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 the first arcade racing game to feature a fully interactive cabinet, with the player sitting on and controlling a replica motorcycle, an early form of motion control.
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| birthplace=Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan
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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 the mid-80s, he introduced Sega's "[[Super Scaler]]" arcade technology, which used [[sprite]] scaling and rotation to produce early textured three-dimensional graphics, with games like ''Hang-On'', ''[[OutRun]]'', ''[[Space Harrier]]'', ''[[After Burner]]'' and ''[[Power Drift]]''. He was the first to develop a title using the cutting-edge [[Sega Model 1]] arcade board, which he helped develop. 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. Other contributions during this time range from analog fight-stick controls (''Space Harrier'') to new genres such as street racing (''OutRun'') and kart racing (''Power Drift'').
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Suzuki's next Model 1 masterpiece was the acclaimed ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' in 1993. 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. ''Virtua Racing'' and ''Virtua Fighter'' are credited for popularizing 3D polygon graphics, with their dynamic camera systems, polygonal human characters and physics engines. He continued to advance polygonal 3D graphics and gameplay, developing the [[Sega Model 2]] hardware which introduced mass-produced texture-mapping with filtering, directing ''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'' which introduced texture-mapped characters and motion-capture animation, and producing titles such as ''[[Daytona USA]]'' and ''[[Virtua Cop]]'', the first 3D light-gun shooter.
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{{Employment
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| company=[[Sega Enterprises, Ltd.|Sega Enterprises]]
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In 1999, Yu Suzuki released ''[[Shenmue]]'', the first major original title he directed for a home console. Five years in the making, ''Shenmue'' on the [[Dreamcast]] was a major step forward for 3D open world gameplay. It featured a sweeping story, multiple gameplay elements, open-world 3D environments, quick-time events, hundreds of voiced characters with their own daily routines, a real-time weather system, and an unprecedented level of detail. ''Shenmue'' marked the start of a new genre, dubbed by Suzuki as FREE, or Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment. The story, graphics, environment, and the innovative system, exceeded those of many previous games.  ''Shenmue'' was the most expensive game to be developed, with the whole project costing 47-70 million USD (until it was surpassed by ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', which cost roughly 100 Million USD). The same year, he also created the racing simulation ''[[F355 Challenge]]''. During the early-mid-2000s, he developed 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''.
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| start=1983-04{{magref|edge|9|49}}
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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. In 2014, ''[[wikipedia:The List (magazine)|The List]]'' named him as one of the [https://www.list.co.uk/article/66236-a-guide-to-the-top-ten-game-designers/ top ten game designers] of all time, for "striving towards realistic 3D gaming".
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{{Employment
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==Overview==
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| company=[[Sega-AM2 (company)|Sega-AM2]]
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Cited as one of the most influential game designers, he is often considered Sega's answer to Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto. Suzuki led the development for a number of important games at Sega AM2, revolutionizing the video game industry in several ways. 1UP summarized his three most influential achievements as: firstly, starting the trend of "Taikan" games (motion-controlled arcade cabinet games) in the mid-1980s; secondly, the game industry's shift from 2D to 3D during the 1980s to 1990s; and thirdly, ''Shenmue''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s influence on modern games in the 2000s. {{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20140609054957/www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1}}
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}}
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{{Employment
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Regarding his game design philosophy, Suzuki stated that the "difference between Miyamoto-san and I is that he takes the same game and takes it deeper and deeper, like with the Mario series," while "I like to work on different games and concepts. I don't like doing the same thing. The same goes for the hardware. I like to change the hardware I work with.{{ref|http://www.computerandvideogames.com/279529/yu-suzuki-the-difference-between-miyamoto-and-i-is/}} Suzuki mostly programmed his games in more difficult assembly language, as opposed to the less difficult C language. According to Suzuki, "C was really slow back then. The fastest program that I used was 200 times faster than C." {{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20131113174154/www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1}}
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| company=[[DigitalRex]]
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| start=2003
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| end=2004
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}}
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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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}}
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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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===1980s===
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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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Suzuki joined [[Sega|Sega Enterprises]] in 1983 as a programmer. In his first year, he created a 2D boxing [[arcade]] game called ''[[Champion Boxing]]'', which he designed and coded <small>(''Retro Gamer'', {{num|145|page=22}})</small>. It was later ported to Sega's first home game console, the [[SG-1000]], and then ported to the arcades in 1984. He helped develop it along with [[Rieko Kodama]].
 
