It seems as though recent rumors and speculation can be put to rest, as Gamasutra has reported that esteemed creator of first-party Sony titles such as Shadow of the Colossus, ICO, and the still-in-development The Last Guardian, Fumito Ueda, has officially left Sony.
Instead of continuously trying to cover up the rumors, Sony now confirmed that Udea-san will be working on a contract basis and is “committed to completing” The Last Guardian.
Given all of the delays The Last Guardian has seen in its development lifecycle, it’s not hard to piece together that something has been going a little wrong at Team ICO. We probably won’t find out what exactly made Fumito Ueda leave the team, but we’re sure he still cares about the IP enough to see it through.
What do you think of Ueda leaving Sony? Do you think that his absence may lead to The Last Guardian falling short of expectations when it is released sometime in 2012?