Shinji Mikami
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese video game designer best known for creating the seminal survival horror series Resident Evil
. He also contributed to some of Capcom
's most popular post-32-bit era
franchises, including Viewtiful Joe
, Devil May Cry
, and Ace Attorney, where he served as an executive producer. He was also the creator of the third-person shooter
games Resident Evil 4
and Vanquish
. After working with Platinum Games, he started his own studio Tango Gameworks, which has been acquired by the American company ZeniMax Media
.
, where he majored in the study of merchandise. He joined Capcom in 1990 and, soon after, created his first title there, a quiz game for the Game Boy
titled Capcom Quiz: Hatena? no Daibōken, which took over three months to develop. His following three games were all based on Disney
-licensed properties: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? for the Game Boy, and Aladdin and Goof Troop
for the Super Nintendo. Aladdin was his first hit, selling over 1.75 million units worldwide. Mikami also worked on an untitled F1
racing game that was canceled by the company after eight months of development.
for the PlayStation
and Sega Saturn
set in a haunted mansion, an idea loosely based on Sweet Home
(an earlier Famicom
game by Capcom based on the Japanese horror
film
of the same name). Shinji Mikami has also said that he created the original Resident Evil game in response to his disappointment with Zombie, a gory 1979 film by Italian director Lucio Fulci
; Mikami was determined to make a game with none of the failings of the movie. The resulting game became Biohazard, an action-adventure game
which combined 3D polygonal
characters and objects with pre-rendered backgrounds and featured zombie
s (among other monsters) heavily influenced by George A. Romero
's Dead films. The game was retitled Resident Evil during its English localization under Capcom USA's suggestion and was released in Japan and North America
on 22 March 1996 and became one of the PlayStation's first successful titles. It was the first game to be dubbed a survival horror, a term Capcom coined to promote the game.
Resident Evil
was considered the defining title for survival horror games and was responsible for popularizing the genre. Its control scheme becoming a staple of the genre, and future titles would imitate its challenge of rationing highly limited resources and items. The game's commercial success is credited with helping the PlayStation
become the dominant game console, and also led to a series of Resident Evil films. Many games have tried to replicate the successful formula seen in Resident Evil, and every subsequent survival horror game has arguably taken a stance in relation to it.
After the success of Resident Evil, Mikami was promoted from planner to producer, becoming more involved in the business side of the company. As producer, he oversaw the development of the Resident Evil's sequel
, Resident Evil 2
, which he intended to tap into the classic notion of horror as "the ordinary made strange," thus rather than setting the game in a creepy mansion no one would visit, he wanted to use familiar urban settings transformed by the chaos of a viral outbreak. The game sold over five million copies, proving the popularity of survival horror. Following its released in 1998, he oversaw the development of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
and also directed another survival horror title Dino Crisis
, both of which released in 1999.
for various games, including the original Devil May Cry
(originally conceived as a Resident Evil game).
In the year 2000, Mikami became involved as producer of a new Resident Evil game. Resident Evil Code: Veronica
. This game was designed from the ground up for the Dreamcast. Which is a much more powerful console than the PlayStation, the Dreamcast allowed the team behind the game to add for the first time, 3D environments instead of the usual pre-rendered backgrounds. Resident Evil Code: Veronica was released in the year 2000 and went on to sell 1,140,000 units. That same year, Mikami's Dino Crisis 2
was released, selling 1,190,000 copies worldwide.
In 2001, a special edition of Biohazard Code: Veronica was developed for the Dreamcast and also for Sony's brand new game console, PlayStation 2
. This edition of the game was created to fill some plot holes, although it added other ones in the process. Regardless, Biohazard Code: Veronica Complete Edition, as the special edition was known in Japan, went on to outsell the original. In the States and elsewhere, it was known as Resident Evil Code: Veronica X. The PS2 version went on to sell 1,400,000 units, according to Capcom's sales data for March 2006.
In 2001, in what was to be one of his most controversial business decisions, Mikami formed an exclusivity agreement with Nintendo
in which the main Resident Evil games would be sold only for the Nintendo GameCube
. The GameCube would receive, in addition to ports of previous PlayStation and Sega Dreamcast installments, three new numbered entries in the series; a remake of the original Resident Evil, Resident Evil Zero and Resident Evil 4
. Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero were both released in 2002.
