Keita Takahashi, the brilliant mind behind Katamari Damacy, is packing his bags and leaving San Francisco after more than a decade as an indie developer. The reason? His heartfelt game To a T didn’t sell well enough to sustain his studio Uvula. In a remarkably candid interview with GamesRadar, Takahashi opened up about financial struggles, his uncertain future in games, and the one thing that keeps haunting him: he wishes he owned the Katamari Damacy IP.
To a T Didn’t Connect With Players
Released on May 28, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, To a T tells the story of a teenager permanently stuck in a T-pose navigating everyday life. The game was structured like an anime series, complete with opening and closing songs for each episode. Takahashi created it as a response to what he called the downer vibes of 2019 America, wanting to bring smiles and positive energy to players during a dark time.
Critics who played it generally enjoyed the experience. The game carried Takahashi’s signature whimsical style, telling a touching story about not fitting in while maintaining his trademark sense of humor. But enjoyment from critics doesn’t pay the bills. According to Takahashi, the game simply didn’t sell well. The commercial failure hit hard enough that he’s uprooting his family and moving back to Japan after living in San Francisco since the early 2010s.
What makes this particularly sad is how little buzz the game generated. Despite being published by Annapurna Interactive, a company known for supporting quirky indie titles, To a T released with barely a whisper. Many gaming communities only learned about the game’s existence when Takahashi revealed its poor sales performance. A $20 price tag and day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass should have helped, but apparently it wasn’t enough.
The Harsh Reality of Independent Development
When asked about working in a niche versus chasing mainstream success, Takahashi’s response cut straight to the heart of indie game development’s brutal economics. He doesn’t think anyone tries to make a niche game. The niche label is just the result. He knows his games are far from mainstream, but he’s willing to take the risks that come with independence.
However, he clarified it’s not really about niche versus traditional. It’s about whether people like your game or not. To a T just wasn’t a good fit for enough players. He believes there’s still room for new ideas in gaming, but his particular vision didn’t resonate this time. The situation is what it is, he said with characteristic philosophical acceptance.
What’s Next for Takahashi?
The interview takes a somber turn when discussing his future. Takahashi’s next goal isn’t making another game. It’s supporting his children and finding them a school in Japan. Only after settling his family will he consider what comes next professionally. And here’s the kicker: if he feels he doesn’t belong in the games industry anymore, he’ll have to look elsewhere for work.
That statement should send chills down the spine of anyone who loves creative, weird games. One of gaming’s most innovative designers, the man who created a game about rolling up objects into increasingly large balls and somehow made it magical, is seriously questioning whether he has a place in the industry. When asked if the industry makes space for experimental games like To a T, he gave a blunt assessment: it’s definitely getting harder for him.
He ended that thought with a plea: If anyone wants to invest in Uvula, let me know. Let’s make more fun and weird games. It’s both hopeful and heartbreaking, a creative visionary essentially crowdfunding his studio’s survival in a public interview.
I Wish I Had the Katamari IP
When the conversation turned to Katamari Damacy, Takahashi dropped the interview’s most revealing line. When asked how he feels about being introduced as the creator of Katamari and whether he’d return to the series, his first response was simple and direct: I wish I had the Katamari Damacy IP.
He doesn’t own the franchise he created. Bandai Namco holds those rights, having continued the series long after Takahashi left the company in 2010. The publisher released Beautiful Katamari, Katamari Forever, and most recently We Love Katamari Reroll Royal Reverie in 2023, all without Takahashi’s involvement. He receives no royalties from these releases despite creating the entire concept.
But Takahashi isn’t bitter about it. He’s glad the game and characters are still loved today. More importantly, he revealed something that should excite Katamari fans everywhere: In many ways, I have some interesting ideas for Katamari Damacy that only I could come up with. If I have the opportunity to work with Bandai Namco again, it would be a very interesting project.
Why Takahashi Left Bandai Namco
| Year | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Joined Namco | Started in art department, not game design |
| 2004 | Katamari Damacy Released | Surprise hit and cult classic |
| 2009 | Noby Noby Boy Released | Last game before leaving Namco |
| 2010 | Left Bandai Namco | Founded Uvula studio with wife |
| 2011 | Moved to Vancouver | Worked on browser game Glitch |
| 2019 | Wattam Released | First major indie release |
| 2025 | To a T Released | Poor sales, moving back to Japan |
Understanding why Takahashi doesn’t own Katamari requires understanding his position at Namco when he created it. He worked in the art department, not game design. There was no easy path for him to pitch game ideas to company leadership. An executive named Ozaki suggested using the Namco Digital Hollywood Game Laboratory, essentially a game development school, to prototype the concept.
Students at the school were learning to be CG artists, and Ozaki needed a game idea that junior artists could collaborate on easily. Takahashi’s concept of rolling up objects fit perfectly. The students could create items for the katamari to collect. The prototype succeeded, leading to full development with outside studio Now Production.
As a company employee working on company time with company resources, Takahashi had no ownership stake in what he created. This is standard practice in the industry but creates situations like this, where visionary creators watch others profit from their ideas for decades.
Takahashi left Namco in 2010 for multiple reasons. In previous interviews, he mentioned always working, even during New Year’s holidays when the entire country takes vacation. He felt burned out and disconnected from the passion he saw in developers outside Japan. When he attended international events to promote Katamari, he encountered creators genuinely excited about making games, which he didn’t feel from colleagues at Namco.
