Difference between revisions of "Newtopia Planning"

From TheAlmightyGuru
Jump to: navigation, search
(Staff)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Newtopia Planning''' (localized as ニュートピアプランニング) was a Japanese video game developer which seems to have existed from around 1987 to 1989. Every game they worked on was published by [[Pony Canyon]], and all but one was an [[Ultima (universe)|''Ultima'']] port. These facts lead me to believe that Pony Canyon created the development team in-house to handle the ports, and dissolved the team when they were finished. The company doesn't appear to have a logo. As far as I can tell, the company only worked on a single game that wasn't an ''Ultima'' port, but it was very similar to ''[[Space Harrier]]''.
+
'''Newtopia Planning''' (localized as ニュートピアプランニング) was a Japanese video game developer. The company has only a limited historical impact, they didn't use a logo, and, based on the publication of their games, it seems to have existed from around 1987 to 1989. Every game they developed was published by [[Pony Canyon]], and all but one was a port of an [[Ultima (universe)|''Ultima'']] title. Several of the games they developed lack credits, so it's difficult to know specifically who worked for the company.
  
The first game I played that was made by Newtopia Planning was ''[[Ultima: Exodus]]'' on the NES. Many years later, after researching the ''Ultima'' franchise, I discovered that they were responsible for porting several of the games to Japanese home computers and consoles.
+
Because so little is known about the company, I am forced to guess at their history. My hypothesis is that in 1986, a small development team calling themselves "Newtopia Planning" was looking for a publisher for a ''[[Space Harrier]]'' clone they were working on called ''[[Attack Animal Gakuen]]''. Pony Canyon, who just secured the rights from [[Origin Systems]] to port ''Ultima'' titles to Japanese platforms, said they would publish the game, but only if Newtopia also handled the ''Ultima'' ports (with a little help from existing Pony Canyon employees). ''Attack Animal Gakuen'' was released to little fanfare, and once Pony Canyon's ''Ultima'' contract ended, they decided not to use Newtopia on any future games. Newtopia most likely signed a non-compete contract, since most of the staff never showed up in the credits for any future games, and the group disbanded.
 +
 
 +
On the Famicom box of ''[[Attack Animal Gakuen]]'', the company name is spelled "NEW TOPIA," but this is probably a typo, as the cartridge spells it "NEWTOPIA," and every other box and media I've checked does as well.
 +
 
 +
The first game I played that was made by Newtopia Planning was ''[[Ultima: Exodus]]'' on the NES, but it meant nothing to me. It wasn't until many years later, when I was researching the composer of ''Ultima: Exodus'' that I began to learn about the company, and not until 2019, when I was researching for this article, that I learned more about the company.
  
 
==Games==
 
==Games==
Line 12: Line 16:
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
This is a list of every game I could find that Newtopia Planning co-developed:
+
This is a list of every game I could find that Newtopia Planning worked on:
  
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
! Released !! Platforms !! Title
 
! Released !! Platforms !! Title
 
|-
 
|-
| 1987-07-18 || PC-9801, PC-8801, Sharp X1, MSX2, FM-7 || ''[[Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar]]''
+
| 1987-07-18 || [[PC-9801]], [[PC-8801]], [[Sharp X1]], [[MSX2]], [[FM-7]] || ''[[Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar]]''
 
|-
 
|-
| 1987-10-09 || Famicom, NES || ''[[Ultima: Exodus]]''
+
| 1987-10-09 || [[Famicom]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] || ''[[Ultima: Exodus]]''
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 1987-12-26 || Famicom || ''[[Attack Animal Gakuen]]''
 
| 1987-12-26 || Famicom || ''[[Attack Animal Gakuen]]''
 
|-
 
|-
| 1988-12-12 || X68000 || ''[[Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar]]''
+
| 1988-12-12 || [[X68000]] || ''[[Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar]]''
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 1988-??-?? || MSX2 || ''[[Ultima: Exodus]]''
 
| 1988-??-?? || MSX2 || ''[[Ultima: Exodus]]''
Line 39: Line 43:
 
Because Newtopia Planning always worked in conjunction with other companies, it's difficult to know which employees worked at Newtopia and which worked for the other companies. Of those who appear to have worked for Newtopia Planning, I appreciate the work of:
 
Because Newtopia Planning always worked in conjunction with other companies, it's difficult to know which employees worked at Newtopia and which worked for the other companies. Of those who appear to have worked for Newtopia Planning, I appreciate the work of:
  
* [[Atsushi Fujimori]] - Graphic artist
+
* [[Atsushi Fujimori]] - Graphic artist for ''Ultima: Exodus'' and ''Attack Animal Gakuen''
 