The remake of Resident Evil, was released in Japan on the sixth anniversary of the release of the original, March 22, 2002. The remake was billed as the definitive version of the game, selling 490,000 copies in the US and 360,000 copies in Europe. In total, Resident Evil
managed to sell 1,250,000 units during its first year of release. The remake's sales data was made public by Capcom during its Financial Review Report for the year 2002.
On 12 November 2002, Resident Evil Zero was released. Gaming site gamefront.de reported that 138,855 copies of the game were sold on its first day of release. Capcom expected Resident Evil Zero to sell 1.42 million copies, but sold only 1.12 million. The fact that Resident Evil Zero did not match or surpass the remake's sales figures, spread fear among Capcom executives and share holders. They worried that Resident Evil 4 would not sell well enough on GameCube.
; P.N.03
, Viewtiful Joe
, killer7
and Dead Phoenix. This lineup became known as the Capcom Five
.
The first of these games to be released was the Mikami-directed P.N. 03. The game was both a commercial and critical failure, receiving lukewarm reviews from the press and selling below expectations. As a result, Mikami stepped down as manager of Production Studio 4, while remaining as one of the head producers within the team.
After his failure with P.N.03, Mikami decided to concentrate instead on the creative aspects of the Capcom 5. He eventually took over directorial duties for Resident Evil 4 from previous director, Hiroshi Shibata. Under his direction, Resident Evil 4 went through some substantial changes. Resident Evil 4 was released in 2005 and was one of the GameCube's top-selling titles, selling 1,250,000 units worldwide within a year. The game was critically praised, winning many game of the year awards.
Resident Evil 4 is regarded as one of the most influential games of the 2000s decade, due to its influence in redefining at least two video game genres: the survival horror and the third-person shooter
. Resident Evil 4 attempted to redefine the survival horror genre by emphasizing reflexes and precision aiming, thus broadening the gameplay of the series with elements from the wider action game genre. It helped redefine the third-person shooter genre by introducing a "reliance on offset camera angles that fail to obscure the action." The "over the shoulder" viewpoint introduced in Resident Evil 4 has now become standard in third-person shooters, including titles ranging from Gears of War
to Batman: Arkham Asylum
. It has also become a standard “precision aim” feature for action game
s in general, with examples ranging from Dead Space
and Grand Theft Auto
to the Ratchet & Clank Future series.
Shinji Mikami touted the game as a GameCube exclusive. In an interview with a Japanese magazine, Mikami even said that he would "commit harakiri" if it came out on another platform. This was loosely translated as Mikami claiming to "cut [his own] stomach" and later parodied in God Hand
, which featured a racing dog named "Mikami's Head". Recently in an interview he gave apologies for Resident Evil 4 going multiplatform. He felt quite bad, believing some people bought a GameCube just to play Resident Evil 4 without knowing that it would finally be made available for PlayStation 2.
in 2004. Originally established in July 2004, Clover Studio employed an all-star lineup of Capcom development talent, including Atsushi Inaba
(producer of Steel Battalion
and Viewtiful Joe), and Hideki Kamiya
(Devil May Cry director).
At Clover, Mikami supervised the development of God Hand
, a game in the beat 'em up
genre that parodies American and Japanese pop culture. It was released in Japan on 14 September 2006, and on 10 October 2006 in North America. After the dissolution of Clover Studio in 2007, Mikami joined Seeds Inc, now known as Platinum Games, the newly formed successor of his former studio. Platinum Games is composed of several of Mikami's former Capcom colleagues including Hideki Kamiya, Atsushi Inaba, Yuta Kimura, Nao Ueda, Mari Shimazaki, and Masami Ueda. Mikami then worked on Vanquish.
. The name of the studio is taken from the 1999 David Lynch
film
. Their works are under the Platinum Games branding and he is a contract employee ("external board member") of Platinum Games. He is also collaborating with Grasshopper Manufacture
's Goichi Suda
on Shadows of the Damned
using the Unreal Engine 3
. Mikami revealed that Straight Story will close once development of Vanquish is completed. Straight Story will be replaced with Mikami's new studio, Tango, which has already been established.