  
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Under the mantle of Sega's development studio AM2, Suzuki began working on an original 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 1985. Suzuki's intention behind the game's motion controls was to make arcade games more accessible to casual users. This new emphasis on a motion-controlled experience revitalized the arcade game industry in the late 1980s, and would be what kept it alive decades later with dancing games like [[Konami]]'s ''Bemani'' franchise. In turn, this laid the foundations for console gaming's much later motion control boom, led by Nintendo's Wii and then Microsoft's Xbox Kinect.
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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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Suzuki had been interested in 3D technology since his days in college. Running on the [[Sega Hang-On hardware]], ''Hang-On'' was the first game to use Sega's "[[Super Scaler]]" [[List of Sega arcade systems|arcade system boards]]. The three-dimensional [[sprite]]/[[wikipedia:Tile engine|tile]] scaling was handled in a similar manner to textures in later [[wikipedia:Texture mapping|texture-mapped]] 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 2D. So I was always thinking in 3D."{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20131113174154/www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1}} His 16-bit, three-dimensional, "Super Scaler" sprite-scaling graphics engine became the basis for the pseudo-3D sprite-scaling methods later developed for home systems, including the Neo Geo's sprite-scaling techniques, the SNES console's Mode 7, and the ray casting method used by various computer FPS games like ''[[wikipedia:Wolfenstein 3D|Wolfenstein 3D]]'' and ''[[Doom]]''. ''Hang-On''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s chiptune music was also notable for introducing digitized drum sounds.
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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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Suzuki and AM2 soon followed with the three-dimensional third-person shooter ''[[Space Harrier]]'' later that year, running on the [[Sega Hang-On hardware|Sega Space Harrier]] hardware. The game introduced a true analog 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 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 a basic homing missile gameplay mechanic, and a full-motion cockpit cabinet <small>(''Retro Gamer'', {{num|145|page=22}})</small>; its cockpit-shaped arcade cabinet moved in the direction the player moved the joystick. The game's 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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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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Showing his interest in Ferraris, Suzuki created the driving simulator ''[[Out Run]]'', which was released in 1986. It introduced third-person road gradients, adding more depth to racing gameplay. Suzuki's later hits included the jet fighting ''[[After Burner]]'' series in the late 1980s. ''After Burner'' (1987) was a rail shooter that featured a lock-on system, which was adopted by later rail shooters such as Sega's ''[[Panzer Dragoon (series)|Panzer Dragoon]]'' and ''[[Rez]]'' <small>(''Retro Gamer'', {{num|145|page=28}})</small>. It also introduced moving cockpit cabinets with true analog flight-stick controls (moving in all directions and measuring the degree of push, a precursor to the analog thumbsticks of the N64 and later consoles). ''After Burner'', with its [[Sega X Board]] hardware, also introduced the sprite-rotation graphical technique. The space flight sim ''[[Galaxy Force]]'' (1988) later introduced a 335-degree rotating cockpit cabinet. He followed up with the roller-coaster-like, drift-based, [kart racer, ''[[Power Drift]]'', in 1988. It improving on the "Super Scaler" technology and road scaling & [[wikipedia:Scrolling|scrolling]] effects of ''Hang-On'' and ''Out Run'', and also created the kart racer genre, setting the template for later popular kart racers like ''Mario Kart''.
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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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===1990s===
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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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In 1990, Suzuki brought out a spiritual sequel to ''After Burner'' called ''[[G-LOC: Air Battle|G-LOC]]'', which featured advanced sprite/texture scaling & rotation, anticipating the look of early 3D texture-mapping.
 
