One of the greatest games to come out of the previous year was easily Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima. The PlayStation exclusive was critically acclaimed by reviewers and players alike, including us. The popularity has since extended to the real life island of Tsushima in Japan when players helped raise money to rebuild the Torii gate of shrine, and Tsushima Mayor Hiroki Hitakatsu took notice. Now, Hitakatsu is giving back some of that respect to the developer of the game by announcing that Game Director Nate Fox and Creative Director Jason Connell will become permanent tourism ambassadors for the island.
According to Tsushima Mayor Hitakatsu, the decision for this prestigious honor is because the two developers from Sucker Punch have “”spread the name and history of Tsushima to the whole world in such a wonderful way.” Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the ceremony for the new titles will beheld virtually and the pair will be presented with a letter of appreciation. In addition, the island of Tsushima will also collaborate with Sony themselves in order to set up a special tourism campaign based on the game with the intent to teach fans about the history of certain landmarks and of the island itself.
Mayor Hitkatsu added that when travel restrictions have eased, he would like to invite Fox, Connell, and the entire development team to the island with hopes that it would “make them love Tsushima even more.” The island of Tsushima has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity since the acclaimed title released in 2020, as well as some brand new recognition from those who weren’t even aware of it’s existence. As we already mentioned, Ghost of Tsushima was one of the best games to come out of the arduous 2020, and quickly became the fastest selling new IP for the PlayStation 4.
Just a few months later, it become the system’s fastest selling original title, something that is not to be understated as the PlayStation brand in general is full of amazing exclusives. The title was subsequently nominated for numerous Game of the Year awards, and won “Players Voice” at The Game Awards 2020. It was recently nominated for an astounding ten awards for the upcoming 2021 BAFTA Games Awards, which takes place later this month on March 25.