Meet Ikumi Nakamura, Game Developer, E3 Star And The Internet’s New Favourite Person
The Japanese game director was the clear favourite coming out of E3.
This year, three clear heroes have emerged from E3, the international conference for gamers and developers. And they are, in ascending order of the unlikeliness of their internet fame: Keanu Reeves, a dude who shouted a lot at the Bethesda conference, and game designer Ikumi Nakamura.
Reeves took to the stage to announce his involvement in Cyberpunk 2077, the new game from Witcher developer CD Projekt Red. The shouty Bethesda guy never took to the stage at all, choosing instead to hoot and holler from the safety of the front row. And Ikumi Nakamura danced, shimmied and laughed her way into the hearts and minds of gamers the world over to announce her new game GhostWire: Tokyo.
GhostWire: Tokyo looks like a lot of fun. A bleak thriller that is definitely not a survival horror game, GhostWire deals with the fallout of a world where citizens have randomly disappeared and an evil force is unfurling across the city.
But for all that made GhostWire special, it was Nakamura herself who really emerged as the product everyone wanted to invest in.
Part of that surely is thanks to Nakamura’s manner, which was refreshingly enthusiastic. A lot of game devs and directors can make the mistake of thinking that they need to play things cool and professional at E3, coming across flat and disconnected in the process. Not so Nakamura, who began her presentation with a kinda impromptu knee hop and never bowed in excitement from there. In the staid and sometimes rather rote world of E3 presentations, Nakamura was a force for good.
For anyone who missed Bethesda's Press Conference, allow me to save you an hour and twenty minutes by sharing the most wholesome, sincere and adorable portion of the entire show: creative director Ikumi Nakamura introducing her new game, GhostWire: Tokyo. pic.twitter.com/VA7BRm3fXh
— Tylor (@theSirToasty) June 10, 2019
But it’s not just her ability to charm the cameras that have punters talking. Fans are also deeply impressed by Nakamura’s CV, which includes involvement with such classics as Okami, Bayonetta and The Evil Within.
Ikumi Nakamura, everybody's new crush, is Shinji Mikami's disciple. She's worked as artist for Okami, Bayonetta and as lead artist on TEW. Now she's directing Ghostwire.
We've just watched a torch get passed down live on #E3 with Shinji introducing her and it warms my heart. pic.twitter.com/OsdU6sEqwm
— Dan Ximenes (@the_ximenes) June 10, 2019
PSA: If you don’t know, Nakamura Ikumi is a wizard. pic.twitter.com/lAIdx285lJ
— momo's husbando (@vilecorvid) June 10, 2019
googled ikumi nakamura after her e3 presentation and i would die for her actually pic.twitter.com/9igFPJVsff
— abi (@snugcheol) June 10, 2019
She’s even been treated with the highest accolade of them all: fan art.
I’m upset I’m only now learning of #IkumiNakamura but being a big fan of both bayonetta and okami, I really look up to her and I’m so excited for #GhostWireTokyo! pic.twitter.com/MoUwdaddoy
— ana (@mirakuru_miruku) June 10, 2019
Ikumi Nakamura will lead us to the promised land. #E3 #IkumiNakamura pic.twitter.com/CPDNemAJPf
— 🅽🅸🅲🅴 (@studionice2011) June 10, 2019
One thing is clear — we must all devote the rest of our lives to keeping Ikumi Nakamura safe.