Much like Resident Evil and Resident Evil 4 before it, the third-person shooter
game Vanquish
, released in 2010, has proven to be an influential title for action game
s. It significantly improved upon the cover system
, where in contrast to previous cover-based shooters, the cover in Vanquish is easily destructible
, with often a single shot from a robotic enemy being enough to blast away the wall the player was hiding behind. The game also penalizes the player's ranking for the number of times they have taken cover, though its most important innovation is the power-slide mechanic that allows the player to slide into and out of cover at high speeds, or in bullet time
when the player's health
is low. The game was given GameSpot
's Best Original Game Mechanic award for its rocket-sliding game mechanic, which acts as both a defensive escape and an offensive setup, opening up new gameplay possibilities for shooter game
s and increasing the pace significantly. The game has set a new trend, with its influence seen in other first-person shooter
s that have incorporated similar sliding mechanics, including Bulletstorm
, Crysis 2
, and Killzone 3
. Vanquish was itself inspired by Tatsunoko's 1970s anime
series, Casshern.
, parent company of noted game publisher Bethesda Softworks, announces Shinji Mikami, has joined ZeniMax in a deal where ZeniMax acquired Tango Gameworks.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese video game designer best known for creating the seminal survival horror series Resident Evil
Resident Evil (series)
Resident Evil, known as in Japan, is a media franchise owned by the video game company Capcom. It was created by Shinji Mikami as a survival horror game series that was initiated with the eponymous PlayStation title Resident Evil in 1996. Since then, the game series has strayed from its roots to...
. He also contributed to some of Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
's most popular post-32-bit era
History of video game consoles (fifth generation)
The fifth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at stores...
franchises, including Viewtiful Joe
Viewtiful Joe
is a video game developed by Capcom's Production Studio 4 for the Nintendo GameCube. It was originally released in 2003 as a part of the Capcom Five under director Hideki Kamiya and producer Atsushi Inaba. Viewtiful Joe was later ported to the Sony PlayStation 2 by the same design team under the...
, Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry
is an action game developed and published by Capcom, released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2. Although it is the first game in the series of the same name, the events in Devil May Cry are second in the series storyline's chronological order, taking place after Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and...
, and Ace Attorney, where he served as an executive producer. He was also the creator of the third-person shooter
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
games Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific...
and Vanquish
Vanquish (video game)
is a third-person shooter video game developed by Platinum Games and published by Sega for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. The game was released in October 2010, after having been in development since 2007....
. After working with Platinum Games, he started his own studio Tango Gameworks, which has been acquired by the American company ZeniMax Media
ZeniMax Media
ZeniMax Media Inc. is an American media company that develops and publishes computer and video games through its subsidiaries. ZeniMax is known as the owner of id Software , Bethesda Softworks , Arkane Studios , Tango Gameworks and...
.
Career
Mikami graduated from the Faculty of Commerce at Doshisha UniversityDoshisha University
, or is a prestigious private university in Kyoto, Japan. The university has approximately 27,000 students on three campuses, in faculties of theology, letters, law, commerce, economics, policy, and engineering...
, where he majored in the study of merchandise. He joined Capcom in 1990 and, soon after, created his first title there, a quiz game for the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
titled Capcom Quiz: Hatena? no Daibōken, which took over three months to develop. His following three games were all based on Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
-licensed properties: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? for the Game Boy, and Aladdin and Goof Troop
Goof Troop (video game)
Goof Troop is an action-adventure video game, developed and released by Capcom in 1993 for the Super NES and based on the television series of the same name...
for the Super Nintendo. Aladdin was his first hit, selling over 1.75 million units worldwide. Mikami also worked on an untitled F1
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing game that was canceled by the company after eight months of development.
Resident Evil and Dino Crisis
After the release of Goof Troop, Mikami began development of a horror-themed adventure gameAdventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
for the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
and Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
set in a haunted mansion, an idea loosely based on Sweet Home
Sweet Home (video game)
is a survival horror role-playing video game that was released for the Famicom in 1989. It features several elements of console role-playing games. Sweet Home was developed and published by Capcom and the game was never released outside Japan...
(an earlier Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
game by Capcom based on the Japanese horror
J-Horror
Japanese horror, or J-Horror, is Japanese horror fiction in popular culture, noted for its unique thematic and conventional treatment of the horror genre in light of western treatments...
film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
of the same name). Shinji Mikami has also said that he created the original Resident Evil game in response to his disappointment with Zombie, a gory 1979 film by Italian director Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on gore films, including Zombie and The Beyond , although he made films in genres as diverse as giallo, western, and comedy...
; Mikami was determined to make a game with none of the failings of the movie. The resulting game became Biohazard, an action-adventure game
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
which combined 3D polygonal
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
characters and objects with pre-rendered backgrounds and featured zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s (among other monsters) heavily influenced by George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
's Dead films. The game was retitled Resident Evil during its English localization under Capcom USA's suggestion and was released in Japan and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on 22 March 1996 and became one of the PlayStation's first successful titles. It was the first game to be dubbed a survival horror, a term Capcom coined to promote the game.
