Yoshiki Okamoto(Cương bổn cát khởi,Okamoto Yoshiki,born June 10, 1961),sometimes credited asKihaji Okamoto,is a Japanesevideo game designer.He is credited with producing popular titles forKonami,includingGyrussandTime Pilot,and forCapcom,including1942,Gun.Smoke,Final FightandStreet Fighter II.He later founded the companiesFlagshipandGame Republic,and then created the hitmobile gamesDragon HunterandMonster StrikeforMixi.He also played a role in the creation ofRockstar'sRed Deadfranchise. Several franchises he helped create are among the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time, includingStreet Fighter,Monster StrikeandRed Dead.
Yoshiki Okamoto | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 10, 1961 Ehime Prefecture,Japan |
| Other names | Kihaji Okamoto |
| Occupation | Video game designer |
| Years active | 1981–present |
History
editEarly career at Konami
editHis early gamesTime Pilot(1982) andGyruss(1983) innovated in theshoot 'em upgenre during thegolden age of arcade games.TheKiller List of Videogamesincluded bothGyrussandTime Pilotin its list of top 100arcade gamesof all time.[1]Although these games turned out to be successful titles forKonami,Okamoto's employer was not happy as apparently Okamoto had been told to create adriving gameinstead.[2]Internal disagreements, financial and credible, caused his termination from Konami.
Career at Capcom
editJoiningCapcomin 1984, Okamoto directed several arcade games such as1942(1984),SonSon(1984), andSide Arms(1986). His 1985 shoot 'em upGun.Smokelater inspired a spiritual successor,Red Dead Revolver,the first installment of theRed Deadseries.[3]
The last game he directed was the1989CP SystemgameWillow(1989). He would oversee the development of Capcom's subsequent games as a producer and was responsible for recruiting character designerAkira Yasudafor Capcom. Okamoto and Yasuda developed some of Capcom's biggest hits, most notably thebeat 'em upgameFinal Fight(1989) andfighting gameStreet Fighter II(1991).Street Fighter IIis estimated to have grossed$10.61 billionas of 2017, making it the third highest-grossing video game of all time, afterSpace InvadersandPac-Man.[4]
Okamoto worked on the 1996survival horrorgameResident Evil(Biohazardin Japan). Additionally, he produced themovie adaptationandits sequel.
In 1997, he resigned from Capcom to start his own video game development company,Flagship.[5]He continued to develop video games for Capcom through Flagship.
Okamoto approachedAngel Studioswith the idea for an originalintellectual propertyentitledS.W.A.T.It later adopted aWesterntheme at Okamoto's recommendation, redefining the acronym as "Spaghetti Western Action Team".[6]It was intended to be a spiritual successor toGun.Smoke.[3]Angel Studios began work on the game with Capcom's oversight and funding in 2000, and Capcom announced the game asRed Dead Revolverin March 2002.[7][8]Okamoto then left Capcom,[6]which canceled the game in August 2003.[9][10]Rockstar Gamesacquired the rights toRed Dead Revolverin December 2003 and resumed development,[11][12]releasing it for thePlayStation 2andXboxin May 2004.[6]
In 2003, he left Flagship to form another video game company.
Game Republic
editIn 2005, Okamoto's new independent game company,Game Republic,released its first gameGenji: Dawn of the Samurai.Genjiis a game set inFeudal Japanwith a similar playing style to theOnimushaseries. A sequel,Genji: Days of the Blade,was released on thePlayStation 3in late 2006. A new Game Republic game calledFolklore(Folkssoulin Japan) was released in 2007.
Okamoto also developed a typical party game calledEvery Party,which was alaunch titlefor theXbox 360inJapan.
In 2007, Game Republic signed withBrash Entertainmentand started working on licensed games likeClash of the Titans.But then in November 2008, Brash Entertainment went out of business, and Game Republic had to turn toNamco Bandaifor the release ofClash of the Titans.[13]
In 2011, Game Republic also shut down due to debt, and a year later, Okamoto announced that he had retired from making console games and started working on mobile games.[14]
Mixi
editIn recent years, he created themobile gamesDragon HunterandMonster Strike(2013) forMixi.Dragon Hunterwas a moderate success, beforeMonster Strikebecame a major hit, competing withPuzzle & Dragonsfor the top spot on mobile charts.[15]By 2018,Monster Strikehad grossed over $7.2 billion, surpassingPuzzle & Dragonsto become thehighest-grossing mobile appof all time.[16]
Later years
editOkamoto became the chairman of the Japan Game Culture Foundation in November 2017,[17]an organization which seeks to support young game creators.[18]In 2018 he made theMalaysiangame development company Okakichi. In November 2022 he was appointed as "game advisor" for the Whole Earth Foundation,[19]a Japanese organization seeking to raise infrastructure maintenance awareness through a cryptocurrency smartphone game.[20]
Since 2020 he has also made three YouTube channels[21][22][23]which he uses to discuss various topics. His "YoshikiOkamotoGameCh" channel in particular looks back at his life as a video game designer for over 40 years, discussing experiences with past games he was involved in, his opinion on other games, and interviews with individuals related to game development. He also used this channel to announce his planned retirement in June 2027.[24]
Influences and style
editOkamoto has said that he gets ideas from scenery from movies, citing particularly the works ofAkira KurosawaandChinese ghost stories.[25]He commented that "We don't make games for ourselves - I don't actually play games very much."[25]
Works
editReferences
edit- ^Greg McLemore and the KLOV team."The Top Coin-Operated Videogames of all Times".Killer List of Videogames.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-04-01.Retrieved2011-05-05.
