Team Ico is a video game development team for Sony Computer Entertainment, led by Fumito Ueda. Since their founding in 1997, and being published by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan's Product Development Department #1, they have only made two games - Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, only for PlayStation 2 - but they have garnered an exponentially-increased amount of attention and respect with each release. The team was assembled mostly from people outside the games industry in an attempt to diversify Sony's portfolio.
Current Projects
In February 2007 Team Ico took out a full page advertisement in the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu.[citation needed] The advertisement featured some early concept sketches on note paper, suggesting that the team's new game was then in the early phases of design. In January 2008, Sony updated its careers section with the first screenshot[1] of Team Ico's third game headed to PlayStation 3. Posts available were for planners, animators, artists and effect designers.[2] In March 2009, Fumito Ueda, the lead designer of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, said the new game, "might be something similar to what's been done.... The essence of the game is rather close to Ico."[3] A video released by PlayStation Lifestyle in the weeks before E3 2009 shows early footage of the game with its working title, Project Trico. The video shows a young boy befriending a griffin-like creature, which appears to combine the functionality of Yorda from Ico with that of Agro and the colossi from Shadow of the Colossus, acting both as a companion and as a form of transportation which can be freely climbed upon.[4] E3 2009 revealed the project's release title as The Last Guardian.[5]
Key people
- Fumito Ueda (Director/Lead Designer)
- Kenji Kaido (Producer)
- Atsuko Fukuyama (Animator)
- Hajime Sugiyama (Lead Programmer)
- Junichi Hosono (Planner/Lead Game Designer)
Games
- Ico - September 2001 (PlayStation 2)
- Shadow of the Colossus - October 2005 (PlayStation 2)
- The Last Guardian - TBA 2010 (PlayStation 3)
Worked on both Ico and Shadow | Joined during Shadow's development | Left after Ico's development |
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The game | ICO ( Demo · Revisions from U.S. version · Ico HD ) | |
Characters | Ico · Yorda · The Queen · Shadows · Shinkan | |
The Castle | Idol Gates · Yorda's language · Saving Benches Altar • Warehouse • Spiral Stairs • Old Bridge • Stairs • Trolley 1 • Trolley 2 • Crane • Chandelier • Drawbridge • Main Gate • Graveyard • Dark Room • Sunbeams • Stone Pillar • East Crag • East Arena • East Idol Stairs • East Reflector • Waterfall • Sluice • Cogwheel • Gondola • Water Tower • West Crag • West Arena • West Idol Stairs • West Reflector • Cage • Pipe • Elevator • Wharf • Queen's Room • Sandy Beach | |
Other Media | Ico ~Melody in the Mist~ · Official Game Guide · Ico: Castle in the Mist |
The game | ICO ( Demo · Revisions from U.S. version · Ico HD ) | |
Characters | Ico · Yorda · The Queen · Shadows · Shinkan | |
The Castle | Idol Gates · Yorda's language · Saving Benches Altar • Warehouse • Spiral Stairs • Old Bridge • Stairs • Trolley 1 • Trolley 2 • Crane • Chandelier • Drawbridge • Main Gate • Graveyard • Dark Room • Sunbeams • Stone Pillar • East Crag • East Arena • East Idol Stairs • East Reflector • Waterfall • Sluice • Cogwheel • Gondola • Water Tower • West Crag • West Arena • West Idol Stairs • West Reflector • Cage • Pipe • Elevator • Wharf • Queen's Room • Sandy Beach | |
Other Media | Ico ~Melody in the Mist~ · Official Game Guide · Ico: Castle in the Mist |
The game | ICO ( Demo · Revisions from U.S. version · Ico HD ) | |
Characters | Ico · Yorda · The Queen · Shadows · Shinkan | |
The Castle | Idol Gates · Yorda's language · Saving Benches Altar • Warehouse • Spiral Stairs • Old Bridge • Stairs • Trolley 1 • Trolley 2 • Crane • Chandelier • Drawbridge • Main Gate • Graveyard • Dark Room • Sunbeams • Stone Pillar • East Crag • East Arena • East Idol Stairs • East Reflector • Waterfall • Sluice • Cogwheel • Gondola • Water Tower • West Crag • West Arena • West Idol Stairs • West Reflector • Cage • Pipe • Elevator • Wharf • Queen's Room • Sandy Beach | |
Other Media | Ico ~Melody in the Mist~ · Official Game Guide · Ico: Castle in the Mist |