Difference between revisions of "Yutaka Sugano"

From Sega Retro

 
(21 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Yutaka Sugano''' (菅野 豊) joined [[Sega]] in 1986, where he designed and directed arcade titles such as ''[[Shinobi]]'' and ''[[Crack Down]]''.  Following this he was reassigned to [[Sega of America]], where he participated in the production of ''[[Sonic 2]]'' and ''[[Sonic Spinball]]'', later returning to Japan to work on [[Saturn]] titles that were developed overseas.
+
{{PersonBob
 +
| image=Yutaka-sugano.jpg
 +
| birthplace=
 +
| dob=
 +
| dod=
 +
| employment={{Employment
 +
| company=[[Sega Enterprises, Ltd.|Sega Enterprises]]
 +
| start=1986-04{{ref|https://archive.ph/FNO9l}}
 +
| end=1989{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20231114145923/https://www.memoriabit.com.br/exclusivo-entrevista-yutaka-sugano-produtor-de-shinobi/}}
 +
| divisions-[[Sega R&D 1]]
 +
}}
 +
{{Employment
 +
| company=[[Sega of America]]
 +
| start=1989{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20231114145923/https://www.memoriabit.com.br/exclusivo-entrevista-yutaka-sugano-produtor-de-shinobi/}}
 +
| end=1994{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20231114145923/https://www.memoriabit.com.br/exclusivo-entrevista-yutaka-sugano-produtor-de-shinobi/}}
 +
| divisions=[[Sega Technical Institute]]
 +
}}
 +
{{Employment
 +
| company=[[Sega Enterprises, Ltd.|Sega Enterprises]]
 +
| start=1994
 +
| end=1999-07
 +
| divisions=
 +
}}
 +
{{Employment
 +
| company=[[Artoon]]
 +
| start=1999-08{{ref|https://archive.ph/FNO9l}}
 +
| end=2009-08{{ref|https://archive.ph/FNO9l}}
 +
| notsega=yes
 +
}}
 +
{{Employment
 +
| company=[[AQ Interactive]]
 +
| start=2009-08{{ref|https://archive.ph/FNO9l}}
 +
| end=2010-05{{ref|https://archive.ph/FNO9l}}
 +
| notsega=yes
 +
}}
 +
{{Employment
 +
| company=[[Arzest]]
 +
| start=2010-07{{ref|https://archive.ph/FNO9l}}
 +
}}
 +
| role=Designer
 +
| education=
 +
}}
 +
{{sub-stub}}'''{{PAGENAME}}''' (菅野 豊) is a former game designer and producer at [[Sega]], known for designing ''[[Shinobi]]'' and ''[[Crack Down]]'', and for producing several ''[[:category:Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' games outside of Japan. He left Sega in 1999 with [[Naoto Ohshima]] and [[Yoji Ishii]] to become a part of [[Artoon]].  Following this company's disbandment in 2010, he is now the Vice President of [[Arzest]], another video game development company.
  
He left Sega in 1999 with [[Naoto Ohshima]] and [[Yoji Ishii]] to become a part of [[Artoon]]. Following this company's disbandment in 2010, he is now the Vice President of Arzest, another video game development company.
+
==Career==
 +
===Sega===
 +
{{PAGENAME}} graduated from university with a mining engineering degree, which was surprisingly useful in his video game career, as he has since compared it to the process of exploring a dungeon.{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20231114145923/https://www.memoriabit.com.br/exclusivo-entrevista-yutaka-sugano-produtor-de-shinobi/}} He submitted job applications to various companies, with [[Sega Enterprises, Ltd.|Sega Enterprises]] the only video game company, which also happened to be his first choice.{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20231114145923/https://www.memoriabit.com.br/exclusivo-entrevista-yutaka-sugano-produtor-de-shinobi/}} He was hired as a game designer in 1986, and made his debut as an assistant game designer on ''[[Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars]]''{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20231114145923/https://www.memoriabit.com.br/exclusivo-entrevista-yutaka-sugano-produtor-de-shinobi/}}.
  
==Production History==
+
His most influential came a year later: ''[[Shinobi]]'', for which he designed the gameplay mechanics, levels, bonus stages, layout of the user interface elements and the sequence of events during levels which create its difficulty scaling.{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20231114145923/https://www.memoriabit.com.br/exclusivo-entrevista-yutaka-sugano-produtor-de-shinobi/}}. Though he was not involved with further sequels, this smash hit spawned one of Sega's most prominent and most-imitated franchises.
*''[[Shinobi]]'' (System 16 version) (1986)
 
*''[[Crack Down]]'' (System 24 version) (1989)
 
* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' (Mega Drive version) (1992) — Object Placement, Special Stage Object Placement
 
* ''[[Sonic Spinball]]'' (Mega Drive version) (1993) — Producer (Management Staff)
 
