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VGC: Sony is winding down Japan Studio

PSlayer

Member
But people told me sony still loves japan and the rumors were not true.

Japanese games were the main reason i choose PS brand over Xbox. That "cinematic experience" their western branch pulls out is not really my thing.
 
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EDMIX

Member
Sony trying to be more American centric than Microsoft. Fucking wow. PS3 era was immense for Japan Studio. IDGAF about the profit margins, Sony was the place to play because they had all these little games like Puppeteer.

I mean sure, but considering lots of those games they still make that are like that are not even mainly made by Japan Studio means they are not losing much. They folding that studio in to other studios isn't going to have them lose much.

The majority of what they made was with collaboration of so many other teams. So how the fuck do you know those other "little games" won't just continue on with other teams?
 

SpokkX

Member
I guess we can expect more cinematic third person action adventures, usually featuring a sad dad then?

seems to be what sony is going all in for
 
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Eanox

Member
Kinda sad about the downsizing so the Studio will now be named Asobi in the future. We won't see more of Gravity Rush now and the cool unique games from them moving forward. The external development team will still operate hopefully will still get more of the bloodborne games from them.

I joked about Aniplex/Sony music who will the one that will make a buying spree. It seems more likely now. As they move to gaming with anime games. I won't be surprised that instead of SIE buying studios it will be Sony Music/Aniplex to strengthen their studios to publish more Anime games.
 

paypay88

Banned
Sony japan is trash.
never made one game that is relevant. Bullshit 30fps platformers artsty farsty stupid ass titles.

You can make fun games without "being cinematic" third person

aka insonmniac. aka media molecule. aka gran turismo guys.
 

jakinov

Member
Fucking retards at Sony. More california based third person shit showed down everybody's throats
I know right. Fucking idiots. Why would they pay these California developers their expensive salaries to make games with record sale and profits when they could just pay Japanese developers significantly less to still lose money.

Fuck them for shoving stupid third person games down our throats. Just because millions of people elect to spend 60-90$ on them, doesn’t mean people want them or like them. So Sony, stop being so stupid and gives us games that people actually buy and make you loads of money like Knack.
 

paypay88

Banned
Nintendo selling 30 millions of Animal Crossing. A quality game with japanese seal. It sells worldwide.
Sony investing exponentially more in The Last of Us 2, sells 5-10 millions, but not a single copy in Japan.
Sony's logic is invest more in US, to not sell PlayStations in Japan, letting Nintendo to absorb all Japan development.
Now Microsoft buys Bethesda, being capable to deal directly Sony's videogames.
And the users have less reasons to buy PlayStation.
sony japan is there since 30 years . made 0 game sell more than 3 million units.
nintendo japan is creating quality games from start appealing to all audiences.

sony japan wasnt. simple as. They made 20 games didnt even made one that caught audiences and you blame Sony ?
 

paypay88

Banned
Fact of the matter is that we want to read about Sony increasing its number of studios, to have more games by PlayStation WWS. Instead the fans keep learning about shit decisions like this with no hint in sight that Sony will open new studios or buy them.
they are opening new offices for already exiting studios.

literally each of their studios doubled their size.
so each studio will make 2 games with same tech . You will get quality & quantity tested & approved unlike whatever sony japan farted out. Aka shit like puppeter and rain
 

Fox Mulder

Member
Fucking blows. A studio with history and had that unique Japanese playstation charm. Why play AAA cinematic shooters every day.

Sony knows they need studios for their services and hardware right? MS is buying up a bunch and Sony is closing theirs down. Smaller games like these seem perfect to pump up content on a service like Gamepass.
 
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paypay88

Banned
Fucking blows. A studio with history and had that unique Japanese playstation charm. Why play AAA cinematic shooters every day.

Sony knows they need studios for their services and hardware right? MS is buying up a bunch and Sony is closing theirs down.
sony is growing existing teams.
its effectively making new studios without fearing if it will be good. They move some seniors there and hire new people

But you are just here for trolling obviously.
 

Banjo64

cumsessed
I mean sure, but considering lots of those games they still make that are like that are not even mainly made by Japan Studio means they are not losing much. They folding that studio in to other studios isn't going to have them lose much.

