Difference between revisions of "Juro Watari"
From Sega Retro
(wrote intro and added Career) |
m (→AM3/Hitmaker) |
||
Line 38: | Line 38: | ||
Following the release of [[AM2]]'s ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' in 1993, the idea for AM3 to create its own 3D fighting game came up, with Watari tackling the project starting in March 1994{{magref|ssmjp|1995-12|177}}{{magref|dmjp|1998-06|120}}. This resulted in ''[[Cyber Troopers Virtual-On]]'', a game with robot characters loosely inspired by robot anime Watari had grown up with such as ''Choudenji Robo Combattler V'', ''Magne Robo Gakeen'', ''Blocker Gundan 4 Machine Blaster''{{magref|dmjp|1998-06|117}}. It was also loosely inspired by his then obsession with basketball game ''NBA Jam'', but reducing the action from 5 on 5 to 1 on 1{{magref|dmjp|1998-06|120}}. ''Virtual-On'' was a big success in Japan, and led to Watari becoming a well-known figure in the video game scene. Under the name Dr. Watari, he wrote many articles for [[Sega Saturn Magazine (Japan)|Sega Saturn Magazine]] detailing how to get better at the game. | Following the release of [[AM2]]'s ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' in 1993, the idea for AM3 to create its own 3D fighting game came up, with Watari tackling the project starting in March 1994{{magref|ssmjp|1995-12|177}}{{magref|dmjp|1998-06|120}}. This resulted in ''[[Cyber Troopers Virtual-On]]'', a game with robot characters loosely inspired by robot anime Watari had grown up with such as ''Choudenji Robo Combattler V'', ''Magne Robo Gakeen'', ''Blocker Gundan 4 Machine Blaster''{{magref|dmjp|1998-06|117}}. It was also loosely inspired by his then obsession with basketball game ''NBA Jam'', but reducing the action from 5 on 5 to 1 on 1{{magref|dmjp|1998-06|120}}. ''Virtual-On'' was a big success in Japan, and led to Watari becoming a well-known figure in the video game scene. Under the name Dr. Watari, he wrote many articles for [[Sega Saturn Magazine (Japan)|Sega Saturn Magazine]] detailing how to get better at the game. | ||
− | In 1997, Watari was promoted to producer, and produced not only the [[Dennou Senki Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram M.S.B.S. Ver. 5.2|next Virtual-On entry]], but also ''[[L.A. Machineguns]]''{{magref|dmjp|1998-06|118}}, ''[[Touch de Uno!]]''{{ref|https://twitter.com/WATRIX_2021/status/578226538111328256}} and ''[[Virtua Athlete 2K]]''. Watari's is only known to have | + | In 1997, Watari was promoted to producer, and produced not only the [[Dennou Senki Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram M.S.B.S. Ver. 5.2|next Virtual-On entry]], but also ''[[L.A. Machineguns]]''{{magref|dmjp|1998-06|118}}, ''[[Touch de Uno!]]''{{ref|https://twitter.com/WATRIX_2021/status/578226538111328256}} and ''[[Virtua Athlete 2K]]''. Watari's is only known to have produced further ''Virtual-On'' games after AM3 became [[Hitmaker]], suggesting that his role may have changed. He also supervised ''Virtual-On'' developed by other companies for ''[[Dai 3 Ji Super Robot Taisen Alpha: Shuuen no Ginga e]]'' and ''[[Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 31: Cyber Troopers Virtual-On]]''. |
===After AM3=== | ===After AM3=== |
Revision as of 08:37, 17 April 2024
![]() |
Juro Watari |
---|
Place of birth: Suginami, Tokyo, Japan[1] |
Date of birth: 1964-12-11[1] (age 59) |
Employment history: Sega Enterprises (1991-04[2] – )
Divisions:
Divisions:
Divisions:
|
Role(s): Director, producer |
Twitter: @WATRIX_2021 |
This teeny-tiny article needs some work. You can help us by expanding it.
Juro Watari (亙 重郎), also known as Dr. Watari, is a Japanese video game director and producer. He is best-known for the Cyber Troopers Virtual-On franchise and 7th Dragon III Code: VFD.
Contents
Career
AM3/Hitmaker
After graduating university in 1991, Juro Watari joined Sega Enterprises and was assigned to AM R&D Dept. 3 as a game designer/director. He spent 3 months developing a pitch for a vertical shooter, but was shut down at every opportunity[5]. Around October, AM3 manager Hisao Oguchi offered Watari a role directing a game based on the Wally wo Sagase! picture book series[5].
Wally wo Sagase! was followed by Jurassic Park, which Watari co-directed with newcomer Kenji Kanno, followed shortly thereafter by some game design contributions to Hard Dunk. However, these titles are not typically represented in Watari's work histories[6].
Following the release of AM2's Virtua Fighter in 1993, the idea for AM3 to create its own 3D fighting game came up, with Watari tackling the project starting in March 1994[7][5]. This resulted in Cyber Troopers Virtual-On, a game with robot characters loosely inspired by robot anime Watari had grown up with such as Choudenji Robo Combattler V, Magne Robo Gakeen, Blocker Gundan 4 Machine Blaster[8]. It was also loosely inspired by his then obsession with basketball game NBA Jam, but reducing the action from 5 on 5 to 1 on 1[5]. Virtual-On was a big success in Japan, and led to Watari becoming a well-known figure in the video game scene. Under the name Dr. Watari, he wrote many articles for Sega Saturn Magazine detailing how to get better at the game.
