Yoshihisa Hashimoto Out of Sonic Team
Tristan Oliver | July 6, 2009
One of the Major Brains Behind Unleashed now at Square Enix
One of the major players at Sega and Sonic Team, Yoshihisa Hashimoto, left the company about a month and a half ago, according to the technical director’s LinkedIn profile.
The profile, which was captured and sent into us by serpx via our News Tips system, claims that Hashimoto left Sega late in April of this year, and resurfaced at Square Enix in a similar technical director role in May. Though we received a screenshot, TSSZ News checked out the information on LinkedIn pages to verify, and that information is accurate.
Hashimoto brings with him to Square Enix twelve years of experience from working within Sonic Team. His career at Sega began in 1997. His work was seen within several Sonic titles; he programmed enemies in 1999’s Sonic Adventure, and programmed the Chao engine for Sonic Adventure 2, working his way up to the Director role for all console editions of Sonic Unleashed. For the XBOX360 and PS3 edition of the game, Hashimoto also served as Lead Game Designer and Hedgehog Engine Technical Director.
If Hashimoto was one of the key brains behind that engine, one has to wonder whether it will ever be used again in a future title.
Hashimoto also was a programmer on Sonic Advance and Sonic Advance 2, according to the Sonic Retro wiki.
Doubters do have a nugget of evidence to try and claim illegitimacy on this story. Hashimoto’s public LinkedIn profile includes a website link to the Japanese Sonic Unleashed website. Though in his native country, Unleashed is known as Sonic World Adventure, he notes the website link as “My Project (Sonic Unleashed)”. Despite this catch, at this time it is not enough for TSSZ News to thrust this story into the rumor category.
The news of Hashimoto’s departure is potentially devastating to a team that has searched for structure, leadership, and consistency in the wake of Yuji Naka’s departure in 2006–and the subsequent bomb release of the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog.
TSSZ News will attempt to learn more details of the circumstances surrounding Yoshihisa Hashimoto’s departure from Sega and the Sonic Team. Any new information we receive will be on this site at once.
Filed Under Business & Industry, Gaming News, Sega, Sonic Scene, Sonic Unleashed
Please tell me your kidding….
OH MAN OH GOD OH MAN OH GOD………!
That’s….kinda sudden.
He’s the man who put it all on his profile. I’m sure it has Unleashed under his project area because it’s his last developed project, and a good selling point to businesses if he ever wants a new job in the future — which is what linkedin can be good for.
I wish it was some kind of mistake, but it’s more than likely true that he has left Sonic Team. I’m sure Sonic Team is a stressful environment right now.
It’s unknown on what Sonic will be into next.
Oh man. Just as we thought things were looking up…
I’m disapointed and yet ok with yoshihisa hashimoto leaving…. When Yuji Naka left…. most of us were disappointed. But then Yoshihisa Hashimoto was able to become the director for Sonic Unleashed and it was a great success. So now that he left, we’ll get another chance to see what the other members of Sonic Team has in mind. I’m pretty sure Sonic isn’t going down that easily!
Well the possibility of a Unleashed 2 went out the window. Why?! Hasan: Maybe…
Well isn’t this fantastic? The team leader for my favorite Sonic game in 10 years has left.
@Hasan: No, Sonic won’t go down easily, bu without proper direction we won’t probably see another good Sonic game for a while. Just wonderful
….. WTF!!
I wonder what kind of work he’ll be doing over at Square-Enix.
Probably some good fast-paced action/rpg stuff.
I was dissapointed when Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu left SE to make Mistwalker.
Sonic Team will be fine.
The Hedgehog engine is finished.
Character models are finished. (Except for maybe Knuckles.)
I’m sure they have the story for the next game all set.
No need to worry about the music because….well, It’s Sonic.
All they need to do is create new levels.
That’s another thing. The musical direction in Sonic Unleashed was perfect. I’m going to say it right now. I hate the rock music. Hate it 100%. It’s not fitting to Sonic games at all.
However no more battle music please.
Well… That sucks…
Sonic isn’t going down that easy. I bet with the departure of these members, there is still hope for a good sonic game. Sonic Unleashed is by far the best 3D sonic game (next gen at least). Unleashed took a lot of effort and it’s waay much better than Sonic 06. Let’s hope the team still has potential and hope for another great sonic game. I know they can do it, I believe in them. Sonic Team can really make the sonic game we been waiting for.
@PJMan
Rock in Sonic music is the best way to go. WTF are you talking about. Unleashed had a good soundtrack, but Sonic IS more fitting with Rock.
