining good relations with his former employers.

Suzuki formed his own development company, Ys Net in 2008, but aside from the occasional interview, was relatively silent over the coming decade. He returned to the limelight again at Sony's E3 2015 press conference, announcing Shenmue III, which would be carried through from Kickstarter to release in 2019.

Interests

Yu Suzuki enjoys fast cars and motorcycles, of which many, particularly Ferraris (see; OutRun and F355 Challenge), appear in his works. He is a believer of experiencing the world to better understand how to produce video games. Development of OutRun saw Suzuki lead his team across Europe for inspiration, while employees working on the likes of Virtua Racing, Daytona USA and Scud Race have been advised by Suzuki to go out and drive real vehicles in order to appreciate how they feel. Meanwhile the likes of Virtua Fighter and Shenmue were inspired by real fighting styles and trips across Asia.

He prefers to work with different genres and concepts for every project, rather than be stuck refining the same ideas[6]. He also does not believe in extensive planning during video game production, allowing them to evolve naturally to suit the skills of his staff. Space Harrier is an example of this, evolving from real jets (Harriers) to a fantasy setting, as his artists were more suited to fantasy themes.

Suzuki famously does not play many video games, often leading to unique style of game that is rarely influenced by competitors. While he enjoys programming video games, he has claimed that he loses interest after the project is done[7], and prefers movies[7], theme parks[7] and French food[8].

Production history

Games

Videos

Music

Song credits

Main article: Yu Suzuki/Song credits.

Gallery

  • Signature

Magazine articles

Main article: Yu Suzuki/Magazine articles.

Interviews

Photographs

Main article: Photos of Yu Suzuki

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Edge, "June 1994" (UK; 1994-04-28), page 49
  2. ↑ http://sega.jp/studio/dr.html (Wayback Machine: 2004-04-16 18:16)
  3. ↑ Sega Magazine, "1997-02 (1997-02)" (JP; 1997-01-13), page 16
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 File:IR EN 2009-03-31.pdf, page 2
  5. ↑ Next Generation, "May 2001" (US; 2001-04-17), page 61
  6. ↑ http://www.computerandvideogames.com/279529/yu-suzuki-the-difference-between-miyamoto-and-i-is/
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Next Generation, "November 1995" (US; 1995-10-24), page 10
  8. ↑ Edge, "June 1994" (UK; 1994-04-28), page 50
  9. ↑ File:Rent A Hero MD credits.pdf
  10. ↑ File:VirtuaF1 Saturn JP SSOpening.pdf
  11. ↑ File:Daytonausa sat us manual.pdf, page 18
  12. ↑ File:VirtuaFR Saturn JP SSEnding.pdf
  13. ↑ File:Vfremix sat us manual.pdf, page 26
  14. ↑ File:Virtua Fighter 32X credits.pdf
  15. ↑ File:VirtuaC1 Saturn JP SSEnding.pdf
  16. ↑ File:VirtuaF2 Saturn JP SSEnding.pdf
  17. ↑ File:VFCGP05_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  18. ↑ File:VFCGP06_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  19. ↑ File:VFCGP07_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  20. ↑ File:VFCGP08_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  21. ↑ File:VFCGP09_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  22. ↑ File:VFCGP10_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  23. ↑ File:VirtuaFK_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  24. ↑ File:FightingV Saturn JP SSEnding.pdf
  25. ↑ File:VirtuaC2 Saturn JP SSOpening.pdf
  26. ↑ File:FightersM Saturn JP SSEnding.pdf
  27. ↑ File:VirtuaFighter4_PS2_JP_SSCredits.pdf
  28. ↑ File:F355Challenge_PS2_JP_SSCredits.pdf
  29. ↑ File:VirtuaFighter4Evolution_PS2_JP_SSCredits.pdf
  30. ↑ File:VF2DancingShadows CD JP Booklet.pdf, page 15
  31. ↑ File:ShenmueOrchestraVersion CD JP Booklet.pdf, page 7
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 File:ShenmueOST CD JP Booklet.pdf, page 15
  33. ↑ File:SpaceHarrier VinylUK le back.jpg
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