Fumito Ueda’s studio genDESIGN is perhaps best known by gamers as the creative minds behind 2016’sThe Last Guardian. Soon, they may be known for more: genDESIGN recently added several new job listings to their site, teasing a new project in the process.
While genDESIGN is not exactly a household name, the portfolio of its team members should be well known. Helmed by Fumito Ueda (director ofICO,Shadow of the Colossus, andThe Last Guardian), and comprised of former Team Ico members (the development team behind each), there’s a great track record of critically-acclaimed games present; even themildly underwhelmingThe Last Guardianwas worthy of praise.
Details on the actualnature of the projectare effectively non-existent, but considering that there’s a request for a game designer, it’s possible that genDESIGN is still in the early planning phases. However, Ueda did once state in an interview that he wanted to create a first-person shooter afterThe Last Guardian, even alluding toHalf-Life 2as an influence.
At any rate, an announcement anytime soon seems unlikely;The Last Guardianwas in development for two years before being revealed. Nonetheless, it’s exciting to know that the former Team Ico has a desire to start on something new.
While they were responsible for the inception ofThe Last Guardian, thedeparture of Ueda and several othersfrom Sony meant that the team was relegated to creative consultant positions for the remainder of the game’s development. Regardless, the influence of Team Ico was clearly evident inThe Last Guardian, from its muted color palette to the themes it tackles. Who knows whether this trend will continue with their new title, but one thing is clear: hopefully this one won’t take 9 years to come out.
