Tetsuya Mizuguchi
Encyclopedia
Q Entertainment
Q Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units...
. He formerly worked for Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
were he eventually became the head of their United Game Artists division. Mizuguchi is famous for creating video games that often have some sort of musical component.
Career
Mizuguchi worked for SegaSega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
from 1990-2003 and was behind titles such as Sega Rally Championship
Sega Rally Championship
Sega Rally Championship is a 1994 arcade racing game developed by AM5 on the Sega Model 2 board. It was a year later in 1995 ported over to the Sega Saturn and PC....
, Space Channel 5
Space Channel 5
Space Channel 5 is a music video game developed by United Game Artists under the direction of Tetsuya Mizuguchi and published by Sega. The gameplay features a system where the player must copy sequences of dance steps performed by the computer...
and Rez
Rez
Rez, developed under the codename K-Project, Project Eden, and Vibes, is a rail shooter video game released by Sega in Japan in 2001 for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2, with a European Dreamcast release and United States PlayStation 2 release in 2002...
. His last position was Chief Creative Officer of Sega's United Game Artists game division.
On September 2003, Sega performed an internal restructuring of its staff. Among these changes was the dissolution of United Game Artists and the transfer of its members into Sonic Team
Sonic Team
is a Japanese computer and video game developer established in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan in 1990, originally known as Sega AM8. The Japan-based division is also known as G.E. Department Global Entertainment. The studio has collaborated with several in-house Japanese studios as well as other American-based...
. The following month, Mizuguchi announced that he would leave Sega on October 10, 2003. He cited the changes in the corporate culture after the Sega-Sammy merger
Sega Sammy Holdings
is a Japanese holding company formed from a merger of Sega and Sammy. They were both very involved in the arcade business , and Sega's main fame comes from their console systems.-Background:...
, and viewed that as an obstacle to what he wanted to do. He announced that he would freelance for the video game industry through an at the time unnamed company.
He has since founded Q Entertainment
Q Entertainment
Q Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units...
and initially produced two puzzle games for portable systems: Lumines
Lumines
is a puzzle video game based on sound and light patterns. Created by game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi and his company, Q Entertainment, it was first released as a launch title for the PlayStation Portable in Japan on December 12, and released in North America on March 23 and released in Europe on...
for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and Meteos
Meteos
is an action puzzle video game for the Nintendo DS portable gaming system. The name of the game comes from the English word meteor, transliterated to "meteo". Meteos was developed by Q Entertainment and published by Nintendo and Bandai. The producer for the game was Tetsuya Mizuguchi and lead...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. Both games have been released in Japan, North America and Europe. With Q Entertainment, he later produced Lumines Live! which was released for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
through Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
service on October 18, 2006. November 7, 2006 he also produced for the PSP, Lumines II
Lumines II
Lumines II is a sequel to the puzzle game Lumines. The game was released in November, 2006 in Europe and North America, and in February 2007 in Japan.-Gameplay:The gameplay in Lumines II is very similar to its predecessor, Lumines...
, the sequel to the popular original, and a shooter/puzzle game called Every Extend Extra
Every Extend Extra
Every Extend Extra is a shoot 'em up video game by Q Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable .Every Extend Extra is a redevelopment of the popular freeware game Every Extend, which was a personal project by Kanta Matsuhisa under his "Omega" pseudonym...
which was released on August 7, 2006, based on the small project by "Omega" called Every Extend.
Mizuguchi worked on Ninety-Nine Nights
Ninety-Nine Nights
Ninety-Nine Nights received mixed reviews from various media outlets. On the review aggregator GameRankings, the game had an average score of 63% based on 81 reviews...
as an external contractor and is the main producer for the Quest Beat
Quest Beat
Quest Beat, or ', is a video game software label by Bandai Co., Ltd. Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment develops the video games for the label. Quest Beat is sometimes listed as...
label. He regularly flew back and forth between Japan and South Korea to work at Ninety-Nine Nights developer Phantagram
Phantagram
Phantagram is a video game development studio based in South Korea. It is mainly known for its popular Xbox game series Kingdom Under Fire. Phantagram also co-developed the fantasy/strategy action game Ninety-Nine Nights with Q Entertainment, for the Xbox 360...