  
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While ''Space Harrier'' and ''Out Run'' had three-dimensional graphics, using sprites as if they were textures, they could not fully utilize the capabilities of 3D. In the early 1990s, he helped popularize 3D polygon graphics with the ''Virtua'' games, which began on the Sega Model series of arcade systems. Suzuki and AM2 were involved with the development of the [[Sega Model 1]] arcade system. When they began developing the Model 1 development board, a piece of hardware capable of generating 3D polygon graphics, they began developing games for it. It debuted with the 3D Formula 1 racer ''[[Virtua Racing]]'', which Suzuki began developing in 1991. In 1992, Sega released ''Virtua Racing''. It introduced a dynamic 3D camera system, which can be changed between multiple angles/perspectives, and can pan and rotate around the environment during replays. It was also the first game to render humans (NPCs such as the driving teams and spectators) with polygons in a fully 3D environment. It popularized polygonal 3D gaming, and set the template for 3D arcade racers.
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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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In 1993, Suzuki created ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'', the first 3D fighting game. It introduced relatively detailed, recognizably human, 3D player characters, and a gameplay format that would become the template for 3D fighting games, in much the same way ''[[Street Fighter II]]'' was for 2D fighters. ''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}} ''Virtua Fighter'' was a breakthrough for 3D gaming, as the first game to implement 3D polygonal human characters in a useful way, with recognizable graphical details (such as the eyes, ears, nose and fingers), and with animations and reactions based on an early physics engine.
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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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Yu Suzuki continued making significant advances in 3D gaming. He led the development of the [[Sega Model 2]] arcade hardware. In 1993, he debuted the Sega Model 2 with ''Daytona USA'', which featured the use of texture mapping and introduced 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 introduced filtered, texture-mapped characters, and motion capature animation technology. 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, making mass-produced texture-mapping possible for the game industry. ''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 produced ''[[Virtua Cop]]'', which revolutionized the light-gun shooter genre with a new 3D first-person rail shooter format, including new mechanics like positional body targeting and headshots, revitalizing the genre in the arcades. It also 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 ''[[wikipedia:Time Crisis|Time Crisis]]'' and ''[[The House of the Dead]]'' as well as 3D first-person shooters such as ''[[wikipedia:GoldenEye 007|GoldenEye 007]]'',{{ref|http://www.zoonami.com/briefing/2004-09-02.php}} which in turn laid the foundations for console FPS games.
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==Production history==
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{{ProductionHistory|Yu Suzuki|Yu|鈴木 裕|Yu.}}
  
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Suzuki continued making advances in 3D gaming with more arcade hits. The Model 2 fighting game ''[[Fighting Vipers]]'' (1995) introduced destructible environments and destructible clothing. Suzuki also oversaw most of the home console conversions of AM2's arcade games during this time. He was then involved with the development of the [[Sega Model 3]] arcade hardware. The fighting sequel ''[[Virtua Fighter 3]]'' (1996) featured a groundbreaking graphics engine, which introduced advances like specular shading, T&L lighting, cloth physics, particle effects, inverse kinematics, facial animation, eye movement, and multi-sample anti-aliasing.
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[[Category:Uncredited role]]
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[[Category:Use ProductionHistory template]]
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{{multicol|
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* ''[[Champion Pro Wrestling]]'' (1985) — Director, Producer
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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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* ''[[GP Rider]]'' (Arcade Version) (1990) — Producer
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* ''[[Strike Fighter]]'' (''[[After Burner III]]'') (Arcade Version) (1991) — Designer, Producer
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* ''[[F1 Exhaust Note]]'' (1991) — Producer
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* ''[[Soreike Kokology]]'' (1991) — Producer
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* ''[[Virtua Formula]]'' (1993) — Producer
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* ''[[Soreike Kokology 2]]'' (1993) — Producer
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* ''[[Virtua Cop 1-2 Pack]]'' (1998) — Supervisor
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* ''[[What's Shenmue]]'' (1999) — Director
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* ''[[Yu Suzuki Game Works Vol. 1]]'' (2001) — Special Thanks
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* ''[[Pure Breed]]'' (cancelled) — Concept
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* ''[[Psy-Phi]]'' (2005) — Director
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* ''[[Shenmue Online]]'' (2007) — Director
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* ''[[Shenmue City]]'' (2010) — Director
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* ''[[Virtua Fighter Cool Champ]]'' (2011) — Director
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* ''[[Shooting Wars]]'' (2012) — Director
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* ''[[Bullet Pirates]]'' (iPhone & [[wikipedia:Android (operating system)|Android]] Versions) (2013) — Director
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* ''[[Virtua Fighter Fever Combo]]'' (iPhone & Android Versions) (2014) — Director
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* ''[[Shenmue III]]'' ([[PlayStation 4]] & PC Versions) (2017) — Director & Producer
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}}
  
