http://blog.us.playstation.com/2016/10/06/the-road-to-the-last-guardian-a-retrospective/

“I believe, as a fan of Ueda-san’s games, that people feel like his work is special because you clearly feel the game was — from beginning to end — a singular vision, without any influence of popular genres or styles at the time.”
– Shuhei Yoshida (President of SIE Worldwide Studios)

“Team Ico creates timeless masterpieces that remind me of a long-loved picture book or a fairytale. I’m especially a big fan of their fantastic animations.“We at Team Ninja have also put great effort into creating smooth action for a long time. I feel real and warm emotion from Ueda-san’s sophisticated animations.”-Fumihiko Yasuda (Director, Team Ninja)

“I think Ueda-san’s games tell bittersweet, human stories that tap into universally relatable emotions. They’re minimalist works of art, executed with laser-like focus throughout — from the core game mechanics to the storyline. Coupled with the craftsmanship evident in the visuals, the animations and the music, it’s easy to see why they’re timeless classics.”
-Hermen Hulst (Managing Director, Guerrilla Games)

But both games are full of these incredible moments, from the discovery of your horse to this incredible feeling of climbing on the shoulders of a giant. These games are about being a child again, and that’s really a miracle by itself.

-David Cage (Director, Quantic Dream)

“Years after first playing it, the emotional impact of Ico tugging at Yorda’s arm still resonates with me. The hand-holding mechanic appears deceptively simple but was clearly constructed and with intense care and attention to detail. Through interactivity a deep bond is created between the two characters in a way that is wholly unique to games. It is one of many visionary choices that make Ico a classic and a master class in elegant storytelling and design.”
-Neil Druckman (Naughty Dog)

Miyazaki2busy4asskissing

I think Hermen and Neil put it best. Shu too. Singular vision, laser-like focus, bonding through interactivity.

Video was already posted around TGS but here it is again https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jueRALJJ1CY

I dunno. Team ICO made the incredibly awesome ICO game, but then their next game felt so terribly boring to me. There's not much retrospective I can give, though I certainly share the opinion of Druckman. So it's been a 50/50 ride so far in my eyes; I'm grateful The Last Guardian seems to take more cues from ICO than from SoTC.

On a side note, we also have to thank ICO for the creation of Demon's Souls. Had the former not existed, Miyazaki wouldn't have probably quit his job at a bank and wouldn't have going into the videogame business.

Well...

Ico was awesome. SoTC I only beat 5-6 bosses, so I will go back to that one since I have the SoTC collection. But SoTC simply blown me away with what I played. So Ueda's past works speak volumes about his talent. However, he totally dropped the ball on Last Guardian in terms of reputation, efficiency and commitment. There is no way a game takes 8 years to make unless something really bad happened in between. Hope Ueda can recoup some of that lost reputation back with a critically acclaimed game in The Last Guardian.

Tried to get into ICO a couple of times, but its just not my kinda game. Love SOTC though.

I am not a fan of the game but I enjoyed the book:

I'm still to really play it, but it is good to see the recognition the guys get.