In 1997, Watari was promoted to producer, and produced not only the next Virtual-On entry, but also L.A. Machineguns[6], Touch de Uno![9] and Virtua Athlete 2K. Watari's is only known to have produced further Virtual-On games after AM3 became Hitmaker, suggesting that his role may have changed. He also supervised Virtual-On developed by other companies for Dai 3 Ji Super Robot Taisen Alpha: Shuuen no Ginga e and Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 31: Cyber Troopers Virtual-On.
After AM3
In 2008, AM3 was dissolved and Watari was moved to AM2[10], where he helped with several home console ports of the Virtual-On series. A few years later he and several other creators associated with the Virtual-On series moved to CS3, where Watari produced Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax, 7th Dragon III Code: VFD and Dennou Senki Virtual-On x Toaru Majutsu no Index: Toaru Majutsu no Virtual-On.
Watari resigned from Sega in February 2021[3][4], 4 months before the release of his last game produced for the company, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown[11].
Production history
Games
- Wally o Sagase! (System 18; 1992) — Director[12] (as J.Watari)
- Jurassic Park (System 32; 1994) — directors
- Hard Dunk (System 32; 1994) — Game Design (as 亙 重郎)
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On (Model 2; 1996) — Game Design
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On (Model 2; 1996) — Directors
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On (Saturn; 1996) — Supervisor[13]
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On (Windows PC; 1997) — Supervisor
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram M.S.B.S. Ver. 5.2 (Model 3; 1998) — Producer
- L.A. Machineguns (Model 3; 1998) — producer
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Oratorio Tangram M.S.B.S. Ver. 5.4 (Model 3; 1999) — Producer
- Touch de Uno! (NAOMI; 1999) — Producer
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Oratorio Tangram M.S.B.S. Ver. 5.4 (Dreamcast; 1999) — Producer
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Oratorio Tangram M.S.B.S. Ver. 5.66 (NAOMI; 2000) — Producer
- Virtua Athlete 2K (Dreamcast; 2000) — Producer
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On: Force (Hikaru; 2001) — Producer
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On: Force (Hikaru; 2001) — Director
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Marz (PlayStation 2; 2003) — Chief Director
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Marz (PlayStation 2; 2003) — Script Design
- Dai 3 Ji Super Robot Taisen Alpha: Shuuen no Ginga e (PlayStation 2; 2005) — 電脳戦記バーチャロン 監修・台本作成[14] (as 亙 重郎)
- Dai 3 Ji Super Robot Taisen Alpha: Shuuen no Ginga e (PlayStation 2; 2005) — 製作協力[14] (as 亙 重郎)
- Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 31: Cyber Troopers Virtual-On (PlayStation 2; 2007) — Supervisor
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Oratorio Tangram M.S.B.S. Ver. 5.66 (Xbox 360; 2009) — Producer
- Gunblade NY & LA Machineguns (Wii; 2010) — Producer
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On: Force (Xbox 360; 2010) — Producer
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On: Force (Xbox 360; 2010) — Director
- Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax (PlayStation 3; 2014) — プロデューサー (as 亙 重郎)
- 7th Dragon III Code: VFD (Nintendo 3DS; 2015) — Producer
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On x Toaru Majutsu no Index: Toaru Majutsu no Virtual-On (PlayStation Vita; 2017) — PRODUCER
- Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown (PlayStation 4; 2021) — Producer
Music
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On Force Official Sound Data Ver 7.5 (CD; 2001) — Game Producer
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On Original Sound Track (CD; 2007) — Comment[15]
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On Original Sound Track (CD; 2007) — Special Thanks[15]
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram M.S.B.S. Ver. 5.2 (1998) — Producer
- Virtua Athlete (2000) — Producer
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On: Force (2010) — Special Thanks
- Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Extend (2011) — Special Thanks(SEGA)
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On (2013) (PSN & XBLA Versions) — Special Thanks
- Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax Ignition (2015) — Producer
Magazine articles
- Main article: Juro Watari/Magazine articles.
Photographs
- Main article: Photos of Juro Watari
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dreamcast Magazine, "1998-06 (1998-12-25)" (JP; 1998-12-11), page 116
- ↑ Dreamcast Magazine, "1998-06 (1998-12-25)" (JP; 1998-12-11), page 119
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.destructoid.com/virtual-on-creator-juro-watari-leaving-sega-after-25-years/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-07-14 09:57)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://note.com/beep21/n/na7a02594e634
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Dreamcast Magazine, "1998-06 (1998-12-25)" (JP; 1998-12-11), page 120
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Dreamcast Magazine, "1998-06 (1998-12-25)" (JP; 1998-12-11), page 118
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "December 1995" (JP; 1995-11-08), page 177
- ↑ Dreamcast Magazine, "1998-06 (1998-12-25)" (JP; 1998-12-11), page 117
- ↑ @WATRIX_2021 on Twitter
- ↑ @WATRIX_2021 on Twitter (Ghostarchive)
- ↑ @WATRIX_2021 on Twitter (Ghostarchive)
- ↑ File:WallyoSagase credits.pdf
- ↑ File:Cyber Troopers Virtual On Saturn credits.pdf
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 File:D3SRWAlpha_PS2_JP_SSEnding.pdf
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 File:DSVOOST CD JP Booklet.pdf, page 7
- Sega Enterprises, Ltd. employees
- Sega AM3 staff members
- Sega Software R&D Dept. 3 staff members
- Hitmaker employees
- Sega Corporation (2000-2015) employees
- Sega AM3 (2005-2008) staff members
- Sega AM2 (2004-2011) staff members
- Sega CS3 (2008-2015) staff members
- Sega Games employees
- Sega Games CS Studio 3 staff members
- Sega Corporation (2020) employees
- Directors
- Producers
- All people
- Sub-stubs