The Design Philosophy of Fumito Ueda | Ico , Shadow of the Colossus and Design by Subtraction

Design by subtraction is the design philosophy often used to describe Fumito Ueda's creative sensibilities, where he removes elements of design that are not integral to the core emotion or theme of his games. Whether, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus or The Last Guardian, this lens permeates the world and aesthetic of his games, generating worlds that are as beautiful as they are elusive. This video aims to find out the origins of design by subtraction, and if there is more to his design philosophy than meets the eye. What we find is that creativity cannot be reduced to a simple expression, it contains its own multitudes , open for evaluation by the audience.
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Sources
- Fumito Ueda Interview , Game Masters
• Game Masters: Fumito U...
- Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Secrets Revealed. Fumito Ueda Interview 1up
• FUMITO UEDA INTERVIEW ...
- Interview Extra: Fumito Ueda (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian) , Cane and Rinse
caneandrinse.c...
-Investigating the origins of The Last Guardian's architecture , Eurogamer
www.eurogamer....
-The Da Vinci interview: Miyuki Miyabe talks with Fumito Ueda
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- Outside the shadows: Talking with the makers of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus , DICE
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- Fumito Ueda at the Nordic Game Conference 2008
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- A puzzling duo: Interview with Fumito Ueda and Kenji Kaido
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- Miyazaki vs Ueda: The path to compelling fantasy , Reboot Develop Conference
www.gamesindus...
- Walking with Giants, Fumito Ueda Interview
• [PS3] ICO & Shadow of ...
- Shadow of the Colossus and the Art of Ma , Variety
variety.com/20...

[@dadanikk]

criminally underrated channel , this is solid stuff. im reminded of the golden age of super bunnyhop. good luck i hope the channel gets the recognition it deserves

[@tristanneal9552]

Loved the bit at the beginning about video games diverging from other media because they allow us to uniquely experience empathy. That's something I often think about and try to let guide my own design philosophy.

[@unlucky_chozo1445]

These games left such an imprint on my life, words really can't describe them. I will patiently wait on the next one because I know it will be something special to experience.

[@jessepbigjdp]

Ueda is my favorite game designer, so this video was a treat despite knowing many of the quotes/interviews already. The way you framed everything really emphasized how Ueda's brilliance can't just be summed up as one thing or another, can't be constricted to a specific style. He has created three masterpieces, and while they share elements with each other, they are each distinctly their own thing. The only designer that rivals Ueda's style to me is Yoshiaki Koizumi, specifically his work on Link's Awakening and Majora's Mask. Would love to see you do a video on him in the future.

[@omarfarooq7211]

Ueda is also my favorite designer as well, his games are artistic masterpieces and there are rarely any games that come close to evoking the same feeling as playing a Ueda game. Interesting how mentioned yoshiaki as well, unfortunately I've never played a zelda game.

[@FieldOfViewGameDesign]

Oh wow, thank you for creating this video! It's a really thoughtful compilation and exploration. I find myself hanging on every word Ueda says-- I can't recall another designer who makes a greater impact on me. Out of the many concepts here, the one that that runs through my head most often is the idea of working with limitations to organically uncover mechanics or themes, rather than beginning with a rigid plan. There's no other game quite like Ueda's games because every component is handcrafted and molded to support a core purpose that, apparently, is constantly evolving. Everything is meaningful, but you're never explicitly told the meaning. It's just a beautiful way to create. - Stephen

[@ZWZDOzLtxBEO]

That was an incredibly well researched video. I'm glad that both you and me have our interests aligned that well. Thank you for making these videos - so far there haven't been a single one I did not enjoy watching.

[@Crooked_Mantis]

11:13 I’m sorry if it’s obvious and I missed it, but I couldn’t find this quote in your sources. Aside from that, I’m really glad you made this video. It’s a great compilation of interviews and material that shows Ueda’s beliefs with his own words and I appreciate it greatly as a fan of his games.

[@mattihol726]

Glad you did the quotes. They nail it in my opinion. Design = consistency.

[@kfm7999]

I have always been entranced by the magic in these games, & unlike other games, couldn’t detail exactly what captivated me. Now I’m currently doing a course on video game art, even covering the programming & game design that is applied to video games, Fumito Ueda is truly a mind unlike many. Being able to understand in how we can create those breathtaking/groundbreaking experiences inspires me to hopefully one day create those experiences.

[@Doddsie212]

This is such a great video, has to be one of my favourites of yours. Despite loving Shadow of the Colossus I don't think I ever would have watched the interviews with Ueda you presented, but I'm beyond glad I've seen them now and heard him discuss his ideas.

[@baptistelasbats3952]

great video man. It's really pleasant to get all this insight into the design philosophy of one of my favourite game designers, and the structure and presentation of the video made it very pleasant and easy to follow. Thanks for your content, I look forward to see you in the next video.

[@LiquidSnake1988]

Since its release, I still at awe on how he is dedicated on making marvelous physic game especially for the horse that no one ever did until RDR2 came. As I grow old, I became very choosy when it comes to games and chooses at most 4 games even among my top 10 favorites of all time. And shadow of the colossus is always my top choice.

[@raisklose6785]

This is an outstanding video, great job. 👍

[@aidanumpherson]

Excellent video. Those three games mean so much to some people. Thanks for sharing the magic.

[@BrandonCourt]

Great video. Your channel is a valuable resource for game designers. Feel like I've said this before already but its true.

[@mattihol726]

I think you are my favorite channel regarding game design.

[@Machowesker17]

I have been so curious to play one of his games for while. Got my eyes set on Shadow of the Colossus and I'll get it soon when I can afford to do so. The Last Guardian too. Maybe one day I'll get Ico too though that one might require more effort since I don't know how long my ps2 have of life. Nice video as always.

[@nokol7538]

Nice

[@okamimimi485]

Ico and shadow of thé Colossus ...good PS2 time^^

[@fabiofabi3997]

WOW

[@kkenshin_]

What is the music at the background that plays in Fumito's interview at 6:25 ?

[@FieldOfViewGameDesign]

That's the save point music "Heal" from Ico! - Stephen

[@kkenshin_]

@@FieldOfViewGameDesign Thanks!