I hope that Sonic Team is ok, and Sega too, I I’m sure that they will make more games like Sonic Unleashed, why you ask! My anwser is simply, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG is THE BEST CARACTER OF THE UNIVERSE, we always has his head up, we is strong, fast, smart, and we can turn Super with the help of the emeralds
:D:D LOVE U SONIC
I want a game like Sonic 3&K and Sonic Unleashed
Honestly, it’s impossible to know(except in retrospect) how important a particular member is to a game’s success or failure. It could turn out that future projects are better than Unleashed. Or…it could not. Whichever…I guess I’m interested in what he does at Square Enix.
PJMan:Well isn’t this fantastic? The team leader for my favorite Sonic game in 10 years has left.
i need die DIE!! T_T
why this happen now….WHY
i need a good game of sonic for his 20th!!
It seems like Sonic is quickly becoming less consistent than Crash Bandicoot.
I really hope I’m wrong and this won’t have any negative effects on the next game, but you never really know.
Well, this is certainly a huge surprise. But I don’t think this’ll put Sonic Team in disarray like Naka’s resignation, as Naka left — and possibly along with almost every one of Next Gen’s primary game programmers — when Sonic Next-Gen was in the process of being debugged and fixed up. The new main Sonic game is likely still being preplanned, and only Hashimoto is leaving, not Naka and company, so it shouldn’t affect them too much.
“he programmed enemies in 1999’s Sonic Adventure, and programmed the Chao engine for Sonic Adventure 2, working his way up to the Director role for all console editions of Sonic Unleashed. For the XBOX360 and PS3 edition of the game, Hashimoto also served as Lead Game Designer and Hedgehog Engine Technical Director.”
Oh, good man, GOOD MAN! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAetc
That was unexpected. But Sonic Team isn’t made up of one person. Maybe I’m just being overly optimistic, but Hashimoto didn’t do everything in SU now did he? The bulk of the team is still there… hopefully. We really have no idea what state Sonic Team is actually in right now. Guess only time will tell…
@tennis: Well the rock music is ok for like Sonic’s theme, but there is only so much that can be caught as far as atmosphere is concerned with levels. Think about it. Do you honestly think that a level like Apotos or Empire City could have worked as well with rock music? Maybe Empire City, but certainly not Apotos.
I’m not believing this for one second.
LinkIn is a Public social website, meaning anybody could have done this. And if it were really Hashimoto-san, I believe it wouldn’t be written in English.
@tennis7657: No.
I like the rock music in Sonic games, in fact I consider Live and Learn one of the best songs of the 3D Sonic music. But I also like them to expand their orchestration to… well… orchestras. I think it’s fitting for Sonic games to have a bit of a rocking, upbeat tune, but I’d also like to hear other elements of music in them so they don’t really sound bland.
I do like the soundtrack to Unleashed, it was upbeat and fitting while still giving homage to classical Sonic tunes with their originality, but I’d also like something that I’ve been getting used to for the past number of years whenever Sonic music was concerned, something that was cool and made you feel that while listening to it.
That said, I love the soundtracks of Sonic ‘06 and Black Knight because they deliver in both.
@PJMan: Well, given that the game is based on pretty much venturing around the world, you’d think they would try something that would go with that.
@tennis7657: No.
@tennis7657: Yes, given the atmosphere is right… or the song is good… or both… both works better.
… YAY!
No more super-happy-friendly-Hanna-Barbera Sonic games (at least, I hope…)!
Well, Sonic’s fucked.
You’dve thought Sonic Team would’ve paid to hold on to him. Whatever.
oh no! unless this could mean… NO MORE WEREHOG!
awsome! well its a shame though….
I don`t think SEGA`s screwed! New people come and go! Its normal! And SonicTeam is still fine!
Besides, we’ve still got game directors, and the new Sonic Team has proven to be pretty good level designers. Hopefully the next Head will handle business just as well, but it’s those guys that are doing all the work.
@Soul Gauge: Exscatliy! He was just a director! I just hope that this DOES mean the g@y werehog sharade won`t return…. if this means that then WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So yeah, and he didn`t even stay for the 20th game….. -_- moron..
Anyway! I just hope that SEGA stops complaining about “Just Sonic” And just make loads of levels with just Sonic! And in ways, be rid of the boost… I mean, its great its just that, the faster sonic games get, the g@yer the series will be! CAUSE IT`LL BE A RACER!!!!!
sigh…
For SU They complained about the disc space for loads of day levels, well i say bullshit! cause it is! SEGA, get your act together and stop dissapointing us all the time!
sigh..
Well I don’t care, that’s their problem. Not mine.
BB: Dude overly long woo is the equivalint to FAIL
I would put this as a rumor if I were you, anyone could have looked up the info and made that LinkedIn profile.
@Keydown: You fail at everything anyways!
@Osnic: lol. so ture ^_^
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
YOSHIHISA WAS THE BEST MAN IN THE WORLD AFTER OBAMA!!! HEDGEHOG ENGINE WAS THE BEST INVENTION EVER!