Resident Evil
Resident Evil (video game)
Resident Evil, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game by Capcom. The first installment in the Resident Evil series, it was originally released in 1996 for the PlayStation and was subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn and PC. In 2002, a remake of the game was released for the Nintendo...
was considered the defining title for survival horror games and was responsible for popularizing the genre. Its control scheme becoming a staple of the genre, and future titles would imitate its challenge of rationing highly limited resources and items. The game's commercial success is credited with helping the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
become the dominant game console, and also led to a series of Resident Evil films. Many games have tried to replicate the successful formula seen in Resident Evil, and every subsequent survival horror game has arguably taken a stance in relation to it.
After the success of Resident Evil, Mikami was promoted from planner to producer, becoming more involved in the business side of the company. As producer, he oversaw the development of the Resident Evil's sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game originally released for the PlayStation in 1998. Developed by Capcom as the second installment in the Resident Evil series, its story takes place two months after the events of the first game, Resident Evil...
, which he intended to tap into the classic notion of horror as "the ordinary made strange," thus rather than setting the game in a creepy mansion no one would visit, he wanted to use familiar urban settings transformed by the chaos of a viral outbreak. The game sold over five million copies, proving the popularity of survival horror. Following its released in 1998, he oversaw the development of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, released in Japan as is a survival horror video game and the sequel to Resident Evil 2, developed and published by Capcom. The game was released for the PlayStation, and was subsequently ported to the Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo GameCube...
and also directed another survival horror title Dino Crisis
Dino Crisis (video game)
is a survival horror video game by Capcom, originally released in 1999 for the PlayStation and later ported to Microsoft Windows and Dreamcast in 2000...
, both of which released in 1999.
Capcom Production Studio 4
Shortly after the release of Resident Evil 3 in Japan, Capcom Production Studio 4 was established in 1999. The studio's staff were mainly the key developers in the company's survival horror projects. Mikami was appointed as the general manager of the studio, and worked as executive producerExecutive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
for various games, including the original Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry
is an action game developed and published by Capcom, released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2. Although it is the first game in the series of the same name, the events in Devil May Cry are second in the series storyline's chronological order, taking place after Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and...
(originally conceived as a Resident Evil game).
In the year 2000, Mikami became involved as producer of a new Resident Evil game. Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Resident Evil Code: Veronica, released in Japan as , is the fourth installment in Capcom's Resident Evil survival horror series, originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000...
. This game was designed from the ground up for the Dreamcast. Which is a much more powerful console than the PlayStation, the Dreamcast allowed the team behind the game to add for the first time, 3D environments instead of the usual pre-rendered backgrounds. Resident Evil Code: Veronica was released in the year 2000 and went on to sell 1,140,000 units. That same year, Mikami's Dino Crisis 2
Dino Crisis 2
is a Action-adventure video game for the Sony PlayStation, published by Capcom in North America, released on September 13, 2000 and publish by Virgin Interactive in Europe, release on November 4, 2000. It was developed by Capcom Production Studio 4...
was released, selling 1,190,000 copies worldwide.
In 2001, a special edition of Biohazard Code: Veronica was developed for the Dreamcast and also for Sony's brand new game console, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. This edition of the game was created to fill some plot holes, although it added other ones in the process. Regardless, Biohazard Code: Veronica Complete Edition, as the special edition was known in Japan, went on to outsell the original. In the States and elsewhere, it was known as Resident Evil Code: Veronica X. The PS2 version went on to sell 1,400,000 units, according to Capcom's sales data for March 2006.
In 2001, in what was to be one of his most controversial business decisions, Mikami formed an exclusivity agreement with Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
in which the main Resident Evil games would be sold only for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
. The GameCube would receive, in addition to ports of previous PlayStation and Sega Dreamcast installments, three new numbered entries in the series; a remake of the original Resident Evil, Resident Evil Zero and Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific...
. Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero were both released in 2002.
The remake of Resident Evil, was released in Japan on the sixth anniversary of the release of the original, March 22, 2002. The remake was billed as the definitive version of the game, selling 490,000 copies in the US and 360,000 copies in Europe. In total, Resident Evil
Resident Evil (video game)
Resident Evil, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game by Capcom. The first installment in the Resident Evil series, it was originally released in 1996 for the PlayStation and was subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn and PC. In 2002, a remake of the game was released for the Nintendo...
managed to sell 1,250,000 units during its first year of release. The remake's sales data was made public by Capcom during its Financial Review Report for the year 2002.
