Yoshio Sakamoto hosting lecture at GDC

From Metroid to Tomodachi Collection to WarioWare: Different Approaches for Different Audiences
Speaker: Yoshio Sakamoto (Group Manager/Software Planning and Development Department, Nintendo)
Date/Time: TBD
Track: Game Design
Format: 60-minute Lecture
Experience Level: All

Session Description
Yoshio Sakamoto has been here from the start. In 1982 he joined Nintendo a year before the arrival of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in Japan. He’s worked as a developer for the entire history of the modern video game era, and is perhaps most noted for the Metroid franchise. However, his development credits span a wide range of projects, with titles as diverse as WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Rhythm Heaven. At times he and his teams juggled these projects simultaneously.

Last year, while hard at work on the upcoming Metroid title for the Wii system, titled Metroid: Other M, he also produced the Nintendo DS hit Tomodachi Collection. In this game Mii characters converse, sing and dance, and even dream. To date, it has sold more than 2.5 million copies in Japan. In an industry that frequently draws a bold line between core and casual games, Mr. Sakamoto develops for both worlds. He challenges himself and his teams to find ways to satisfy every type of user, no matter what type of taste, or level of experience.

At GDC, Mr. Sakamoto will talk about his thought processes and techniques on game designs that have allowed him to find market acceptance for his expansive portfolio of titles.