The majority of what they made was with collaboration of so many other teams. So how the fuck do you know those other "little games" won't just continue on with other teams?
How the fuck do you know they will?
:messenger_peace:

All we know is that Japan Studio did lots of successful collaborations with From, Team ICO etc.
 

kyussman

Member
So first the original Silent hill devs who were there left to form their own studio,and now they are downsizing the entire studio......I don't know about the rest of you but I think that Silent Hill game rumour is starting to feel a little off the mark,lol.
 

yurinka

Member
How the fuck do you know they will?
:messenger_peace:

All we know is that Japan Studio did lots of successful collaborations with From, Team ICO etc.
Team ICO, like Team Asobi or Team Siren, were internal teams of Japan Studio. Only at the end of TLG, when Ueda left, part of that Team Ico was outside Sony, with the new Ueda studio.

If this VGC stuff is real, Team Asobi will continue in Japan Studio and now will be bigger, and they will continue working with external studios as they did until now with From Software or Bluepoint.

The change basically means no more internally developed (unless made by the Asobi team) Knack, TLG, Gravity Rush, Loco Roco, Rain, Puppeteer, etc.
 
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Anyone left at Japan Studio the past few years was probably part of Asobi anyway. They're just ditching the name to avoid confusion with their new Playstation Studios branding.
 

yurinka

Member
What will Sony do when realizes that it needs Japanese studios producing games to sell in japanese market and also worldwide?
And what will Sony do when they find that studios take many years to produce quality games?
Well crawl through the desert like PS3 times.
Japan Studios made a ton of games during 30 years and they didn't sell a shit worldwide or in Japan. This is why they are supposing to be downsizing the studio.

According to this, if true, Japan Studio will continue making games with Team Asobi and also would continue publishing 2nd party games like the From Software and Bluepoint ones.

And obviously, Polyphony would continue making Gran Turismos. And Sony would continue getting tons of 3rd party Japanese exclusives as they had with Final Fantasy VII remake, Persona 5, Yakuza series, Guilty Gear Strive, Street Fighter V, Project Athia and a very long etc. Plus tons of Japanese multiplatform games.

Sony knows they need studios for their services and hardware right? MS is buying up a bunch and Sony is closing theirs down. Smaller games like these seem perfect to pump up content on a service like Gamepass.
Sony isn't closing any studio. Japan Studio and Polyphony will continue being there. If the VGC rumor is true, they are downsing the Japan Studio part dedicated to internally developed games and focusing it into the Team Asobi, while continue doing their 2nd party games with external teams (like From Software or Bluepoint).
 
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Mabdia

Member
It's really funny how each news I heard from Sony pushes me away from them.

My money was on Sony since PS1... Now it looks like they lose the previous generation and the other guy was the winner.
 

Elios83

Member
The writing was on the wall with contracts not being renewed to key people.
Unfortunately the market reality hit them eventually, they made tons of flops since the PS3 days and they couldn't find a way to be both creative and commercially successful.
Siren, Puppeteer, Gravity Rush series, Knack series, even The Last Guardian were all commercial failures.
At some point a publisher has to restructure things. I guess that for now they're betting on ASOBI team given their good work and success on Astrobot, plus they will probably be a support studio for collaborations with other devs on more important licenses that are basically guaranteed to sell well.
 

EDMIX

Member
How the fuck do you know they will?
:messenger_peace:

All we know is that Japan Studio did lots of successful collaborations with From, Team ICO etc.

Because they still make those games RIGHT NOW simply by other studios.....

What are you going to tell me? Dreams is made by them? Concrete Genie is made by them?
 

BennyBlanco

aka IMurRIVAL69
So in the last ten years Sony has shut down the following studios:

  1. Japan Studios
  2. Evolution Studios
  3. Guerrilla Cambridge
  4. Manchester Studio (VR studio that never released a game)
  5. BigBig Studios (Pursuit force, Motorstorm Arctic Edge)
  6. Sony Liverpool (Wipeout studio)
  7. Zipper Interactive
  8. Incognito Studio (Warhawk)
  9. Team Ico
All while posting record profits. I guess they bought Insomniac and started a new studio in San Diego so yay?

they want their first party to basically just be ubisoft
 

CamHostage

Member
Well, FUCK.

If this VGC stuff is real, Team Asobi will continue in Japan Studio and now will be bigger, and they will continue working with external studios as they did until now with From Software or Bluepoint.

The change basically means no more internally developed (unless made by the Asobi team) Knack, TLG, Gravity Rush, Loco Roco, Rain, Puppeteer, etc.

...And yet as sad and as fucked as I feel, I can't help but recognize this as a viable way forward for a division that hasn't made much movement for two PlayStation generations now. They thrived when Sony had a second pillar in the PSP/Vita markets (and obviously they were lovable a millennium ago in the PS1 days,) but all that's gone now. I don't know how Sony can be as strong as it is yet can't keep a game studio active in Japan, but I've seen all the evidence over almost a decade now that this is true.