On 12 November 2002, Resident Evil Zero was released. Gaming site gamefront.de reported that 138,855 copies of the game were sold on its first day of release. Capcom expected Resident Evil Zero to sell 1.42 million copies, but sold only 1.12 million. The fact that Resident Evil Zero did not match or surpass the remake's sales figures, spread fear among Capcom executives and share holders. They worried that Resident Evil 4 would not sell well enough on GameCube.
Capcom Five and Resident Evil 4
In spite of Resident Evil Zeros underwhelming sales, Mikami remained confident in his support for Nintendo and announced four exclusive titles for the GameCube under development by Production Studio 4 in addition to Resident Evil 4Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific...
; P.N.03
P.N.03
P.N.03, short for Product Number Zero Three, is a 2003 third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo GameCube. Its protagonist, a mercenary named Vanessa Z. Schneider, fights an army of berserk robots in a space colony compound...
, Viewtiful Joe
Viewtiful Joe
is a video game developed by Capcom's Production Studio 4 for the Nintendo GameCube. It was originally released in 2003 as a part of the Capcom Five under director Hideki Kamiya and producer Atsushi Inaba. Viewtiful Joe was later ported to the Sony PlayStation 2 by the same design team under the...
, killer7
Killer7
is an action-adventure video game for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2. It was developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Capcom. The game was written and directed by Goichi Suda, also known by the nickname Suda51, and produced by Hiroyuki Kobayashi...
and Dead Phoenix. This lineup became known as the Capcom Five
Capcom Five
The Capcom Five is a set of five video games unveiled by Capcom in late 2002 and subsequently published beginning in March 2003. At a time when Nintendo's GameCube console failed to capture market share, Capcom announced five new GameCube titles with the apparent goal of boosting hardware sales and...
.
The first of these games to be released was the Mikami-directed P.N. 03. The game was both a commercial and critical failure, receiving lukewarm reviews from the press and selling below expectations. As a result, Mikami stepped down as manager of Production Studio 4, while remaining as one of the head producers within the team.
After his failure with P.N.03, Mikami decided to concentrate instead on the creative aspects of the Capcom 5. He eventually took over directorial duties for Resident Evil 4 from previous director, Hiroshi Shibata. Under his direction, Resident Evil 4 went through some substantial changes. Resident Evil 4 was released in 2005 and was one of the GameCube's top-selling titles, selling 1,250,000 units worldwide within a year. The game was critically praised, winning many game of the year awards.
Resident Evil 4 is regarded as one of the most influential games of the 2000s decade, due to its influence in redefining at least two video game genres: the survival horror and the third-person shooter
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
. Resident Evil 4 attempted to redefine the survival horror genre by emphasizing reflexes and precision aiming, thus broadening the gameplay of the series with elements from the wider action game genre. It helped redefine the third-person shooter genre by introducing a "reliance on offset camera angles that fail to obscure the action." The "over the shoulder" viewpoint introduced in Resident Evil 4 has now become standard in third-person shooters, including titles ranging from Gears of War
Gears of War (series)
Gears of War is a science fiction video game franchise created and owned by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios. The three games that currently make up the series take place on the fictional planet Sera and focus on a war between humans and creatures known as Locust...
to Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
. It has also become a standard “precision aim” feature for action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
s in general, with examples ranging from Dead Space
Dead Space (series)
Dead Space is a media franchise created by Glen Schofield, developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts. The franchise centers on a series of video games of the survival horror and third-person shooter genres, and also includes two motion pictures and a comic book series, with more...
and Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
to the Ratchet & Clank Future series.
Shinji Mikami touted the game as a GameCube exclusive. In an interview with a Japanese magazine, Mikami even said that he would "commit harakiri" if it came out on another platform. This was loosely translated as Mikami claiming to "cut [his own] stomach" and later parodied in God Hand
God Hand
God Hand is a 2006 PlayStation 2 gameGod hand may also refer to:-Video games:* Ken "Godhand" Mishima, a character from the PlayStation game, Ehrgeiz* Godhand, the demonic version of Lenny from Shadow Hearts: Covenant...