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In 1995, Suzuki began work on his first major original console project, ''The Old Man and The Peach Tree'', which was intended to be the first 3D, third-person, open-world game, a role-playing game set in China, for the [[Sega Saturn]]. By 1996, this eventually project had evolved into ''Virtua Fighter RPG'', a cinematic tech demo of which was produced for the Saturn. This project then moved to the Dreamcast and eventually developed into his magnum opus, ''[[Shenmue]]''. With the game's 1998 demo, he described the game's open-world "FREE" gameplay, based on the interactivity and freedom he wanted to give to the player. Suzuki intended to achieve this by simulating aspects of real life through the game, such as the day and night system, real-time variable weather effects (unheard of at the time), fully-voiced non-player characters with their own daily schedules, quick-time events, and various other interactive elements such as vending machines, mini-games at arcades, and convenience stores. The game also revived and modernized the Quick Time Event mechanic, and coined a name for it, "QTE". The mechanic has since appeared in many later titles, including popular action games such as ''Resident Evil 4'', '''God of War'',{{ref|http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/waypoints/1310-On-Screen-Help-In-Game-Hindrance}} ''Uncharted'', ''Heavy Rain'', and ''The Last of Us''. ''Shenmue'' also influenced later ''Final Fantasy'' games.
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==Song credits==
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{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Song credits}}
  
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Suzuki's arcade game ''[[Ferrari F355 Challenge]]'' also released in 1999. Rubens Barrichello of the F1 Team Ferrari was quoted by Suzuki to "have considered to purchase one for practicing."{{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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==Gallery==
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<gallery>
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YuSuzuki signature.svg|Signature
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</gallery>
  
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===2000s===
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==Magazine articles==
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Despite earning critical acclaim, ''Shenmue'' was unable to recoup its high budget. The commercial failure of Shenmue and its even larger sequel ''[[Shenmue II]]'', led to the cancellation of ''[[Shenmue III]]'' and eventually led to Suzuki slowly fading away from the limelight of the video game industry.
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{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}}
  
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After the commercial failure of the Shenmue games, Suzuki returned to developing arcade games. He directed ''[[Virtua Fighter 4]]'', which released in 2001. In 2003, Yu Suzuki, along with Hiroshi Kataoka, produced sequels for ''[[OutRun]]'' and ''Virtua Cop'', entitled ''[[OutRun 2]]'' and ''[[Virtua Cop 3]]'', respectively. As sequels to classics, these games were well-received. He also worked on innovative projects that were eventually pulled. The Dreamcast game ''[[Propeller Arena]]'' was a multiplayer deathmatch based flight sim due for release in September 2001, but was cancelled following the 9/11 attacks. Suzuki left AM2 to form a new Studio eventually named DigitalRex in 2004.
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==Interviews==
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{{InterviewList|Yu Suzuki}}
  
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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'', which was a title in the MMO genre, along with the sports game, were cancelled during development, with ''Shenmue Online'' reportedly cancelled in 2007. ''PsyPhi'', the first touch-controlled arcade fighting game, 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}} After some location testing in 2005, Sega eventually pulled ''Psy-Phi'' from arcades and never gave it a wide release. After numerous problems in development, ''[[Shenmue Online]]'' was also quietly cancelled.{{ref|http://www.gamespot.com/articles/shenmue-online-facing-trouble/1100-6130382/}}
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==Photographs==
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:''Main article: [[:Category:Photos of {{PAGENAME}}|Photos of {{PAGENAME}}]]
  
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After four years away from AM2, Yu Suzuki released his first game an arcade racing game titled ''[[Sega Race TV]]'', which was released under the studio name AM plus. The game was given a limited release. After the release of the game, Suzuki resumed non-executive work as an adviser for AM2.
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==External links==
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*''[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]''
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*''[https://medium.com/@MoosaviAmir/a-weekend-with-yu-suzuki-6ff4d9d9edb6 A Weekend with Yu Suzuki]'' article by Amir Moosavi at ''[https://medium.com Medium]''
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*''[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]''
  
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==Production History==
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==References==
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===1980s===
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<references/>
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* ''[[Champion Boxing]]'' ([[Sega SG-1000|SG-1000]]) (1984) — Programmer, Director, Designer, Producer, Coder
 
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* ''[[Champion Pro Wrestling]]'' (SG-1000) (1985) — Director, Producer
 
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* ''[[Hang-On]]'' ([[Arcade]] Version) (1985) — Director, Designer, Producer
 
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* ''[[Space Harrier]]'' (Arcade Version) (1985) — Director, Designer, Producer, Special Thanks
 
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* ''[[Hang-On]]'' ([[Sega Master System|Master System]] Version) (1985) — Director
 
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* ''[[OutRun]]'' (Arcade Version) (1986) — Director, Designer, Producer
 
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* ''[[Super Hang-On]]'' (Arcade Version) (1986) — Producer
 
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* ''[[Enduro Racer]]'' (Arcade) (1986) — Director, Producer
 
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* ''[[Space Harrier]]'' (Master System Version) (1986) — Special Thanks (as '''Yu''')
 
