Acknowledgement that it ‘took longer than anyone expected’
The Last Guardianhas had one of the most tumultuous development cycles in recent memory. It started development in 2007 before its announcement as a PlayStation 3 title at E3 in 2009. It wasdelayed repeatedlybefore shifting to the next generation of consoles, reintroduced for the PS4 at Sony’sE3 press conferencein 2015. Apparently,the PS3’s hardware was insufficientto runThe Last Guardianat a reasonable framerate. Before the shift, the game’s director,Fumito Ueda, left Sony. Shortly after, the rest ofThe Last Guardian‘s developers, Team ICO,went silent, leading some to think the gamehad been cancelled. Even thePS4 version has been delayedrepeatedly, but it looks as though it’sfinally, really coming outnext week.
With all of that baggage attached,The Last Guardianhas a lot of expectations to live up to. It’s hard to work on anything for so many years without becoming attached, and it appears as though Mr. Ueda realizes that many people have been looking forward toThe Last Guardianfor a very long time. That’s why the media kit for the game included a letter to fans who’ve had no choice but to wait patiently,posted first by Eurogamer:
In case you can’t read the message, the full text is posted after the break. The letter mentions Ueda’s “relief” that the project is finished, as well as the many “twists and turns” that have come betweenThe Last Guardian‘s inception and the finished product. Ueda’s message closes with a sketch of Trico, the titular Guardian.
Dear Adventurers
It’s been a long time coming, but I take great pleasure (and relief!) in knowing thatThe Last Guardianis in your hands.
When we first began work onThe Last Guardian, I intended it to take from and build on our experience working inICOandShadow of the Colossus, making it something akin to a greatest hits album. Unfortunately, as you know, we ran into a few twists and turns along the way, and the title took longer than anyone expected. Still, just asICOandShadow of the Colossusare truly unique games, so too isThe Last Guardianan experience unlike any other.
As you play, take the time to stop and enjoy the scenery as you follow these unlikely companions on their journey. And you definitely won’t want to miss the ending!
The development team and I hope you all have a wonderful time with The Last Guardian. Nothing would make us happier.
Fumito Ueda
The Last Guardian media kit includes a heartfelt message from creator Fumito Ueda[Eurogamer]