, which featured a racing dog named "Mikami's Head". Recently in an interview he gave apologies for Resident Evil 4 going multiplatform. He felt quite bad, believing some people bought a GameCube just to play Resident Evil 4 without knowing that it would finally be made available for PlayStation 2.
Clover Studio and God Hand
After the success of Resident Evil 4, Mikami left Studio 4 and was transferred over to Clover StudioClover Studio
Clover Studio was an independent Japanese development studio, funded by Capcom Japan. Clover Studio developed the PlayStation 2 port of Viewtiful Joe, both versions of Viewtiful Joe 2 for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2, and the PlayStation 2 titles Ōkami and God Hand...
in 2004. Originally established in July 2004, Clover Studio employed an all-star lineup of Capcom development talent, including Atsushi Inaba
Atsushi Inaba
is a Japanese video game producer for Platinum Games. He is also the former CEO and producer of the Capcom subsidiary Clover Studio, best known as the creative force behind Viewtiful Joe, Ōkami and God Hand.-Career:...
(producer of Steel Battalion
Steel Battalion
is a video game created by Capcom for the Xbox console where the player controls a "Vertical Tank" — a bipedal, heavily-armed mecha. To control the tank and play the game requires the use of a large controller made specially for Steel Battalion....
and Viewtiful Joe), and Hideki Kamiya
Hideki Kamiya
is a video game designer formerly employed by Capcom and Clover Studio. He is currently working with former Clover Studio members at Platinum Games.- Career :...
(Devil May Cry director).
At Clover, Mikami supervised the development of God Hand
God Hand
God Hand is a 2006 PlayStation 2 gameGod hand may also refer to:-Video games:* Ken "Godhand" Mishima, a character from the PlayStation game, Ehrgeiz* Godhand, the demonic version of Lenny from Shadow Hearts: Covenant...
, a game in the beat 'em up
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
genre that parodies American and Japanese pop culture. It was released in Japan on 14 September 2006, and on 10 October 2006 in North America. After the dissolution of Clover Studio in 2007, Mikami joined Seeds Inc, now known as Platinum Games, the newly formed successor of his former studio. Platinum Games is composed of several of Mikami's former Capcom colleagues including Hideki Kamiya, Atsushi Inaba, Yuta Kimura, Nao Ueda, Mari Shimazaki, and Masami Ueda. Mikami then worked on Vanquish.
Platinum Games and Vanquish
Mikami recently revealed that he formed a private development studio called Straight Story in 2006, shortly before the fall of Clover StudioClover Studio
Clover Studio was an independent Japanese development studio, funded by Capcom Japan. Clover Studio developed the PlayStation 2 port of Viewtiful Joe, both versions of Viewtiful Joe 2 for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2, and the PlayStation 2 titles Ōkami and God Hand...
. The name of the studio is taken from the 1999 David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
film
The Straight Story
The Straight Story is a 1999 film directed by David Lynch. The film was edited and produced by Mary Sweeney, Lynch's longtime partner and co-worker. She co-wrote the script with John E. Roach....
. Their works are under the Platinum Games branding and he is a contract employee ("external board member") of Platinum Games. He is also collaborating with Grasshopper Manufacture
Grasshopper Manufacture
Grasshopper Manufacture, Inc. is a Japanese video game development house founded on March 30, 1998 in Suginami, Japan. Grasshopper gained mainstream attention in 2005 for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2 game Killer7...
's Goichi Suda
Goichi Suda
, is the CEO of Grasshopper Manufacture. The "51" in his nickname, Suda51, is a pun on his given name. In Japanese, "Go" means 5 and "ichi" means 1. His works include Moonlight Syndrome, The Silver Case, Flower, Sun and Rain, Michigan, killer7, the No More Heroes series, and most recently, Shadows...
on Shadows of the Damned
Shadows of the Damned
Shadows of the Damned, officially abbreviated as Damned or DMD, is a 2011 third-person shooter video game developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles. The game follows the story of Garcia Hotspur, a Mexican demon...
using the Unreal Engine 3
Unreal Engine 3
Unreal Engine 3 is a computer game engine developed by Epic Games. It is the third generation of Unreal Engine, designed for DirectX 9/10/11 personal computers , the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation Vita, the Wii U, Android and OpenGL-based operating systems such as iOS and Mac OS X...
. Mikami revealed that Straight Story will close once development of Vanquish is completed. Straight Story will be replaced with Mikami's new studio, Tango, which has already been established.