- ^Kent, Steven."VideoGameSpot's Interview with Yoshiki Okamoto".Archived fromthe originalon December 7, 1998.
- ^abParish, Jeremy (October 26, 2016)."Red Dead Redemption's Curious 8-Bit Origin Story".USgamer.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-26.Retrieved2018-10-26.
- ^"World of Warcraft Leads Industry With Nearly $10 Billion In Revenue - GameRevolution".GameRevolution.January 26, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-08-18.Retrieved2018-10-28.
- ^Ricciardi, John (November 1997). "Okamoto Leaves Capcom".Electronic Gaming Monthly.No. 100.Ziff Davis.p. 28.
- ^abcHester, Blake (October 17, 2018)."How the Red Dead franchise began".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on October 21, 2018.RetrievedOctober 21,2018.
- ^Perry, Douglass C. (March 30, 2004)."Red Dead Interview".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on August 11, 2017.RetrievedNovember 1,2017.
- ^IGN Staff (March 22, 2002)."Capcom Unveils Four Major Games".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on November 7, 2017.RetrievedNovember 1,2017.
- ^Niizumi, Hirohiko (July 22, 2003)."Capcom no longer sponsoring Red Dead Revolver".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on August 11, 2017.RetrievedNovember 1,2017.
- ^Gamespot Staff (August 12, 2003)."Capcom cancels Red Dead Revolver and Dead Phoenix".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on August 11, 2017.RetrievedNovember 1,2017.
- ^Calvert, Justin (December 18, 2003)."Rockstar rescues Red Dead Revolver".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on August 11, 2017.RetrievedOctober 30,2017.
- ^Burnes, Andrew (December 18, 2003)."Rockstar Announces Red Dead Revolver".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on August 11, 2017.RetrievedNovember 1,2017.
- ^"The Fall of Game Republic".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on 2014-02-21.Retrieved2014-02-03.
- ^"Game Republic's Yoshiki Okamoto says he's 'retired' from making console games".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on 2014-02-21.Retrieved2014-02-03.
- ^Kuchera, Ben (2014-11-13)."Monster Strike: The redemption of Capcom legend Yoshiki Okamoto".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on 2016-05-29.Retrieved2016-10-15.
- ^Spannbauer, Adam (October 23, 2018)."Monster Strike Revenue Passes $7.2 Billion, Making It the Highest Earning App of All Time".Sensor Tower.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-25.Retrieved2018-10-26.
- ^"Street Fighter II Producer Yoshiki Okamoto is Whole Earth Foundation's Game Advisor".Medium.TEKKON Official. June 26, 2022.RetrievedFeb 18,2024.
- ^"Cương bổn cát khởi が đại biểu を vụ める công ích tài đoàn pháp nhân nhật bổn ゲーム văn hóa chấn hưng tài đoàn が, kim niên も nhược thủ ゲームクリエイター trợ thành chi viện の mộ tập を khai thủy (translation: The Japan Game Culture Promotion Foundation, represented by Yoshiki Okamoto, has started soliciting for this year's young game creator subsidy support.)".Famitsu.2019-09-03.RetrievedFebruary 18,2024.
- ^"Street Fighter II Producer Yoshiki Okamoto is Whole Earth Foundation's Game Advisor".Medium.TEKKON Official. June 26, 2022.RetrievedFeb 18,2024.
- ^Isabella Steger (May 20, 2023)."How Gamers Can Earn Crypto Cash Hunting for Broken Manholes".Bloomberg.Bloomberg.RetrievedFeb 18,2024.
- ^YoshikiOkamotoGameCh's channelonYouTube
- ^YoshikiOkamotoWorkshop's channelonYouTube
- ^YoshikiOkamotoSubCh's channelonYouTube
- ^Yarwood, Jack (Aug 16, 2023)."Street Fighter II Producer Yoshiki Okamoto Plans To Retire In Next Four Years".Time Extension.RetrievedFeb 18,2024.
- ^ab"Creators' Conference: Japan's Top Designers Talk".Next Generation.No. 32.Imagine Media.August 1997. pp. 22, 24.