Deadly Premonition Creator Swery Leaves Studio

Hidetaka 'Swery' Suehiro, the mastermind behind Deadly Premonition, is retiring from Access Games. He'd been on sabbatical for almost a year while recovering from illness, but today announced he's properly leaving. His future plans are hazy but I do hope he's well and I'll keep an eye on what he does. Deadly Premonition is wonky at best, and really buggy on PC, but has such heart and embodies such warmth that I adore it and think very fondly of him. He's a certified Buddhist priest, you know.

Swery announced his retirement on Twitter earlier today:

And bless his heart, look at this follow-up after seeing people's upset reactions:

His last game with Access Games was oddball episodic adventure D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die. Since going on sabbatical from Access, he's written a murdery mystery book he says is like Deadly Premonition but set in the British countryside and starring a cat. Oh, and he got certified for priesting. Really!

He chatted IGN Japan in September about his priest certification. Check out this nice bit about how his Buddhist upbringing affected his games.

"I have always felt the desire to make games with a 'human' quality to them. In order to move the player, it is essential to have human drama; and if the player cannot empathise with the characters in a game, they will not be moved. Growing up in a temple meant that I encountered a lot of different people from a young age. These were not always happy people; much of the time they were angry, or sad, or suffering in some way. I think this gave me a natural interest in humanity, and it also taught me that the spirit can be fraught. So perhaps my work portrays a sense of things that are beyond human comprehension as a result."

Deadly Premonition is down to £1.99/2,49€/$2.49 in the Steam Halloween sale, by the way. I've been playing again recently and yes, you do still need a tool to change resolution and yes, it crashes every hour or so but yes, I still adore it. Eternally recommended.