Much like Resident Evil and Resident Evil 4 before it, the third-person shooter
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
game Vanquish
Vanquish (video game)
is a third-person shooter video game developed by Platinum Games and published by Sega for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. The game was released in October 2010, after having been in development since 2007....
, released in 2010, has proven to be an influential title for action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
s. It significantly improved upon the cover system
Cover system
A cover system is how a video game lets a virtual avatar avoid dangers usually in a three-dimensional world. This method is a digital adaptation of the real-life military tactic of taking cover to dodge enemy gunfire or explosives. Similar gameplay elements can be traced back to as early as 1986,...
, where in contrast to previous cover-based shooters, the cover in Vanquish is easily destructible
Destructible environment
In video games, the term destructible environment, or terrain deformation, refers to an environment within a game which can be wholly or partially destroyed by the player...
, with often a single shot from a robotic enemy being enough to blast away the wall the player was hiding behind. The game also penalizes the player's ranking for the number of times they have taken cover, though its most important innovation is the power-slide mechanic that allows the player to slide into and out of cover at high speeds, or in bullet time
Bullet time
Bullet time is a special and visual effect that refers to a digitally enhanced simulation of variable-speed photography used in films, broadcast advertisements, and video games...
when the player's health
Health (gaming)
Health is a game mechanic used in role-playing, computer and video games to give value to characters, enemies, NPCs, and related objects. This value can either be numerical, semi-numerical as in hit/health points, or arbitrary as in a life bar....
is low. The game was given GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Best Original Game Mechanic award for its rocket-sliding game mechanic, which acts as both a defensive escape and an offensive setup, opening up new gameplay possibilities for shooter game
Shooter game
Shooter games are a sub-genre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. It includes many subgenres that have the commonality of focusing "on the actions of the avatar using some sort of weapon. Usually this weapon is a gun, or some other long-range weapon". A common...
s and increasing the pace significantly. The game has set a new trend, with its influence seen in other first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
s that have incorporated similar sliding mechanics, including Bulletstorm
Bulletstorm
Bulletstorm is a first-person shooter video game developed by People Can Fly and Epic Games, and is published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows...
, Crysis 2
Crysis 2
Crysis 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek, published by Electronic Arts and released in North America, Australia, and Europe in March 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360...
, and Killzone 3
Killzone 3
Killzone 3 is a 2011 first-person shooter for the PlayStation 3, developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the fourth installment in the Killzone series, the first game in the series to be presented in 3D and the first to include motion controls using the...
. Vanquish was itself inspired by Tatsunoko's 1970s anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, Casshern.
Tango Gameworks
A teaser website opened on 18 March 2010 titled "Mikami Project" with a countdown attached. The website changed into a job employment page, for Mikami's new studio, "Tango". On October 28, 2010 ZeniMax Media Inc.ZeniMax Media
ZeniMax Media Inc. is an American media company that develops and publishes computer and video games through its subsidiaries. ZeniMax is known as the owner of id Software , Bethesda Softworks , Arkane Studios , Tango Gameworks and...
, parent company of noted game publisher Bethesda Softworks, announces Shinji Mikami, has joined ZeniMax in a deal where ZeniMax acquired Tango Gameworks.
Works
| Game | Year of release | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Shadows of the Damned Shadows of the Damned Shadows of the Damned, officially abbreviated as Damned or DMD, is a 2011 third-person shooter video game developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles. The game follows the story of Garcia Hotspur, a Mexican demon... |
2011 | Creative producer |
| Vanquish Vanquish (video game) is a third-person shooter video game developed by Platinum Games and published by Sega for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. The game was released in October 2010, after having been in development since 2007.... |
2010 | Director |
| God Hand God Hand God Hand is a 2006 PlayStation 2 gameGod hand may also refer to:-Video games:* Ken "Godhand" Mishima, a character from the PlayStation game, Ehrgeiz* Godhand, the demonic version of Lenny from Shadow Hearts: Covenant... |
2006 | Director |
| Killer 7 | 2005 | Executive producer |
| Resident Evil 4 Resident Evil 4 Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific... |
2005 | Director |
| Gyakuten Saiban 3 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations, released in Japan as , is an adventure/visual novel video game developed by Capcom. It was originally released for the Game Boy Advance and was later ported to the PC. An enhanced version was released for the Nintendo DS... (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations) |
