# Fumito Ueda

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Japanese video game designer (born 1970)

Fumito Ueda 上田 文人 Ueda in 2016 Born (1970-04-19) April 19, 1970 (age 56) Tatsuno, Hyōgo, Japan Occupations Game director, screenwriter, game designer Years active 1996–present Employer Sony Computer Entertainment (1997–2011) Notable work Ico Shadow of the Colossus The Last Guardian

**Fumito Ueda** (上田 文人, *Ueda Fumito*; born April 19, 1970) is a Japanese video game designer, game director and visual artist. Ueda is best known as the director and lead designer of *[Ico](/source/Ico)* (2001) and *[Shadow of the Colossus](/source/Shadow_of_the_Colossus)* (2005) during his tenure at [Sony Computer Entertainment](/source/Sony_Computer_Entertainment)'s [Japan Studio](/source/Japan_Studio), and *[The Last Guardian](/source/The_Last_Guardian)* (2016) through his own development company GenDesign. His games have achieved cult status and are distinguished by their usage of minimal plot and scenario using [fictional languages](/source/Fictional_language), and use of overexposed, desaturated light. He has been described by some as an [auteur](/source/Auteur). [*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Early life

Ueda in 2017

Born on April 19, 1970, in [Tatsuno](/source/Tatsuno%2C_Nagano), Ueda graduated from the [Osaka University of Arts](/source/Osaka_University_of_Arts) in 1993. In 1995, after trying to make a living as a visual artist, Ueda decided to pursue a career in the [video game industry](/source/Video_game_industry). He joined the developer [Warp](/source/Warp_(company)) and worked as an animator on the game *[Enemy Zero](/source/Enemy_Zero)* for the [Sega Saturn](/source/Sega_Saturn) under the director [Kenji Eno](/source/Kenji_Eno). He described his time there as "arduous",[1] as the game was behind schedule and everyone on the project had to work more than normal to meet the release deadline. Eno, who also owned the company, did not think he was that great a digital artist, but handpicked Ueda because of his talent with concepts and design.[2] Ueda worked at WARP for a year and a half.[3]

## Career

### Sony Computer Entertainment

In 1997, Ueda joined [Sony Computer Entertainment Japan](/source/Sony_Computer_Entertainment_Japan). He began work on *[Ico](/source/Ico)*, being granted his own unit as the studio had little experience in developing games on their own (mostly the *[Ape Escape](/source/Ape_Escape)* series) due to their focus on assisting third-party developers. After *Ico*, Ueda and his small team started work on *[Shadow of the Colossus](/source/Shadow_of_the_Colossus)*.

In February 2007, Japanese gaming magazine *[Famitsu](/source/Famitsu)* reported that Ueda and his team were working on a game for the [PlayStation 3](/source/PlayStation_3). No details about the unnamed title were revealed. In 2008, in the August edition of *[PlayStation Magazine](/source/PlayStation%3A_The_Official_Magazine)*, Sony Worldwide Studios boss [Shuhei Yoshida](/source/Shuhei_Yoshida) commented that both *Ico* and *Shadow of the Colossus* took 4 years to develop as a hint that the game was under production, but was not close to release.[4] The game was revealed at [E3 2009](/source/E3_2009) as *[The Last Guardian](/source/The_Last_Guardian)*, the trailer for which suggests a saga involving elements of both *Ico* and *Shadow of the Colossus* wherein a young boy resembling Ico partners up with a colossus-sized companion to complete puzzles.[5] Ueda later confirmed *The Last Guardian* to be related to the two previous installments.[6]

In an interview with [G4tv.com](/source/G4tv.com) in 2009 he expressed admiration for the method of [cut-scene](/source/Cut-scene) story-telling in Valve's *[Half-Life 2](/source/Half-Life_2)*, and when questioned directly expressed an interest in making a first-person game.[7][8]

### GenDesign

The logo for GenDesign

Ueda left Sony in December 2011, although he remained under contract to finish work on *[The Last Guardian](/source/The_Last_Guardian)*.[9] Around mid-2014, he formed **GenDesign** (stylized as genDESIGN), made up of former members from his team to help complete development of *The Last Guardian*.[10] At [E3 2015](/source/E3_2015), *The Last Guardian* was announced for release on October 25, 2016, but was later delayed to December 6, 2016.[11]

In September 2018, Ueda revealed that the studio was at the prototyping stage of designing a new game, supported with funding from the investment fund [Kowloon Nights](/source/Kowloon_Nights).[12][13] In March 2020, [Epic Games](/source/Epic_Games) announced that they would be fully funding development, with the two companies splitting profits in half.[14]

At the [2024 Game Awards](/source/The_Game_Awards) the first trailer for the game was revealed. The game is currently untitled but "Project Robot" appears to be the working title.[15]

## Influences and style

He described himself as a very inquisitive child saying "I enjoyed catching and keeping living things, such as fish or birds. Other than that, I liked both watching and making animation. Basically, I seemed to be interested in things that moved." Among his favorite subjects in school was art. He commented, "If I was not in the games industry, I would want to become a classical artist. Though I regard not only games but also anything that expresses something – be it films, novels or manga – as forms of art."[16]

