Shinji Mikami was the director on several of the original Resident Evil games, making him something of a living legend within the horror gaming sphere. Not only did he help create one of the franchises that pioneered the survival-horror genre - and even coined the term survival horror in the original Resident Evil - but he's also gone on to work on many more horror titles. According to a recent interview, Mikami would like to direct at least one more game before he leaves the director's chair for good.
Over the years, Shinji Mikami's gaming catalog has extended to include classics like Resident Evil 4, cult hits like Dino Crisis, and even action titles like Vanquish. He's been heavily involved in even more games, particularly after founding his own studio, Tango Gameworks.
Although Mikami isn't directing the upcoming action-adventure title Ghostwire: Tokyo, he still played an important role in the project. In a recent VG247 interview with Mikami, the legendary game director noted that he'd currently handed off directorial duties to other members of Tango Gameworks. However, he expressed a desire to direct one more game before he finally retires. As of writing, it's unclear when he's planning this final directorial outing to take place - it may not be coming in the near future.
Shinji Mikami is currently 56 years old and has been working in the video game industry for over 30 years. During that time, he's created several memorable hits, left his mark on the industry as a whole, and worked on a number of weird little titles that didn't quite take off. Apparently, he created Tango Gameworks so that a new generation of young and talented creators could have a chance to spread their wings and thrive. Ghostwire: Tokyo may be a strong argument in favor of Mikami's goal, but it may not be a surprise to hear that he isn't quite ready to let go of the director's chair just yet.
Zenimax producer Masato Kimura noted that they don't want Shinji Mikami to call this upcoming title his final game necessarily. This may make sense to gamers, especially since Tango Gameworks' next project will definitely not be directed by Mikami. The final game Mikami will be directing - and his eventual retirement - still appear to be a while off. Fans of Resident Evil and Mikami's other work can likely still look forward to more titles with his stamp on them before this legendary game director finally steps down.
Source: VG247