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* ''[[After Burner]]'' (Arcade Version) (1987) — Director, Designer, Producer
 
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* ''[[After Burner II]]'' (Arcade Version) (1987) — Director, Designer, Producer
 
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* ''[[Power Drift]]'' (Arcade Version) (1988) — Director, Designer, Producer
 
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* ''[[Dynamite Dux]]'' (Arcade Version) (1988) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Turbo Outrun]]'' (Arcade Version) (1989) — Producer, Special Thanks  (as '''Yu''')
 
−
 
 
−
===1990s===
 
−
* ''[[G-LOC: Air Battle]]'' (Arcade Version) (1990) — Director, Designer, Producer
 
−
* ''[[GP Rider]]'' (Arcade Version) (1990) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Strike Fighter]]'' (''[[After Burner III]]'') (Arcade Version) (1991) — Designer, Producer
 
−
* ''[[Rent-A-Hero]]'' ([[Sega Mega Drive|Mega Drive]] Version) (1991) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[F1 Exhaust Note]]'' (Arcade) (1991) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Soreike Kokology]]'' (Arcade) (1991) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Sword of Vermilion]]'' (Mega Drive) (1991) — Designer, Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Racing]]'' (Arcade Version) (1992) — Director, Chief Programmer, Producer
 
−
* ''[[GP Rider]]'' ([[Sega Game Gear|Game Gear]] Version) (1993) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[F1 Super Lap]]'' (Arcade) (1993) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' (Arcade Version) (1993) — Director, Producer, Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Formula]]'' (Arcade) (1993) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Burning Rival]]'' (Arcade) (1993) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Soreike Kokology 2]]'' (Arcade) (1993) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Daytona USA]]'' (Arcade Version) (1993) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Space Harrier]]'' ([[Sega 32X]] Version) (1994) — Designer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' ([[Sega Saturn|Saturn]] Version) (1994) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop]]'' (Arcade Version) (1994) — Producer, Supervisor, Designer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'' (Arcade Version) (1994) — Director, Producer, Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Desert Tank]]'' (Arcade) (1994) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[After Burner]]'' (Sega 32X Version) (1995) — Designer
 
−
* ''[[Daytona USA]]'' (Saturn Version) (1995) — Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop]]'' (Saturn Version) (1995) — Supervisor, Creator
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' (32X Version) (1995) — Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter Remix]]'' (Arcade & Saturn Versions) (1995) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'' (Saturn Version) (1995) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Striker]]'' (Arcade) (1995) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop 2]]'' (Arcade Version) (1995) — Producer, Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Fighting Vipers]]'' (Arcade Version) (1995) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 2 (Mega Drive)|Virtua Fighter 2]]'' (Mega Drive Version) (1996) — Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop 2]]'' (Saturn Version) (1996) — Producer, Supervisor, Creator
 
−
* ''[[Fighting Vipers]]'' (Saturn Version) (1996) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Sonic the Fighters]]'' (Arcade) (1996) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 3]]'' (Arcade) (1996) — Director, Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter Kids]]'' (Arcade Version) (1996) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter Kids]]'' (Saturn Version) (1996) — Creator, Producer, Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Fighters Megamix]]'' (Saturn) (1996) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Scud Race]]'' (Arcade) (1996) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop]]'' (PC Version) (1997) — Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'' (PC Version) (1997) — Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 3: Team Battle]]'' (Arcade Version) (1997) — Director, Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Striker 2]]'' (Arcade) (1997) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Digital Dance Mix Vol.1 Namie Amuro]]'' (Saturn) (1997) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Zen Nihon Pro Wres Featuring Virtua]]'' (Saturn) (1997) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop 2]]'' (PC Version) (1997) — Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop 1-2 Pack]]'' (Saturn) (1998) — Creator
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 3: Team Battle]]'' ([[Dreamcast]] Version) (1998) — Director, Producer, Creator
 
−
* ''[[Fighting Vipers 2]]'' (Arcade Version) (1998) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Striker 2 Version '98]]'' (Arcade) (1998) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Daytona USA 2]]'' (Arcade) (1998) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Daytona USA 2: Power Edition]]'' (Arcade) (1998) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Ferrari F355 Challenge]]'' (Arcade Version) (1999) — Director, Producer
 
−
* ''[[D-2]]'' (Dreamcast) (1999) — Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[What's Shenmue]]'' (Dreamcast) (1999) — Director, Producer
 
−
* ''[[Shenmue]]'' (Dreamcast) (1999) — Story, Director, Writer, Producer, Executive Producer (Sega Enterprises Ltd.) (Shenmue (Orchestra Version) OST)
 
