SEGA-16 has published a very informative interview with former SEGA executive Mike Fischer, who worked with the Japanese company for years. During the interview he also touched on the cult GameCube game Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg. Fischer reveals that it was originally just going to be titled Giant Egg before the team were sensibly told to rename it to Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg. Fischer also spoke about Blinx: The Time Sweeper which was developed for the original Xbox system.
On Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg:
Sega-16: Oh yeah, I remember that game, on GameCube.
Mike Fischer: Yeah, I remember looking at the game. He wanted to call it Giant Eggs, and we’re like, “Well, to lay a big egg in the U.S. just means a failure.”
Sega-16: True!
Mike Fischer: If you look back, like eggs played an odd part in a lot of Naka-san’s content. It’s like, “What’s the obsession with eggs?” Anyway, one of the guys on my team said, “Well, let’s call it Billy Hatcher” because it’s a hatching game with a cute character. The main character is the the boy, not the egg. Of course, Naka-san hated it. We called it Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, which he still hated. We at one point – I promise you, I am not making up this story; I have two witnesses! At one point, he he visited the U.S. Sometimes, I translated, and sometimes other people translated. He goes, “Well, I know another name for the boy wearing a rooster suit. Another name for rooster is cock. Can we call the game Giant Cock in English?”
On Blinx the Time Sweeper:
Mike Fischer: Well, he [Yuji Naka] just was so malignant in trying to rewrite history. You know that Ōshima-san worked on Blinx the Cat. When we had the Xbox One debut, he was there, and Naka-san was invited and refused to sit in the same row as Ōshima-san because he accused Ōshima-san of trying to steal his credit.
The thing about Sega is, you know, again, they gave these talented women like Emiko and Kodama-san these chances to be creative leaders. They gave some goofy foreigner like me a chance to to really move up in the organization. They’re very un-Japanese, nontraditional in a lot of ways, which I don’t think they get enough credit for.
I did not realize Kodama-san had a role in Sonic. I always associate her with Phantasy Star, which is an incredible legacy on its own. What did she do on Sonic?
Dear god this is the funniest headline ever LMAO LOL
Giant Egg 🥚
The headline is great. Almost seems like the perfect “slow news day” headline, even though it’s not really.
(suggestion: always be polite and considerate (one more suggestion: this Biblical verse: “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” – Ephesians 4:29, New Living Translation version))
Who in the world are you chastising here? I don’t see any profanity nor insults.
I think that comment was towards robin since he said Lmao. The reply system can be weird on this website.
But what’s offensive about laughing my abdomen off?
(note: certain abbreviations could be interpreted as rude or offensive (including those being common abbreviations for profanity))
Dude needs to just not reply where they’re not wanted or needed. I know I’m getting tired of seeing this spammed on the articles here.
Bro, tell me, what is the point of quoting the Bible?
They have good intentions, but they can get annoying when they spam a reply on every comment.
Lol
Honestly this guy seems to have a grudge against Naka is more like it. If he can he should sue for slander.
Found one of the 12 people who liked Balan Wonderworld.
Dude is probably Yuki Naka’s alt.
Should have called it Balan Wonderland, sounds better.. not that it matters now.
Oshima has a new studio Arzest they made Superstars. However on that topic of Blinx it’s time to bring him back a collab between Oshima and Evening Star for Blinx 3 might be it, Xbox needs to do it.
Calling it “Giant Cock” in English still wouldn’t have been accurate- the egg is what’s giant, not the kid.
As long as we’re on the subject, can this game get a port or a remaster? Preferably a remaster- there are several gameplay issues I’d love to see addressed (like letting go of your egg upon landing on a high cliff and falling back down without it, potentially stranding you).