2004 | Executive producer |
| Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 | 2004 | Background modeler |
| Resident Evil Outbreak Resident Evil Outbreak Resident Evil Outbreak, known as in Japan, is a single player game with online playability for the PlayStation 2 initially released in 2003. It was developed by Capcom Production Studio 1. This game was the first in the Resident Evil series to feature cooperative gameplay and online multiplayer... |
2003 | Designer |
| Dino Crisis 3 Dino Crisis 3 is a survival horror video game for the Xbox. It was developed by Capcom Production Studio 4, and is the fourth and final video game in the Dino Crisis series. Like the previous iterations of the series, gameplay revolves around fighting dinosaur or other reptiles... |
2003 | Executive producer |
| Viewtiful Joe Viewtiful Joe is a video game developed by Capcom's Production Studio 4 for the Nintendo GameCube. It was originally released in 2003 as a part of the Capcom Five under director Hideki Kamiya and producer Atsushi Inaba. Viewtiful Joe was later ported to the Sony PlayStation 2 by the same design team under the... |
2003 | Executive producer |
| P.N. 03 | 2003 | Director |
| Gyakuten Saiban 2 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All, released in Japan as , is a visual novel adventure video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo DS video game console. It is the first sequel to 2005's Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. It was released in Japan on October 26, 2006 and in... (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All) |
2003 | Executive producer |
| Resident Evil Zero | 2002 | Executive advisor |
| Resident Evil | 2002 | Director |
| Resident Evil Survivor 2 Code: Veronica | 2001 | Supervisor |
| Gyakuten Saiban Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, released in Japan as , is an adventure video game published and developed by Capcom in Japan, North America, and Europe, and published by Nintendo in Australia... (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) |
2001 | Executive producer |
| Devil May Cry | 2001 | Executive producer |
| Resident Evil Gaiden Resident Evil Gaiden Resident Evil Gaiden, known as Biohazard Gaiden in Japan, is a survival horror game for the Game Boy Color co-developed by Capcom and M4, and first released on December 14, 2001... |
2001 | Advisor |
| Onimusha: Warlords Onimusha: Warlords Onimusha: Warlords, released in Japan as , is the first action-adventure video game of the Onimusha series, released first for the PlayStation 2 in 2001. Later it went through many changes and was released as for the Xbox in 2002... |
2001 | Advisor |
| Dino Crisis 2 Dino Crisis 2 is a Action-adventure video game for the Sony PlayStation, published by Capcom in North America, released on September 13, 2000 and publish by Virgin Interactive in Europe, release on November 4, 2000. It was developed by Capcom Production Studio 4... |
2000 | Executive producer |
| Resident Evil Code: Veronica Resident Evil Code: Veronica Resident Evil Code: Veronica, released in Japan as , is the fourth installment in Capcom's Resident Evil survival horror series, originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000... |
2000 | Producer |
| Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, released in Japan as is a survival horror video game and the sequel to Resident Evil 2, developed and published by Capcom. The game was released for the PlayStation, and was subsequently ported to the Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo GameCube... |
1999 | Producer |
| Dino Crisis Dino Crisis is a survival horror video game by Capcom, originally released in 1999 for the PlayStation and later ported to Microsoft Windows and Dreamcast in 2000... |
1999 | Director/Producer |
| Resident Evil 2 Resident Evil 2 Resident Evil 2, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game originally released for the PlayStation in 1998. Developed by Capcom as the second installment in the Resident Evil series, its story takes place two months after the events of the first game, Resident Evil... |
1998 | Producer |
| Resident Evil Resident Evil (video game) Resident Evil, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game by Capcom. The first installment in the Resident Evil series, it was originally released in 1996 for the PlayStation and was subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn and PC. In 2002, a remake of the game was released for the Nintendo... |
1996 | Director/Producer |
| Goof Troop Goof Troop Disney's Goof Troop is an American animated television series from The Walt Disney Company featuring Goofy as a father figure and bonding with his son Max.-Premise:... |
1994 | Game designer |
| Aladdin Disney's Aladdin (video game) Disney's Aladdin is a series of video games based on the 1992 motion picture of the same name. Unlike most cross-platform games, the five versions are each significantly different games rather than all being ports of a single source.-Mega Drive/Genesis version:The game from Virgin based on the 1992... |
1993 | Planner |
| Untitled F1 game | 1992 | Planner |
| Who Framed Roger Rabbit? | 1991 | Planner |
| Capcom Quiz: Hatena hatena no Daibôken | 1990 | Planner |
External links
- Shinji Mikami profile on MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- "PlatinumGames"
- Fear Itself, New YorkNew York (magazine)New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...