* [[Tsugutoshi Goto]] - Musician (Probably worked for Pony Canyon, not Newtopia Planning)
 
* [[Tsugutoshi Goto]] - Musician (Probably worked for Pony Canyon, not Newtopia Planning)
 +
 +
This is a more detailed list of everyone I could find who worked on a game partially developed by Newtopia Planning.
 +
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
! Name
 +
! Details
 +
! Outside of Newtopia
 +
|-
 +
| Yasuo Hattori
 +
| U3(NES, MSX2): Producer. AAG(NES): Director, music composer. U4(NES, MSX2): Producer.
 +
| No other credits.
 +
|-
 +
| Aya Nishitani
 +
| U3(NES): Special Thanks. AAG(NES): Game designer, story writer.
 +
| No other credits.
 +
|-
 +
| Atsushi Fujimori
 +
| U3(NES, MSX2): Character designer. AAG(NES): Illustrator, not pixel art.
 +
| No other credits.
 +
|-
 +
| Masaichiro Hirano
 +
| U3(NES, MSX2): Producer. U4(MSX2): Producer.
 +
| Produced ''Super Runner'' in 1987.
 +
|-
 +
| Junichi Ishii
 +
| U3(NES, MSX2): Director.
 +
| Directed ''Super Runner'' in 1987.
 +
|-
 +
| Kunihiko Kagawa
 +
| U3(NES, MSX2): Director. U4(NES, MSX2): Director. U1(MSX2): Director.
 +
| Credited to [[Marionette]] games before and after Newtopia. Then went to [[Locus Company]], [[Atelier Double]], then [[Soliton Soft]]. Last credit was in 1999.
 +
|-
 +
| Kouji Ichikawa
 +
| U3(NES, MSX2): Coordinator. U4(NES): Coordinator. U4(MSX2): Special thanks. U4(PC98): Special thanks. U1(MSX2): Coordinator.
 +
| After Newtopia, worked at [[Atelier Double]], [[Opera House], [[Rumic Soft]], [[Locus Company]]. Last game was in 2001.
 +
|-
 +
| Masuko Mori
 +
| U3(NES, MSX2): Coordinator. U4(MSX2): Special thanks. U4(PC98): Special thanks.
 +
| Did 1 game with [[Opera House]] in 1988.
 +
|-
 +
| Takeshi Yasuda
 +
| U1: Music.
 +
| Went on to work for [[Marionette]] then [[Opera House]], both as a musician. Last game was in 1995.
 +
|-
 +
| Takaaki Ushiki
 +
| U3(NES): Lead programmer
 +
| Only other game was for [[Infinity]] in 1993.
 +
|-
 +
| Mutsuko Arata
 +
| U3(NES, MSX2): Sales promotion.
 +
| Worked for [[Marionette]] before Newtopia, and promoted ''Super Runner'' in 1987.
 +
|-
 +
| Hirorin Shimaoka
 +
| AAG: Graphic driver.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Life Checker
 +
| AAG: 3D advisor.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Tsuhkai Squash Yaroh
 +
| AAG: Programmer. Perhaps the same person as Takaaki Ushiki?
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Otohsan
 +
| AAG: Audio driver.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Omaisan
 +
| AAG: Music arranger.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Mimi Man
 +
| AAG: Pixel artist.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Apple Taizou
 +
| AAG: Pixel artist.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Life Checker
 +
| AAG: 3D advisor.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Sailor Norilin
 +
| AAG: Costume of Nokko.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Shang Hai King
 +
| AAG: Mystery staff.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Homerun Ken
 +
| AAG: Setting.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Penpal Knight
 +
| AAG: Professional watcher.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Kohichi Shirato
 +
| AAG: Special thanks.
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| Minoru Kobayashi
 +
| AAG: Special thanks.
 +
|
 +
|}
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==

Revision as of 17:01, 31 May 2019

Newtopia Planning (localized as ニュートピアプランニング) was a Japanese video game developer. The company has only a limited historical impact, they didn't use a logo, and, based on the publication of their games, it seems to have existed from around 1987 to 1989. Every game they developed was published by Pony Canyon, and all but one was a port of an Ultima title. Several of the games they developed lack credits, so it's difficult to know specifically who worked for the company.

Because so little is known about the company, I am forced to guess at their history. My hypothesis is that in 1986, a small development team calling themselves "Newtopia Planning" was looking for a publisher for a Space Harrier clone they were working on called Attack Animal Gakuen. Pony Canyon, who just secured the rights from Origin Systems to port Ultima titles to Japanese platforms, said they would publish the game, but only if Newtopia also handled the Ultima ports (with a little help from existing Pony Canyon employees). Attack Animal Gakuen was released to little fanfare, and once Pony Canyon's Ultima contract ended, they decided not to use Newtopia on any future games. Newtopia most likely signed a non-compete contract, since most of the staff never showed up in the credits for any future games, and the group disbanded.

