Tetsuya Mizuguchi

Tetsuya Mizuguchi (水口 哲也, Mizuguchi Tetsuya^?, born May 22, 1965) is a Japanese video game designer and co-founder (along with ex-Sega developers) of the video game development firm Q Entertainment. He formerly worked for Sega as a producer in their Sega AM3 'arcade machines' team, developing games like Sega Rally and Sega Touring Car Championship, before moving on to become the head of Sega's United Game Artists division, the team responsible for the Rez and Space Channel 5. Mizuguchi is known for creating video games that incorporate an emphasis on interactive sound design, evidenced by Rez, Lumines, and Child of Eden.

Mizuguchi worked for Japanese game publisher, Sega, from 1990 to 2003 and began his career – not on a game – but by first designing an interactive 'ride' titled Megalopolis, combining then-embryonic 3D polygonal graphics and CGI (Computer-generated imagery) with the physical experience of Sega's hydraulic 'AS-1' motion simulator. With his team having gained enough experience with 3D graphics technology, he then went on to develop the acclaimed racing simulator, Sega Rally, which was influential in the racing space, inspiring future racing game franchises like Colin McRae Rally (another rally simulator) and the rally segments of the Gran Turismo (series). He continued in the racing genre with Sega Rally Championship 2 and Sega Touring Car Championship, before moving onto early rhythm-based music games like Space Channel 5 (and Space Channel 5: Part 2), and Rez. Space Channel 5 and Rez (especially Rez) are referenced in modern gaming media as essential and influential to the development of the modern wave of music-rhythm games, with Harmonix Music Systems co-founder, Alex Rigopulos citing Mizuguchi as an influence in Harmonix's history. Mizuguchi's final position at Sega was Chief Creative Officer of Sega's United Game Artists game division.

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