Just remember that none of this happened under Yoshida, who may i remind you brought back WWS from the death during PS3 era and set them on good trajectory for the PS4 gen.

He did? What was you're pointing to that brought them back from the death, Piyotama? The Last Guy? Numblast? Trash Panic? Eye of Judgment? Echochrome 2? Kung Fu Rider?

I love Puppeteer and Rain (well, Puppeteer, at least, Rain is a great concept but kind of dull to play,) but I don't see much of anything from Sony Japan for PS3 (especially not any titles developed internally) that show the studio having made a comeback. There was talk about a comeback when Becker took over, and then they made Knack. Meanwhile, Sony Japan was always doing great handheld things on PSP and later Vita at that time, but that was the kind of studio it was at that time, not a company with the kind of trajectory to make big PS4 games.

Sony Japan has been meandering about under Shu, under Allan Becker, so far under Doucet... I'm miserable about this news, but at some point, Old Yeller ain't going to get no better.

I mean sure, but considering lots of those games they still make that are like that are not even mainly made by Japan Studio means they are not losing much. They folding that studio in to other studios isn't going to have them lose much.

The majority of what they made was with collaboration of so many other teams. So how the fuck do you know those other "little games" won't just continue on with other teams?

Well, the way Sony Japan worked might make it hard for those little games to exist, as there were still in-house producers and sometimes even directors that collaborated as the external studio coded/designed the game. Also, those games had a safety net of having Sony's brand loyalty attached to them. (There are untold numbers of great indie games like Echochrome and Deracine out there, but because Sony produced them, they have a slight bit more recognition than like Superliminal or Perception.) I mean, look at the titles they've made, then look at how few of them don't say "developed with..." on the listing.


But then again, these "little games" were little games, and this is big-games Sony we're talking about. So I think you're right that that's the plan, to cut loose the internal staff and hopefully regroup with a new approach when some of these teams form as new companies. Let these producers go, stop kidding everybody that Sony is still committed to creative little gaming bonbons on a system as big as PS5, and seek contracts with creators who are hungry enough to pitch games that Sony should be publishing. Some of the projects will be little, some will be big, but Sony won't be at the whim of a capricious staff of producers on salary when they contract them.
 

Mobile Suit Gooch

Grundle: The Awakening
So much for uh

This is exactly the case with Team ASOBI, which developed "ASTRO's PLAYROOM", but as a Japanese game fan, I think there are many voices who expect more new works from JAPAN Studio. Do you have any new information?

Ryan: we can't comment at this time. However, team ASOBI's "ASTRO's PLAYROOM" was really good. I think we'll be able to talk about this again at a later date.

IE also owns worldwide studios in various countries, but are you thinking about developing titles centered on these studios in the future?

Ryan: I'm really happy and proud of the title of "PS Studios" released by Ryan Worldwide Studios. Some have already been announced, and we have something to announce in the future. In addition, SIE has deep ties with Japanese licensees, so we hope to continue to strengthen cooperation and develop titles made in Japan for PlayStation fans around the world.
 

Keihart

Member
He did? What was you're pointing to that brought them back from the death, Piyotama? The Last Guy? Numblast? Trash Panic? Eye of Judgment? Echochrome 2? Kung Fu Rider?

I love Puppeteer and Rain (well, Puppeteer, at least, Rain is a great concept but kind of dull to play,) but I don't see much of anything from Sony Japan for PS3 (especially not any titles developed internally) that show the studio having made a comeback. There was talk about a comeback when Becker took over, and then they made Knack. Meanwhile, Sony Japan was always doing great handheld things on PSP and later Vita at that time, but that was the kind of studio it was at that time, not a company with the kind of trajectory to make big PS4 games.

Sony Japan has been meandering about under Shu, under Allan Becker, so far under Doucet... I'm miserable about this news, but at some point, Old Yeller ain't going to get no better.
Shu was in charge of WWS not japan specifically, Allan Becker took over was under Shu in an attempt to bring order to the studio because the output was too slow. We still got Patapon, TLG , GR and Siren when he was in charge without even counting the rest of the studios making breakthroughs like Uncharted.
 

Woopah

Member
I really don't get Japan at all, I guess they prefer mobile games, can't stand them myself.

As much as I hate the current government of China, I have some hope for their gaming industry. They have a similar eye for aesthetics and quirkiness as Japan, but prefer to game on a PC (well more than Japan anyway), as a PC gamer it bodes well for the future.

I received My Time at Portia on the Epic Store for free and it's exactly the kind of game I wished Japan would release for the PC, but as they have some kind of allergic reaction to that particular platform, it rarely happens.