The Indie Struggle
After leaving Bandai Namco, Takahashi’s career followed a winding path. He moved to Vancouver to work on Glitch, a browser-based game from Tiny Speck that launched in 2011 and shut down a year later. The studio pivoted to creating Slack, the workplace communication platform, which proved far more successful than the game.
He formed Uvula studio with his wife Asuka Sakai, eventually settling in San Francisco. The studio worked for years on Wattam, a quirky game about friendship and making connections that released in 2019 to mixed reviews. While critics appreciated its charm, it never found mainstream success.
To a T represented six years of work following Wattam. Takahashi wanted to create something positive in response to Trump-era America and the approaching pandemic. He focused on storytelling over traditional gameplay mechanics, structuring it like a TV show to deliver joy and laughter. Players would experience both touching and stupid moments, he promised.
But good intentions don’t guarantee commercial success. The game released with minimal marketing fanfare despite Annapurna’s backing. Priced at just $20 and available on Game Pass day one, it should have found an audience. Instead, it disappeared into the ever-growing pile of indie games released weekly across multiple platforms.
Could Takahashi Return to Katamari?
The million-dollar question is whether Bandai Namco would actually collaborate with Takahashi on a new Katamari game. The company has shown willingness to continue the franchise without him, releasing remasters and new entries that sell well enough to justify further investment. We Love Katamari Reroll Royal Reverie proved there’s still demand for the series.
But could Takahashi’s unique vision justify bringing him back? He claims to have ideas that only he could come up with, which makes sense given his intimate understanding of what made the original special. Katamari wasn’t just about rolling objects into balls. It was about absurdist humor, genuine heart, and game design that prioritized joy over challenge.
The newer Katamari games, while competent, lack some of the original’s magic precisely because they’re created by teams trying to replicate Takahashi’s vision rather than embodying it. Having the actual creator return could reinvigorate the franchise in ways a straightforward sequel never could.
However, Takahashi’s current situation makes collaboration complicated. He’s moving back to Japan, which helps from a proximity standpoint, but he’s also questioning whether he belongs in games at all. He needs financial stability to support his family, and working with Bandai Namco on a Katamari project could provide that. The question is whether Bandai Namco sees value in that partnership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn’t Keita Takahashi own the Katamari Damacy IP?
Takahashi created Katamari Damacy while employed at Namco using company resources and time. As is standard in the gaming industry, the company retained ownership of intellectual property created by employees. He left Namco in 2010 without any rights to the franchise he created.
What is To a T about?
To a T is a narrative adventure game about a teenager permanently stuck in a T-pose, the default 3D modeling position. Structured like a TV anime with episodic content and opening/closing songs, the game explores everyday life with a physical limitation while maintaining Takahashi’s signature whimsical humor.
Why did To a T fail commercially?
While Takahashi hasn’t provided specific sales figures, he stated the game didn’t sell well enough to sustain his studio. Despite positive reviews from critics who played it, the game generated minimal buzz and many players weren’t even aware of its existence until after its May 2025 release.
Is Keita Takahashi retiring from game development?
Not officially, but he’s uncertain about his future. He stated that after settling his family in Japan, if he feels he doesn’t belong in the games industry anymore, he’ll look for work elsewhere. He’s open to continuing if someone wants to invest in Uvula studio.
Has Bandai Namco made Katamari games without Takahashi?
Yes. Since Takahashi left in 2010, Bandai Namco has released multiple Katamari titles including Beautiful Katamari, Katamari Forever, and We Love Katamari Reroll Royal Reverie in 2023. Takahashi receives no royalties from these releases.
What ideas does Takahashi have for new Katamari games?
He didn’t share specifics but stated he has interesting ideas for Katamari Damacy that only he could come up with. He expressed interest in collaborating with Bandai Namco again, calling it a potentially very interesting project.
Where can I play To a T?
To a T is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC through Steam and Epic Games Store. It’s also included with Xbox Game Pass. The game costs $20, though it occasionally goes on sale.
Why did Takahashi leave Bandai Namco originally?
He left in 2010 citing burnout from constant work, even during holidays. He also felt disconnected from the passion he saw in international developers and wanted to collaborate with creators outside Japan to gain different perspectives and ideas.
A Creative Crossroads
Keita Takahashi’s story represents everything beautiful and brutal about independent game development. When a creative visionary works within a large company, they get resources and stability but lose ownership of their creations. When they go independent, they gain creative freedom but face financial precarity. There’s no perfect solution.
The fact that Takahashi might leave game development entirely would be a genuine loss for the medium. His games bring joy in ways few others achieve. They’re weird, wonderful, and utterly unique. But he has a family to support and bills to pay. Making art for art’s sake is a luxury that becomes harder to justify when your children need food and education.
If there’s any justice in the gaming industry, someone with deep pockets and an appreciation for experimental games will step up to fund Uvula’s next project. Or perhaps Bandai Namco will recognize the value of bringing Takahashi back to Katamari, creating something that could revitalize the franchise while giving him financial security. Either way, the industry needs more Keita Takahashis, not fewer. Here’s hoping his story doesn’t end with a move back to Japan and a quiet exit from games. The medium would be poorer for it.