須田剛一

Goichi Suda (須田 剛一, Suda Gōichi, born January 2, 1968), commonly known by the nickname Suda51, is a Japanese video game designer, writer and director. He is the founder and CEO of Grasshopper Manufacture, which has produced some of his most recognized work including The Silver Case, Flower, Sun, and Rain, killer7, and the No More Heroes series. Suda is from Nagano Prefecture in Japan, moving to Tokyo at the age of 18 and eventually being hired as a designer at Human Entertainment after having a number of other jobs including as an undertaker. After leaving Human Entertainment, he founded Grasshopper Manufacture and worked on their debut title The Silver Case as writer, director and designer. The Silver Case helped establish both Suda and his company in Japan, but Suda and Grasshopper gained international attention with the release of killer7, Suda's first title to be released outside Japan. Alongside his more recognizable work, both he and his studio have developed other video game projects in collaboration with outside studios, including original titles such as Guild01 and Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse; and licensed projects related to anime series such as Blood+, Samurai Champloo and the Short Peace project. Since No More Heroes, Suda has taken a more managerial role within his company, although he continues contributing to several projects including Killer Is Dead. Suda's own work is characterized by a focus on themes of crime and the clash of people with different ideals. While his early works adopted a serious tone, his later projects incorporated elements of humor — Suda has stated that he enjoys alternating between dark and comedic projects. Aspects of his work have been influenced by film and literature, with one of his favorite authors being Franz Kafka.