Ueda played many [Sega Mega Drive](/source/Sega_Mega_Drive) games, which influenced his work.[17] He was also a fan of the [Amiga](/source/Amiga) computer platform games *[Flashback](/source/Flashback_(1992_video_game))* and *[Another World](/source/Another_World_(video_game))* during his teen years.[18] Other games that influenced his work include *[The Legend of Zelda](/source/The_Legend_of_Zelda)*,[19] *[Virtua Fighter](/source/Virtua_Fighter)*, and *[Prince of Persia](/source/Prince_of_Persia)*.[20] He was also influenced by the work of [Kenji Eno](/source/Kenji_Eno),[21] and the manga series *[Galaxy Express 999](/source/Galaxy_Express_999)* (1977–1981).[22]

Ueda's games are considered to have a distinctive style, which Ueda himself describes as "design by subtraction", with sparse landscapes, oversaturated lighting and minimalist story to give his games a personal and distinctive feel. Ueda also said that, in video games, ideas for a gameplay mechanic should be made first, then complemented by a game's story. In 2008, *[IGN](/source/IGN)* ranked Ueda as one of their top 100 game creators of all time, saying that his knack for "creating atmospheric puzzle playgrounds with mute or near-mute characters instills a sense of isolation, yet provides an endearing feeling of hope as the protagonists seek simply to find an exodus or redemption from their weather-worn, ornate prisons".[23]

## Works

Year Game title Role 1996 D no Shokutaku: Director's Cut Animator[24] 1997 Enemy Zero CGI animator[24] 2001 Ico Director, game designer, key animator, character designer 2005 Shadow of the Colossus Director, game designer, writer 2016 The Last Guardian Director, producer, game designer, narrative designer TBA Project Robot Director

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Fumito Ueda at Game For Future 2007"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081017100153/http://www.tigmagazine.com/gff07.html). 2007. Archived from [the original](http://www.tigmagazine.com/gff07.html) on October 17, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Bettenhausen, Shane; Mielke, James, ["Japan's Wayward Son \[transcript reprinted from Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sep 2008)\]"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121103161444/http://www.1up.com/features/kenji-eno-breaks-silence?pager.offset=6), *www.1up.com*, p. 7 of 10, archived from [the original](http://www.1up.com/features/kenji-eno-breaks-silence) on November 3, 2012, 1UP: One of your animators on Enemy Zero was a young guy named Fumito Ueda, who most people know as being the creator of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Did you see his potential, you know, for the future when you worked with him on Enemy Zero? KE: At the very beginning, he didn't pass the application process at Warp. But I still remember the work that he submitted; it was about a dog running in the rain. His technology as an animator, as a CG artist, wasn't that great, but his ideas and his concepts really struck me, so even though he originally wasn't on the hiring list, I handpicked him because I saw his potential. Not potential as a graphic artist, but his design and concepts struck me, so that's why I picked him out. However, people ask me a lot about Ueda, but he didn't stay at Warp for a long time. It's not like I groomed him or anything; he already had the talent when he came to work, and he's a talented person, so he went to whatever future he was supposed to go to. That's how I see Ueda.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** 上田文人 (@fumito_ueda) (February 21, 2013), ["僕が初めてビデオゲームの世界に入ったのが飯野賢治さん率いる(株)WARPという会社でした。1年半ほどの短い時間でしたがそこで濃密な時間を過ごさせてもらったことが今の自分に繋がってると思います。ちゃんとお礼を伝えられなかったのが悔やまれます。心からご冥福をお祈り申し上げます。"](https://twitter.com/fumito_ueda/status/304575060109303809) [My first experience in the world of video games was at a company WARP, led by Kenji Iino. It was a short time of about one and a half years ...], *twitter.com* (in Japanese), no. 304575060109303809

