Takashi Iizuka

From Sega Retro

TakashiIizuka.png
Takashi Iizuka
Place of birth: Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan
Date of birth: 1970-03-16 (age 54)
Employment history:
Sega Enterprises (1992[1] – 1993)
Divisions:
Sega of America (1993 – 1994)
Divisions:
Sega Enterprises (1994 – )
Divisions:
Sega of America (2004 – 2008)
Divisions:
Sega (2008 – 2015)
Divisions:
Sega Games[6][7][8] (2015 – 2020)
Sega of America (2020 – )
Divisions:
Role(s): Designer, Director, Producer
Education: Tokyo Denki University (1988-1992)

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Takashi Iizuka (飯塚 隆) is a Japanese video game developer and Sonic Team and Sonic Studio designer, director, and producer, known as one of the key heads of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise's modern incarnation.

Career

Takashi Iizuka is a key producer, director and designer within Sonic Team. Joining Sega in 1992 as a planner, he worked directly under Hirokazu Yasuhara as a senior game designer on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, and quickly progressed to be the main design of NiGHTS into Dreams and supervise development of Sonic R. In 1998, he is credited as the driving force behind Sonic Adventure, the franchise's third adventure in the third dimension, as it had been his idea to create a role-playing game featuring Sonic.

After the success of Sonic Adventure, Iizuka headed to America, where he and a few other members of Sonic Team began work on such games as Sonic Adventure 2 and NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. Iizuka continued as head of this department, known as Sega Studios USA, until 2008, when it was disbanded, and team members, including Iizuka were absorbed back into the Japanese division. After Akinori Nishiyama's departure from the head of Sonic Team chair, Sega would eventually settle with Iizuka as a main producer on the Sonic series, starting with Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I & Sonic Colors. Thus, he became the Sonic Series Producer/head of Sonic Team.

On April 1, 2023, Iizuka became the newly elected executive officer/Sonic Creative Officer at Sega of America.[11]

Production history

Games

Videos

Music

Books

Hardware

Interviews

Some or all of the following content should be mirrored on Sega Retro (or Retro CDN).

Photographs

Main article: Photos of Takashi Iizuka

References

  1. http://sega.jp/segavoice/vol21/ (Wayback Machine: 2008-04-01 08:56)
  2. https://blog.playstation.com/archive/2018/05/04/veteran-sega-developers-reveal-their-favourite-mega-drive-classics/
  3. Dorimaga, "2001-03 (2001-06-22)" (JP; 2001-06-08), page 37
  4. https://browniehideout.wordpress.com/2023/07/28/naka-yuuji-is-also-present-interview-with-sonic-heroes-director-iizuka-takashi/
  5. https://www.4gamer.net/games/131/G013139/20111227008/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-10-21 18:00)
  6. http://shg.sega.jp/news1510.html (Wayback Machine: 2015-11-08 00:27)
  7. https://app.famitsu.com/20171010_1150637/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-04-19 20:47)
  8. https://www.4gamer.net/games/421/G042175/20190415016/ (Wayback Machine: 2019-05-17 01:38)
  9. https://tailschannel.com/sonic-the-hedgehog/sega-hopes-to-meet-fans-desires-for-sonics-30th-anniversary/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-06-09 17:45)
  10. https://note.com/beep21/n/n6c043a1e1d10
  11. https://www.segasammy.co.jp/english/pdf/release/20230228_jinji_e_final.pdf (Wayback Machine: 2023-03-08 13:46)
  12. File:Golden Axe III MD credits.pdf
  13. File:Sonic & Knuckles MD credits.pdf
  14. File:NiGHTS into Dreams Saturn credits.pdf
  15. File:Sonic 3D Blast MD credits.pdf
  16. File:Sonic Jam Saturn credits.pdf
  17. File:Sonic R Saturn credits.pdf
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 File:Sonic 3D Blast Saturn credits.pdf
  19. File:ChuChu Rocket! GBA credits.pdf
  20. File:Sonic Advance GBA credits.pdf
  21. File:SonicMegaCollection GC US Credits.pdf
  22. 22.0 22.1 File:SonicRivals2 PSP US manual.pdf, page 23
  23. File:CutsUnleashed CD JP front.pdf, page 3
  24. File:MDSA2OST poster1.pdf, page 1
  25. File:SA2OST CD US booklet.pdf, page 10
  26. File:TripleThreat CD JP booklet.pdf, page 2
  27. File:CompleteTrinity CD JP booklet.pdf, page 8
  28. File:LostandFound CD JP booklet.pdf, page 6
  29. File:TrueBlue CD JP booklet.pdf, page 5
  30. File:FacetoFaith CD JP booklet.pdf, page 11
  31. File:TalesofKnighthood CD JP booklet.pdf, page 10
  32. File:TrueColorsTray.jpg
  33. File:VividSound CD JP booklet.pdf, page 18
  34. File:SonicCD OST Tray.jpg
  35. File:Live! CD JP booklet.pdf, page 15
  36. File:SLWOSTWB CD JP booklet.pdf, page 22
  37. File:SonicAdventureMusicExperience CD JP Box Tokyo.jpg
  38. File:SMPOST CD JP booklet.pdf, page 3
  39. File:MaximumOverdrive CD JP inlay front.jpg