On the Famicom box of Attack Animal Gakuen, the company name is spelled "NEW TOPIA," but this is probably a typo, as the cartridge spells it "NEWTOPIA," and every other box and media I've checked does as well.

The first game I played that was made by Newtopia Planning was Ultima: Exodus on the NES, but it meant nothing to me. It wasn't until many years later, when I was researching the composer of Ultima: Exodus that I began to learn about the company, and not until 2019, when I was researching for this article, that I learned more about the company.

Games

These are the Newtopia Planning games that are important to me.

NES

This is a list of every game I could find that Newtopia Planning worked on:

Released Platforms Title
1987-07-18 PC-9801, PC-8801, Sharp X1, MSX2, FM-7 Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
1987-10-09 Famicom, NES Ultima: Exodus
1987-12-26 Famicom Attack Animal Gakuen
1988-12-12 X68000 Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
1988-??-?? MSX2 Ultima: Exodus
1989-09-20 Famicom, NES Ultima: Quest of the Avatar
1989-09-24 PC-9801, PC-8801, MSX2 Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress
1989-11-21 PC-9801, PC-8801, Sharp X1 Ultima III: Exodus
1989-12-21 PC-9801, PC-8801, Sharp X1, MSX2 Ultima I: First Age of Darkness

Staff

Because Newtopia Planning always worked in conjunction with other companies, it's difficult to know which employees worked at Newtopia and which worked for the other companies. Of those who appear to have worked for Newtopia Planning, I appreciate the work of:

  • Atsushi Fujimori - Graphic artist for Ultima: Exodus and Attack Animal Gakuen
  • Tsugutoshi Goto - Musician (Probably worked for Pony Canyon, not Newtopia Planning)

This is a more detailed list of everyone I could find who worked on a game partially developed by Newtopia Planning.

Name Details Outside of Newtopia
Yasuo Hattori U3(NES, MSX2): Producer. AAG(NES): Director, music composer. U4(NES, MSX2): Producer. No other credits.
Aya Nishitani U3(NES): Special Thanks. AAG(NES): Game designer, story writer. No other credits.
Atsushi Fujimori U3(NES, MSX2): Character designer. AAG(NES): Illustrator, not pixel art. No other credits.
Masaichiro Hirano U3(NES, MSX2): Producer. U4(MSX2): Producer. Produced Super Runner in 1987.
Junichi Ishii U3(NES, MSX2): Director. Directed Super Runner in 1987.
Kunihiko Kagawa U3(NES, MSX2): Director. U4(NES, MSX2): Director. U1(MSX2): Director. Credited to Marionette games before and after Newtopia. Then went to Locus Company, Atelier Double, then Soliton Soft. Last credit was in 1999.
Kouji Ichikawa U3(NES, MSX2): Coordinator. U4(NES): Coordinator. U4(MSX2): Special thanks. U4(PC98): Special thanks. U1(MSX2): Coordinator. After Newtopia, worked at Atelier Double, [[Opera House], Rumic Soft, Locus Company. Last game was in 2001.
Masuko Mori U3(NES, MSX2): Coordinator. U4(MSX2): Special thanks. U4(PC98): Special thanks. Did 1 game with Opera House in 1988.
Takeshi Yasuda U1: Music. Went on to work for Marionette then Opera House, both as a musician. Last game was in 1995.
Takaaki Ushiki U3(NES): Lead programmer Only other game was for Infinity in 1993.
Mutsuko Arata U3(NES, MSX2): Sales promotion. Worked for Marionette before Newtopia, and promoted Super Runner in 1987.
Hirorin Shimaoka AAG: Graphic driver.
Life Checker AAG: 3D advisor.
Tsuhkai Squash Yaroh AAG: Programmer. Perhaps the same person as Takaaki Ushiki?
Otohsan AAG: Audio driver.
Omaisan AAG: Music arranger.
Mimi Man AAG: Pixel artist.
Apple Taizou AAG: Pixel artist.
Life Checker AAG: 3D advisor.
Sailor Norilin AAG: Costume of Nokko.
Shang Hai King AAG: Mystery staff.
Homerun Ken AAG: Setting.
Penpal Knight AAG: Professional watcher.
Kohichi Shirato AAG: Special thanks.
Minoru Kobayashi AAG: Special thanks.

Links

Link-MobyGames.png