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Gibson, Ellie (August 4, 2008). ["Sony boss praises Ico team's new game"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081211172402/http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=204425). *[Eurogamer](/source/Eurogamer)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=204425) on December 11, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["From Ico to The Last Guardian (Page 2 Of 2)"](http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/07/03/from-ico-to-the-last-guardian?page=2). *[IGN](/source/IGN)*. July 3, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["The Last Guardian sera bien lié à Ico et Shadow of the Colossus"](http://www.jeuxvideo.com/news/2009/00037421-the-last-guardian-sera-bien-lie-a-ico-et-shadow-of-the-colossus.htm) (in French). September 24, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Razak, Matthew (October 3, 2009), ["Ueda wants to make an FPS, loves Half-Life 2"](https://www.destructoid.com/ueda-wants-to-make-an-fps-loves-half-life-2-150814.phtml), *www.destructoid.com*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Fumito Ueda's A Big Half-Life 2 Fan Interested In Making A First Person Game"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091007074531/http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/699720/Fumito-Uedas-A-Big-Half-Life-2-Fan-Interested-In-Making-A-First-Person-Game.html), *g4tv.com*, archived from [the original](http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/699720/Fumito-Uedas-A-Big-Half-Life-2-Fan-Interested-In-Making-A-First-Person-Game.html) on October 7, 2009, [via a Translator] *".. the way they [Half-Life 2 developer Valve] implemented constraints was something different that I enjoyed, compared to other games."* [...] Q. Given his appreciation for Valve's brand of storytelling and appreciation of what's possible from that vantage point, does that mean he'd consider making a move into the first-person in the future? *"I have an interest in making first-person games,"* he said.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Curtis, Tom (December 12, 2011). ["Confirmed: Ico Creator Fumito Ueda Leaves Sony"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111214011234/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39100/Confirmed_Ico_Creator_Fumito_Ueda_Leaves_Sony.php). *[Gamasutra](/source/Gamasutra)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39100/Confirmed_Ico_Creator_Fumito_Ueda_Leaves_Sony.php) on December 14, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Copeland, Wesley (June 17, 2015). ["Fumito Ueda Formed a New Studio With Ico/Shadow Devs"](https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06/17/fumito-ueda-formed-a-new-studio-with-icoshadow-devs). *[IGN](/source/IGN)*. Retrieved March 26, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Bohn, Dieter (June 13, 2016). ["The Last Guardian is coming to PlayStation 4 on October 25th"](https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/13/11915720/the-last-guardian-release-date-announced-trailer-sony-playstation-e3-2016). *[The Verge](/source/The_Verge)*. Retrieved June 13, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Romano, Sal (September 12, 2018), ["Fumito Ueda's next project underway, rivals the scale of previous titles"](https://gematsu.com/2018/09/fumito-uedas-next-project-underway-rivals-the-scale-of-previous-titles), *gematsu.com*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Leone, Matt (September 13, 2018). ["Meet Kowloon Nights, the group funding Fumito Ueda's next game"](https://www.polygon.com/features/2018/9/13/17853204/kowloon-nights-investment-fund-fumito-ueda-gendesign). *Polygon*. Retrieved July 8, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Robinson, Andy (March 26, 2020). ["Epic will publish games from Remedy, Playdead and Gen Design"](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/epic-will-publish-games-from-remedy-playdead-and-gen-design/). *[Video Games Chronicle](/source/Video_Games_Chronicle)*. Retrieved March 26, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Valentine, Rebekah (December 13, 2024). ["Fumito Ueda's Next Game, Probably Codenamed 'Project Robot', Officially Revealed - The Game Awards 2024"](https://www.ign.com/articles/fumito-uedas-next-game-probably-codenamed-project-robot-officially-revealed-the-game-awards-2024). *IGN*. Retrieved December 13, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Barder, Ollie (August 18, 2005). ["A break from the norm"](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2005/aug/18/games.shopping). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. Retrieved August 25, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** blackoak. ["ICO – 2002 Developer Interview"](http://shmuplations.com/ico/). *Shmuplations*. Retrieved August 25, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-fu0_18-0)** ["The Last Guardian creator: 'I can't face playing my own game'"](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/28/the-last-guardian-fumito-ueda-interview). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. June 28, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["shadow of the colossus"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200203085749/http://archives.insertcredit.com/reviews/wanda/). October 25, 2005. Archived from [the original](https://archives.insertcredit.com/reviews/wanda/) on February 3, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["Watch The Last Guardian's spectacular new CG trailer"](https://blog.eu.playstation.com/2016/11/18/watch-the-last-guardians-spectacular-new-cg-trailer/). *[PlayStation Blog](/source/PlayStation_Blog)*. November 18, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["'The Last Guardian' Creator Ueda on His First Game Job and the Late Kenji Eno"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170211075843/http://www.glixel.com/interviews/the-last-guardian-creator-talks-first-game-job-kenji-eno-w459337). *Glixel*. January 6, 2017. Archived from [the original](http://www.glixel.com/interviews/the-last-guardian-creator-talks-first-game-job-kenji-eno-w459337) on February 11, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** "The PlayStation 2 Interview: Fumita Ueda", *[Official PlayStation 2 Magazine](/source/PlayStation_Official_Magazine_%E2%80%93_UK)*, no. 19, April 2002

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** ["46. Fumito Ueda"](http://www.ign.com/lists/top-100-game-creators/46). *[IGN](/source/IGN)*. 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2017.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-TSoFU_24-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-TSoFU_24-1) shmuplations (December 26, 2021). ["Fumito Ueda – 2005 Developer Interview - shmuplations.com"](https://shmuplations.com/ueda/). Retrieved April 10, 2025.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Fumito Ueda](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Fumito_Ueda).

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- [Official website](http://www.fumi.to/)

v t e Team Ico Video games Ico Shadow of the Colossus (remake) The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection The Last Guardian People Fumito Ueda Kenji Kaido

[Portals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals):
- [Biography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Biography)
- [Japan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Japan)
- [Video games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Video_games)

Authority control databases International VIAF WorldCat Other IdRef

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fumito Ueda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumito_Ueda) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumito_Ueda?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.