Keita Takahashi is a legend of the gaming industry, having created the Katamari franchise that began with Katamari Damacy on the PS2 back in 2004, and it's a series that still continues to achieve success to this day. His latest title that was released earlier this year, however, has unfortunately suffered poor sales.
As revealed in an interview with GamesRadar (thanks to Push Square for highlighting this as well!), Takahashi advised that the May 2025 Xbox Game Pass title To A T failed to "sell well" and that he's recently returned to Japan - in part because of the game's disappointing sales numbers.
"I don't think anyone tries to make a niche game. The title "niche game" is just a result. I know my games are far from mainstream. I recently returned to Japan, and one of the reasons I had to do was because "to a T" didn't sell well. This is a risk of being independent, and I'm willing to take it, but I don't think it's a question of niche or traditional, it's a question of whether people like it or not. I believe there is still room for new ideas, and unfortunately "to a T" just wasn't a good fit. But I think the situation is what it is."
As a result, Takahashi says his focus is now on supporting his kids in Japan, and then he's going to figure out what to do next. He questions whether he belongs in the games industry, stating that he'll "look elsewhere" if necessary.
"My next goal is to support my children and find them a school in Japan. Then, if I feel that I don't belong in the games industry, I'll have to look elsewhere."
Despite this, it sounds like his passion for making games hasn't wavered. In a follow-up question, he mentions that it's "getting harder" to make experimental titles like To A T, but he still wants to create "more fun and weird games" if anyone's keen in investing in his indie studio (known as "uvula").
He also goes on to highlight how he has "interesting ideas" for Katamari Damacy that he'd love to work on, and that it would be "very interesting" to link up with Bandai Namco and work on the IP again.
"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."
Whatever happens next, it's a shame to see To A T struggling in the sales department. Some may point to Xbox Game Pass as a reason why it sold poorly, but it sounds like it suffered across all platforms — certainly not just on Xbox alone.
For what it's worth, To a T received a Metacritic average of 73 when it released back in May, but some people reckon it's a Game of the Year candidate and an absolute must-play. We're keen to hear what you think of it down below, as well as what Keita Takahashi should do next with his career (fingers crossed he doesn't leave the industry!).