.
Miziguchi also oversaw the development of Gunpey, a title with versions for both the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, in honor of Gunpei Yokoi.
And a new version of Every Extend Extra
Every Extend Extra
Every Extend Extra is a shoot 'em up video game by Q Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable .Every Extend Extra is a redevelopment of the popular freeware game Every Extend, which was a personal project by Kanta Matsuhisa under his "Omega" pseudonym...
was produced for Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
called Every Extend Extra Extreme
Every Extend Extra Extreme
Every Extend Extra Extreme, also known as E4, is a game for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service released on October 17, 2007 for 800 Microsoft Points...
, which was released on October 17, 2007.
In July 2011, Miziguchi released Child of Eden
Child of Eden
Child of Eden is a rhythm action game created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, best known for Rez, developed by Q Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. The game announcement opened Ubisoft's pre-E3 2010 press conference and was one of the first titles shown with support for Xbox 360's Kinect peripheral...
, one of the marquee games for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
's Kinect motion control system. It is considered a spiritual successor to his previous title, Rez
Rez
Rez, developed under the codename K-Project, Project Eden, and Vibes, is a rail shooter video game released by Sega in Japan in 2001 for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2, with a European Dreamcast release and United States PlayStation 2 release in 2002...
.
Mizuguchi claims he had no aspirations to become a game designer until he interviewed at SEGA in 1990. Before entering the game industry, Mizuguchi majored in media aesthetics at Nihon University's Faculty of Arts.
Besides designing video games, Mizuguchi has expressed interest in directing music videos. One of the music videos included in Lumines II for the song Heavenly Star by Genki Rockets
Genki Rockets
is a virtual band. The group consists of Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Kenji Tamai and Lumi. The face of the group is 18-year old Lumi, a fictional girl who was born in space on September 11, 2037, and has never been to Earth....
was directed by Mizuguchi, who also co-wrote the lyrics of the song. He is known for collaborating with various DJs and music producers for the soundtracks of his games, including Ken Ishii
Ken Ishii
is a Japanese techno DJ and producer from Sapporo. He graduated from Hitotsubashi University. He has released work under his own name as well as under the pseudonyms: FLR, Flare, UTU, Yoga, and Rising Sun....
, Tsuyoshi Suzuki
Tsuyoshi Suzuki
Tsuyoshi Suzuki is one of the most famous DJs in the Japanese trance music scene and the co-founder of the label Matsuri Productions. In 1993, he moved to London, where he became a prominent DJ at Return to the Source...
, and more notably Shinichi Osawa a.k.a. Mondo Grosso
Mondo Grosso
Shinichi Osawa , also known as Mondo Grosso, is an artist currently signed onto Avex Trax's "Rhythm Zone" label. Previously he was signed to Sony Music Japan's FEARLESS RECORDS division and released albums under the title of 'Mondo Grosso', which is Italian for "big world". He was born on February...
. On July 7, 2007, the character Lumi from Genki Rockets opened the Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
concert in Tokyo in a holographic
Holography
Holography is a technique that allows the light scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that when an imaging system is placed in the reconstructed beam, an image of the object will be seen even when the object is no longer present...
performance, and introduced a holographic video projection of Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
.
Mizuguchi speaks English, and has done many interviews in English with Western media.
Designed
- Sega Rally ChampionshipSega Rally ChampionshipSega Rally Championship is a 1994 arcade racing game developed by AM5 on the Sega Model 2 board. It was a year later in 1995 ported over to the Sega Saturn and PC....
(1995; ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, Sega SaturnSega SaturnThe 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...