Some are at least porting their games their eventually. But with the aforementioned developer and others in China, it's regarded as their format of choice, rather than treating it like a dog and giving it crumbs now and again!

I'm actually disappointed that South Korea hasn't had better PC output considering their love of SC.

Don't get me started on Nintendo...
What didn't you understand about Japan?
Well I mean....that is moot, that is most companies in the world. They still need to exist as a business.



I have no clue what that means or what you are saying here. I'm not trying to be rude either, they didn't do analysis on qualities? Clarify

The whole thing with "reskin the characters like Nintendo" is not even a fucking thing NINTENDO can do with any of their new IPs, what Mario and Zelda are, are complete enigmas, they are culture defining concepts. Nintendo couldn't replicate that even if they fucking tried (and they have) and they are the companies that even fucking made that stuff. Sega tried that too. You are simply not talking about this thing that automatically doing it results in some magic that makes it um "perform better in the market and grow". Its so naïve its not even funny. So Sony throwing in Sack Boy in all things Sony won't magically make those things sell more by default and "grow", it first has to be liked and wanted first and foremost. Sack Boy exist cause LBP did well as a series. They don't do it to make it "perform better", LBP performed well, thus Sack Boy as a different game exist... It must be liked and wanted first. Its not magic.

its not some trick or manipulation. That might work for Nintendo, but shit even they can't do that with their NEW IPs, the majority of stuff you see that from is from shit from 20 and 30 years ago..... Star Fox, Mario, Animal Cross, Zelda etc. It would be like making it sound like by default Activision can whip up another IP thats like Call Of Duty to get the same numbers, even Red Dead doesn't move GTA numbers. So those concepts are not the norm and can't be replicated and "reskined" as if its a clear thing what made those series move monstrous numbers.

What works for Sony is NEW IP. They move units on new IP that Nintendo doesn't do often. Nintendo established IPs move record units, Sony's new IP's move record units, neither company moves massive units in those opposing areas. As its unlikely to see a established Sony IP move more units then their new stuff, its unlikely to see a new Nintendo IP move more units then their established stuff.

They are different companies with different install bases. Sony is right to keep making new IP instead thinking they can fucking FORCE a IP by putting in a bunch of reskins thinking if they just flood the market with it, it will magically "perform better".



Yea I greatly disagree. I see no evidence that they have no department set up to just read up on what is wanted. I'd argue Sony has the most diverse library of content, same with MS (funny enough its Nintendo that lacks in that...) A Playstation is one of the few systems I can really recommend stuff for the whole family. As in...they put a great deal of effort in knowing what people want. Sing Star for mom, Astro for toddler, Ratchet series for tween, Uncharted, God Of War, The Last Of Us for dad. (and all that zany shit in-between) lol Sony for many, many generations has had a set up where they cater to many different gamers, I'd say MS over the last generation has been shaping up to do the same if not more so with their current set up.



nah.

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I think the Uncharted comment is simply a myth that gets thrown around ignoring all context and reality. Its very easy to just say "they ONLY" do this or that and the proceed to ignore a wealth of content that isn't Uncharted or anything like it.




They have no reason to make a "big budget JRPG"

KH moves the most units on PS.
FF moves the most units on PS.
Persona as of right now moves the most units on PS and the only units on PS.
Yakuza moves the most units on PS.

They have a logical reason why you don't see THEM PERSONALLY make a "big budget JRPG". They already have the install base, the biggest titles in the genre already come to PS and move the most on PS. It would be like asking why they don't make a lot of FPS titles ignoring how much units of Call Of Duty and Battlefield move on PS. They are about filling in their lineups of content they are not getting a lot of.

THAT is what NINTENDO IS DOING, why didn't you think of that to make a more valid comparison? So Nintendo does that because they are also not getting a new FF day and date, they are not getting a new KH or Yakuza or Persona etc, thus they need to fill in that gap by their own studios......

The JRPG for Nintendo is the genre they are lacking, It is a genre they need based on not getting the majority of them, thus need to attract consumers with their own studios.

Sony clearly doesn't, thus they have little reason to spend on a "big budget jrpg". They already get the majority



smh.

I'm not sure why you assumed Sony just had 1 studio in Japan......
I full agree with a lot of what you said and yes it's not that easy to just "make something popular".

One thing I'd disagree with you on is Nintendo not being able to make successful IPs. The biggest new IPs to come out of Japan in the last decade are Splatoon and Ring Fit. And in the decade before it was Nintendogs, Brain Training and Wii Sports etc.
 