−
* ''[[Outtrigger]]'' (Arcade Version) (1999) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Eighteen Wheeler: American Pro Trucker]]'' (Arcade Version) (1999) — Producer
 
−
 
 
−
===2000s===
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop 2]]'' (Dreamcast Version) (2000) — Producer, Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Ferrari F355 Challenge]]'' (Dreamcast Version) (2000) — Director, Producer
 
−
* ''[[Eighteen Wheeler: American Pro Trucker]]'' (Dreamcast Version) (2000) — Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Yu Suzuki Game Works Vol. 1]]'' (Dreamcast) (2001) — Designer, Director, Producer
 
−
* ''[[Fighting Vipers 2]]'' (Dreamcast Version) (2001) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[F355 Challenge 2]]'' (Arcade) (2001) — Director
 
−
* ''[[Shenmue II]]'' (Dreamcast Version) (2001) — Story, Director, Writer, Producer
 
−
* ''[[Propeller Arena: Aviation Battle Championship]]'' (Dreamcast) (2001; unreleased) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 4]]'' (Arcade Version) (2001) — Director, Producer, Executive Producer, Executive Director
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 4]]'' ([[PlayStation 2|PS2]] Version) (2002) — Director, Executive Director, Producer
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution]]'' (Arcade Version) (2002) — Producer, Director, Executive Director
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop: Elite Edition]]'' (PS2) (2002) — Producer, Creator, Designer, Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Ferrari F355 Challenge]]'' (PS2 Version) (2002) — Producer
 
−
* ''[[Shenmue II]]'' (Xbox Version) (2002) — Executive Producer (Xbox Version), Director (Tie‑up With), Producer (Tie‑up With)
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution]]'' (PS2 Version) (2003) — Executive Director
 
−
* ''[[Devastation]]'' (PC) (2003) — Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Cop 3]]'' (Arcade) (2003) — Executive Producer, Executive Director
 
−
* ''[[OutRun 2]]'' (Arcade Version) (2003) — Producer, Executive Producer
 
−
* ''[[Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 4: Space Harrier]]'' (PS2) (2003) — Executive Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 8: Virtua Racing FlatOut|Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 8: Virtua Racing -FlatOut-]]'' (PS2) (2004) — Executive Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 10: After Burner II]]'' (PS2) (2004) — Executive Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 13: OutRun]]'' (PS2) (2004) — Executive Supervisor
 
−
* ''[[Pure Breed]]'' (cancelled) — Concept
 
−
* ''[[Psy-Phi]]'' (Arcade) (2005) — Director, Producer, Concept
 
−
* ''[[Shenmue Online]]'' (PC) (2007) — Director, Producer
 
−
* ''[[Sega Race TV]]'' (Arcade) (2008) — Director, Producer, Executive Producer
 
−
 
 
−
===2010s===
 
−
* ''[[Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing]]'' (PS3/360/Wii/DS/PC/iOS/Arcade) (2010) — Creative Officer (Sega Japan), Special Thanks
 
−
* ''[[Shenmue City]]'' ([[wikipedia:Mobage|Mobage]]) (2010) — Director
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter: Cool Champ]]'' ([[wikipedia:iPhone|iPhone]]) (2011) — Director
 
−
* ''[[Shooting Wars]]'' (iPhone) (2012) — Director
 
−
* ''[[Bullet Pirates]]'' (iPhone & [[wikipedia:Android (operating system)|Android]] Versions) (2013) — Director
 
−
* ''[[Virtua Fighter: Fever Combo]]'' (iPhone & Android Versions) (2014) — Director
 
−
* ''[[Shenmue III]]'' ([[wikipedia:PlayStation 4|PS4]] & PC Versions) (2017) — Director & Producer
 
  
−
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suzuki, Yu}}
+
[[Category:Lead Programmers]]
−
[[Category:Sega AM2 Developers]]
 
−
[[Category: Producers]]
 
−
{{SegaJPExecs}}
 

Latest revision as of 15:29, 17 December 2023

YuSuzuki 2.png
Yu Suzuki
Place of birth: Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan
Date of birth: 1958-06-10[1][2] (age 66)
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:VFCGP06_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  18. ↑ File:VFCGP05_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  19. ↑ File:Virtua Fighter CG Portrait Series The Final Dural Saturn credits.pdf
  20. ↑ File:VFCGP07_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  21. ↑ File:VFCGP08_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf
  22. ↑ File:VFCGP09_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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