, PCIBM PC compatibleIBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
) AM5 - Sega Rally 2Sega Rally 2is a sequel to Sega Rally and is an arcade game developed and released by Sega in 1998 for the Sega Model 3 arcade board. It was ported in the following year to the Dreamcast console and later to PC systems.-Gameplay:...
(1998; ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, Dreamcast, PCIBM PC compatibleIBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
) AM5 - Space Channel 5Space Channel 5Space Channel 5 is a music video game developed by United Game Artists under the direction of Tetsuya Mizuguchi and published by Sega. The gameplay features a system where the player must copy sequences of dance steps performed by the computer...
(1999; Dreamcast, PS2PlayStation 2The 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...
) UGA - RezRezRez, developed under the codename K-Project, Project Eden, and Vibes, is a rail shooter video game released by Sega in Japan in 2001 for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2, with a European Dreamcast release and United States PlayStation 2 release in 2002...
(2001; Dreamcast, PS2PlayStation 2The 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...
) UGA - Space Channel 5: Part 2Space Channel 5: Part 2Space Channel 5: Part 2 is the sequel to the rhythm action game Space Channel 5, developed by United Game Artists and published by Sega. It was released on the Dreamcast and the PlayStation 2...
(2002; Dreamcast, PS2PlayStation 2The 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...
) UGA - LuminesLuminesis a puzzle video game based on sound and light patterns. Created by game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi and his company, Q Entertainment, it was first released as a launch title for the PlayStation Portable in Japan on December 12, and released in North America on March 23 and released in Europe on...
(2004; PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, PS2PlayStation 2The 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...
, PCIBM PC compatibleIBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
) Q EntertainmentQ EntertainmentQ Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units... - Lumines Live! (2006; Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) Q EntertainmentQ EntertainmentQ Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units... - Lumines IILumines IILumines II is a sequel to the puzzle game Lumines. The game was released in November, 2006 in Europe and North America, and in February 2007 in Japan.-Gameplay:The gameplay in Lumines II is very similar to its predecessor, Lumines...
(2006; PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
) Q EntertainmentQ EntertainmentQ Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units... - Ninety-Nine NightsNinety-Nine NightsNinety-Nine Nights received mixed reviews from various media outlets. On the review aggregator GameRankings, the game had an average score of 63% based on 81 reviews...
(2006; Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) Q EntertainmentQ EntertainmentQ Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units...
, PhantagramPhantagramPhantagram is a video game development studio based in South Korea. It is mainly known for its popular Xbox game series Kingdom Under Fire. Phantagram also co-developed the fantasy/strategy action game Ninety-Nine Nights with Q Entertainment, for the Xbox 360... - Child of EdenChild of EdenChild of Eden is a rhythm action game created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, best known for Rez, developed by Q Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. The game announcement opened Ubisoft's pre-E3 2010 press conference and was one of the first titles shown with support for Xbox 360's Kinect peripheral...
(2011; Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PS3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) Q EntertainmentQ EntertainmentQ Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units...
, UbisoftUbisoftUbisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
Produced or enhanced
- MeteosMeteosis an action puzzle video game for the Nintendo DS portable gaming system. The name of the game comes from the English word meteor, transliterated to "meteo". Meteos was developed by Q Entertainment and published by Nintendo and Bandai. The producer for the game was Tetsuya Mizuguchi and lead...
(2005; Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
) Q EntertainmentQ EntertainmentQ Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units... - Every Extend ExtraEvery Extend ExtraEvery Extend Extra is a shoot 'em up video game by Q Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable .Every Extend Extra is a redevelopment of the popular freeware game Every Extend, which was a personal project by Kanta Matsuhisa under his "Omega" pseudonym...
(2006; PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
) Q EntertainmentQ EntertainmentQ Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units... - Gunpey (2006; Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
) Q EntertainmentQ EntertainmentQ Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units... - Every Extend Extra ExtremeEvery Extend Extra ExtremeEvery Extend Extra Extreme, also known as E4, is a game for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service released on October 17, 2007 for 800 Microsoft Points...
(2007; Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) Q EntertainmentQ EntertainmentQ Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units...