KungFucius

King Snowflake
Anyone want to buy a gently used PS5. I bought it expecting 2 Knack games and now that this will not happen, I can't stand the site of the fucking thing. Knack to the Future was going to be the game of the generation. Why the fuck did I have to live in the shittiest time line?
 
I dont think Dreams had sold a ton. The released 1 PS4 game the entire generation, and that was right at the end. Yet MM seems to have teflon armour.
MM isn't the center of Sony Europe and you can easily see how many british sony developers already closed down after failing in achieving success. Maybe they don't ask a team like MM to bring the big guns since they are a small studio. In Asia Japan Studio is totally the biggest responsible of japanese development, both inhouse and external. Can you see the difference in responsibilities and expectations? Sure, betting on lots of platforming titles was a big mistake for Japan Studio, I think that they lost the sight of the actual PS market and audience.
 

Evangelion Unit-01

Master Chief
Confirmed. Official statement:

In an effort to further strengthen business operations, SIE can confirm PlayStation Studios JAPAN Studio will be re-organized into a new organization on April 1. JAPAN Studio will be re-centered to Team ASOBI, the creative team behind Astro's PLAYROOM, allowing the team to focus on a single vision and build on the popularity of Astro’s PLAYROOM.

In addition, the roles of external production, software localization, and IP management of JAPAN Studio titles will be concentrated within the global functions of PlayStation Studios.
 

EDMIX

Member
Well, the way Sony Japan worked might make it hard for those little games to exist

Dreams was made by Sony Japan? Little Big Planet was made by Sony Japan? Concrete Genie was made by Sony Japan? Sack Boy was made by Sony Japan? Shit this is some news to me....

They are not the only team at Sony that made those types of games to really be making this sound like it will be hard for other titles to exist without them. Other titles that are small have no issue existing right now that have nothing to do with Sony Japan.....

stop kidding everybody that Sony is still committed to creative little gaming bonbons

They wouldn't be making what they are making right now if that was the case soooooooooo yea. Sony Japan was not the only fucking place those smaller titles got made from. So no small titles will be made for the new PS VR 2? If they got rid of ALL OF THEIR SMALLERS STUDIOS then I'd argree with you.

All this shows is they are "winding down" a studio that basically for years just helped other studios put out work, that is a far cry from Sony is not committed to creative little games. Why the fuck would they put out Sack Boy? Astro bot? Ratchet? OHHHH but those all exist, yet they must not be committed because winding down of studio that had nothing to do with those other titles that have greater success?

.....surrrrrrrre.

One thing I'd disagree with you on is Nintendo not being able to make successful IPs.

I mean more so not near the success of Marios or Zeldas.
 

Thirty7ven

Banned
they are opening new offices for already exiting studios.

literally each of their studios doubled their size.
so each studio will make 2 games with same tech . You will get quality & quantity tested & approved unlike whatever sony japan farted out. Aka shit like puppeter and rain


Sony has been trying to turn these studios into two team studios since the ps3 days but it never happens. Insomniac stays the only studio capable of such output.

A bunch of bullshit that’s what that is. New gen, new ambitions, projects get bigger, bigger teams.
 

CamHostage

Member
Shu was in charge of WWS not japan specifically, Allan Becker took over was under Shu in an attempt to bring order to the studio because the output was too slow. We still got Patapon, TLG , GR and Siren when he was in charge without even counting the rest of the studios
As I understand it, Shu was kind of a "lead by example" guy. He was in charge of SCE Japan, and through that knowledge base games from other studios came through him, eventually culminating in the establishment of WWS. It's a little confusing since I don't know where to find a definitive bio (Wikipedia seems confused and credit him little for his role at Sony Japan, listing him mainly as a Third Party manager until he became the kind of WWS centerpiece,) but this interview pretty clearly identifies him as the guy who rolled the ball on The Legend of Dragoon, Ape Escape, Ico, etc.


They wouldn't be making what they are making right now if that was the case soooooooooo yea. Sony Japan was not the only fucking place those smaller titles got made from. So no small titles will be made for the new PS VR 2?

If they got rid of ALL OF THEIR SMALLERS STUDIOS then I'd argree with you All this shows is they are "winding down" a studio that basically for years just helped other studios put out work, that is a far cry from Sony is not committed to creative little games.

I'm not saying they won't make little games. I hope they do. But owning a whole core studio (which is different from owning a boutique label like Pixelopus or even Media Molecule) that primarily is known for PSP games and C.A.M.P games and one/two-off franchise attempts and yet great big JRPGs three generations ago that everybody hopes they will come back to some day in a glorious resurrection, that has proven to be a dead road for a tragically long time now.
 
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