Keita Takahashi, the creator of the beloved Katamari Damacy series, recently revealed his motivation for leaving Bandai Namco after 11 years was to broaden his creative horizons by working with a more diverse team.

Takahashi's departure in 2010 paved the way for his latest project, 'To a T,' which will be published by Annapurna Interactive. He emphasized the importance of sharing skills and experience with developers from around the world to gain fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.

In an interview, Takahashi explained, "I left (Bandai Namco) because I didn't want to be limited to working with just the people there.  I was thinking, why am I always only making games with Japanese people?"

He added, "I believed that collaborating with individuals from different countries would enrich the creative process and offer unique viewpoints."

"Currently, I'm working with a diverse team from all over the world."

Takahashi also highlighted the value of understanding diverse cultural norms and expectations during game development.

He shared an anecdote: "American schools don't have the custom of changing shoes like Japanese schools do. One of my team members once asked me what the shoe locker area in schools was like. I tried to describe the abundance of shoes and the peculiar smell... but it's a uniquely Japanese phenomenon."

He continued, "I wasn't familiar with American school culture, so I had no choice but to incorporate Japanese elements."

Takahashi expressed his dedication to creating games he personally enjoys and hopes others will find appealing as well.

He added with a touch of humor,  "Perhaps I should consider the target audience more, but I'll think about that in my next life."

'To a T' will be released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X on May 28th, and will also be available on Xbox Game Pass.

A new Katamari Damacy title, 'We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie,' has also been announced, exclusively for Apple Arcade. This marks the first original Katamari game in nearly eight years and will launch on April 3rd.  Players will once again roll the Katamari to "roll, stick, and grow bigger" to please the King of All Cosmos.