Oh no, this is so sad… the saviour of Sonic the hedgehog is gone……
Oh well, I hope Sonic didn’t got hurt and I don’t think so. But I’m happy with what Yoshihisa did. He got Sonic up on his feet again. And now it’s just Sonic teams job to make him keep running!
@Werehog: hey… its not THAT bad!
I reackon Sonic will never ever be as famous as back then nowadays anyway! Its impossible, unless they at SEGA stop doing drugs and getting pissed on booze and adding stupid gimmiks, Sonic will survie! 
its up to SEGA though what happens…..
Blueblur: No! It is THAT bad! Yoshihisa is gone! So sad…
But Sonic will ofcourse survive!
I hope they replace Mr Yoshi with a good person… hmmm… Like me! I can help them with Sonic and Atlantis. Sonic team can live in my house for free if they want! No problem for me!
@Werehog: 0.o…………………….
@Werehog what’re you, some kinda fucked up gimmick?
Werehog@: lool I like you idea Werehog, I want to help them to SONIC RULES!!!
« “Up…Over….and Gone!…” – Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog »
About the Rock music: I like rock music and the genre does fit in the “main” Sonic games but that doesn’t mean it should go on forever and be used in every single one of them.
That’s why I liked the soundtrack of SU, not so much rock there.
I would like “main” Sonic games to go the musical direction of SU.
As for this, I really don’t care.
[...] Via GoNintendo, Tssznews. [...]
the sonic music IS NOT rock style
for this i hate adventure music, Unleashed
have the truly spirit like sonic 1,2,3 etc. the old games…
uhm
@PJMan: Well the rock music is ok for like Sonic’s theme, but there is only so much that can be caught as far as atmosphere is concerned with levels. Think about it. Do you honestly think that a level like Apotos or Empire City could have worked as well with rock music? Maybe Empire City, but certainly not Apotos.
WOOO i think the same…at least a clever fan =)
@Werehog: HEDGEHOG ENGINE WAS THE BEST INVENTION EVER! :
so true TwT
@Werehog: I hope they replace Mr Yoshi with a good person :
I hope too, not like Tetsu katana >_< i hate this man.
@Osnic: Well I don’t care, that’s their problem. Not mine : so true BUT i need a GOOD game
@blueblur: And SonicTeam is still fine! : i want see that…
@Viewtiful Jeff : You’dve thought Sonic Team would’ve paid to hold on to him. : T_T this is so true and sad….
I NEED A GOOD GAME with hedgehog engine…for sonic 20th!!
please sonic team…please…
Welp, I can’t blame him for moving to better waters. Sega’s a dang sinking ship in contrast to Square-Enix.
Who’s gonna take over now?
BB: Once again you fail. Im not joking either
@ JJ: What has Square-Enix made recently that’s been any good?
Snes ports and Published tri-Ace games excluded.
The only thing they have going for them is Final Fantasy XIII and Versus XIII which are both a year or more away. I’m surprised they have any money left. Probably one of the reasons why they made XIII multiplatform.
@ DoctorEggman: I am.
You know, with the way most people are acting, I’m wondering who is REALLY on drugs when Sonic’s concerned?
@Keydown: haha! your annoying and you fail no matter what you say!
and i`m not joking! 
Yoshihisa was my idol if I had to choose someone…
Now I don’t know anymore! He can’t just leave Sonic!
@Mike I was mostly refering to financial successes between the companies, not quality of their library. I’m still dumbfounded on how much money Sega still loses even after M&S olympics and certain movie licences games.
And for the record, I’ve enjoyed The World Ends With You much more than any Sonic title that was released in the past ten years. I do want to play Valkryia Chronicles, but alas I lack a PS3 and many of the other Sega titles I’m interested in are stuck in Japan.
@Werehog: Where the hell were you when Naka, Oshima, and Yasuhara left?
http://games.kikizo.com/features/sonic-unleashed-interview-p1.asp
Sonic SEGA
[...] News was the first on the Web to bring you concrete news of Yoshihisa Hashimoto’s departure from the Sonic Team. The [...]
CRAP!
Now I present Sonic’S history
1991-2004- Best years of Sonic
Leading Sonic to make his games around 9.0 Rating
2005-Creator of Sonic left, hired new voice actors.
Leading Sonic to make his games around 5.0 Rating
2006-Return of Sonic’s Racing Nightmare and Sonic the Hedgehog(NG)
Leading Sega and Sonic Team to Offense Racing Genre
Leading Sega and Sonic Team to make people hate Sonic more
2007-Good Series of Games
Leading Sonic to having 7.0 Ratings
2008-ANOTHER RACE, Sonic Chronicles, Sonic Unleashed
Leading Sonic to a 5.5 Rating
2009-Black Knight
Leading Sonic to a 7.0 Rating
2009-Unleashed Dude Leaving
Probably leading Sonic games to a Tragic 2.5