* ''[[The Mansion of Hidden Souls]]'' (1994) — Producer
 
* ''[[Gale Racer]]'' (1994) — Producer
 
* ''[[Panzer Dragoon]]'' (1995) — Special Thanks
 
* ''[[Cyber Speedway]]'' (1995) — Producer (Sega Side Staff)
 
* ''[[Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island]]'' (Mega Drive version) (1996) — Senior Producer (Sega), Producer (SOJ) (Sega)
 
* ''[[Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island]]'' (Saturn and PC versions) (1996/1997) — Senior Producer (Sega Enterprises Ltd.), Producer (SOJ) (Sega)
 
* ''[[Manx TT Super Bike]]'' (PC version) (1997) — Special Thanks (Sega of Japan)
 
* ''[[Manx TT Super Bike]]'' (Saturn version) (1997) — Producer (Sega)
 
* ''[[Sky Target]]'' (Saturn version) (1997) — Senior Producer
 
* ''[[The House of the Dead]]'' (Saturn version) (1998) — Special Thanks
 
* ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'' (1998) — Software support
 
* ''Pinobee: Wings of Adventure'' (2001) — Director (Development Staff), Game Designer (Development Staff)
 
* ''Ghost Vibration'' (2002) — Development Manager (Development), Game Designer (Development)
 
* ''Blue Dragon'' (2006) — Project Manager
 
* ''Vampire Rain'' (2007) — Special Thanks
 
* ''Vampire Rain: Altered Species'' (2008) — Special Thanks
 
* ''FlingSmash'' (2010) — Producer
 
* ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games]]'' (3DS version) (2016) — Producer (Arzest Corp.)
 
  
[[Category:Unsorted Developers]]
+
Shortly after the release of ''[[Crack Down]]'' in 1989, {{PAGENAME}} was transferred to [[Sega of America]], leaving unfinished designs for the [[Sega System 18]] arcade game ''[[Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (System 18)|Michael Jackson's Moonwalker]]'' in the hands of [[Roppyaku Tsurumi]].{{ref|https://www.onemillionpower.com/astro-city-mini-and-game-design-part-1/}} Sugano was then a producer at [[Sega Technical Institute]], where he participated in the production of ''[[Sonic 2]]'' and ''[[Sonic Spinball]]''. He returned to Japan in 1994, mainly producing third party projects for the [[Sega Saturn]], leveraging his experience in America to work with developers based outside of Japan, such as [[Maxis]], [[Traveller's Tales]] and [[Tantalus Interactive]].
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sugano, Yutaka}}
+
 
 +
===After Sega===
 +
 
 +
==Production history==
 +
{{ProductionHistory|Yutaka Sugano|Sugachan 26|SGN|菅野 豊}}
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
<references/>
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Producers]]
 +
[[Category:Directors]]

Latest revision as of 12:11, 14 November 2023

Yutaka-sugano.jpg
Yutaka Sugano
Employment history:
Sega Enterprises (1986-04[1] – 1989[2])
Sega of America (1989[2] – 1994[2])
Divisions:
Sega Enterprises (1994 – 1999-07)
Artoon (1999-08[1] – 2009-08[1])
AQ Interactive (2009-08[1] – 2010-05[1])
Arzest (2010-07[1] – )
Role(s): Designer

This teeny-tiny article needs some work. You can help us by expanding it.


Yutaka Sugano (菅野 豊) is a former game designer and producer at Sega, known for designing Shinobi and Crack Down, and for producing several Sonic the Hedgehog games outside of Japan. He left Sega in 1999 with Naoto Ohshima and Yoji Ishii to become a part of Artoon. Following this company's disbandment in 2010, he is now the Vice President of Arzest, another video game development company.

Career

Sega

Yutaka Sugano graduated from university with a mining engineering degree, which was surprisingly useful in his video game career, as he has since compared it to the process of exploring a dungeon.[2] He submitted job applications to various companies, with Sega Enterprises the only video game company, which also happened to be his first choice.[2] He was hired as a game designer in 1986, and made his debut as an assistant game designer on Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars[2].

His most influential came a year later: Shinobi, for which he designed the gameplay mechanics, levels, bonus stages, layout of the user interface elements and the sequence of events during levels which create its difficulty scaling.[2]. Though he was not involved with further sequels, this smash hit spawned one of Sega's most prominent and most-imitated franchises.

Shortly after the release of Crack Down in 1989, Yutaka Sugano was transferred to Sega of America, leaving unfinished designs for the Sega System 18 arcade game Michael Jackson's Moonwalker in the hands of Roppyaku Tsurumi.[3] Sugano was then a producer at Sega Technical Institute, where he participated in the production of Sonic 2 and Sonic Spinball. He returned to Japan in 1994, mainly producing third party projects for the Sega Saturn, leveraging his experience in America to work with developers based outside of Japan, such as Maxis, Traveller's Tales and Tantalus Interactive.

After Sega

Production history

Games

Music

Hardware

References