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Discussion Good Vibes Gaming: PlayStation's Japanese Talent Has Moved On

Guaraná

Paratroopa
Cool video from the guys at Good Vibes Gaming regarding the once great Sony Japan Studio.

As shown, most of the developers that worked at the studio went to Nintendo, but there's a good amount that went to create their own studio. Team Asobi only absorbed the minority of the workers.

 
Enjoyed the video. Really bummed out with Sony's lack of focus on these smaller budget Japanese games since these are the most appealing as a primarily Nintendo fan. I can't entirely fault them since the current Japanese publishers have also shifted to a more global portfolio, but it's a shame. With their recent success in their Indie directives, hopefully Shuhei can push for a return to AA Japan.

However, didn't some part of Japan Studio also get merged into XDev. I find it hard to believe they let go almost 75% of the studio.
 
However, didn't some part of Japan Studio also get merged into XDev. I find it hard to believe they let go almost 75% of the studio.
Some did but I don't think we have any actual specific number for how many got moved iirc. Outside of Asobi it seems like anyone on a creative role was let go though.
 
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Enjoyed the video. Really bummed out with Sony's lack of focus on these smaller budget Japanese games since these are the most appealing as a primarily Nintendo fan. I can't entirely fault them since the current Japanese publishers have also shifted to a more global portfolio, but it's a shame. With their recent success in their Indie directives, hopefully Shuhei can push for a return to AA Japan.

However, didn't some part of Japan Studio also get merged into XDev. I find it hard to believe they let go almost 75% of the studio.
The bolded is only really true for some Japanese publishers. A good majority of them still rely on domestic sales with the West being a growing point for their domestically designed games.

In addition there is middle ground between big budget games & smaller games. Sony completely abandoned that paradigm (smaller & titles made for the domestic market first) + exclusively trying to make JP Studio makes games like their Western counterparts (global & big hits only). There will be no return of AA JP games from SIE.
 
Enjoyed the video. Really bummed out with Sony's lack of focus on these smaller budget Japanese games since these are the most appealing as a primarily Nintendo fan. I can't entirely fault them since the current Japanese publishers have also shifted to a more global portfolio, but it's a shame. With their recent success in their Indie directives, hopefully Shuhei can push for a return to AA Japan.

However, didn't some part of Japan Studio also get merged into XDev. I find it hard to believe they let go almost 75% of the studio.
The mistake here is assuming that SIE is following the lead of Japanese publishers, when you actually have it backwards.
 
Thank you. Good to know. Can't watch the video right now. Really thought that was the basis of the discussion and I was like "lol define most."
Just to give some more context here:
In the video Jon says that "multiple" ex-Studio Japan folks have joined Nintendo EPD and/or Monolith Soft. Taking his examples into account, we might be talking a double digit number here at most (that's my interpretation/guestimate), while Japan Studio, according to him, originally had a team of over 200 people, of which up to around 20~25 possibly ended up joining Team Asobi as the Sony Japan replacement studio, if you want to call it that. (That's what he deduces from the growing employee numbers of Team Asobi between 2020 and now.)
So we're likely/potentially looking at over 100, maybe even 150 ex-Japan Studio folks whose current whereabouts haven't been further clarified yet.

Which in turn means that the thread title is nonsense, at least based on the video and Jon's presented research.
 
The mistake here is assuming that SIE is following the lead of Japanese publishers, when you actually have it backwards.
Oh I know that. It's just the narrative that Sony gave up on Japan was exacerbated by all the Japanese pubs moving towards primarily multi-platform releases.
 
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Just to give some more context here:
In the video Jon says that "multiple" ex-Studio Japan folks have joined Nintendo EPD and/or Monolith Soft. Taking his examples into account, we might be talking a double digit number here at most (that's my interpretation/guestimate), while Japan Studio, according to him, originally had a team of over 200 people, of which up to around 20~25 possibly ended up joining Team Asobi as the Sony Japan replacement studio, if you want to call it that. (That's what he deduces from the growing employee numbers of Team Asobi between 2020 and now.)
So we're likely/potentially looking at over 100, maybe even 150 ex-Japan Studio folks whose current whereabouts haven't been further clarified yet.

Which in turn means that the thread title is nonsense, at least based on the video and Jon's presented research.
thank you
 
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Nintendo has evolved, from "STEALING OUR GAMES!" to "STEALING OUT DEVS!".

When will someone stop Nintendo from stealing. Where's Dora to tell them "No Nintendo, no swiping!"?
 
The dissolution of Japan Studio was one of the worst things that happened in the industry in a long time.
 
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Thread title accuracy aside, this seems like it explains why I've become much less interested in Sony's games in the last few years.
This was my main reaction. I backed that Wild Arms successor Kickstarter and that would've been one of few PlayStation exclusives that I wish I could play.

The saddest thing about Japan Studio closing alongside some consolidation into Team Asobi were the number of ppl with "good, Astrobot is all they should be making" reactions.
 
It's also worth noting that Japan Studio and Team Asobi are different creatures altogether.

JS was, in effect, SCE's Japan division and did far more than just developing their own games - they interfaced with other studios/publishers to provide development (notably, they helped Level-5 get their start after Hino left Riverhillsoft) and testing aid and made localization efforts for Sony's non-Japanese games. They also enjoyed a decent amount of independence within the SCE ecosystem, as did other subsidiaries.

With the developments over the last decade, their independence was slowly taken away and most recent developments have not just included the closure of the old "Japan Studio", but also a concentration of power over the PlayStation brand and the things associated with them at the headquarters in San Mateo under the SIE and "PlayStation Studios" banners, including tasks that would before fall to local branches, such as QA for "second party" studios (although, does Sony do this anymore?) and localization. In short, Team Asobi is "just" a development studio without any other abilities for decision making that is wholly subsumed by the heads in California.

I've seen takes framing this as "an acceptable step" after "Japan Studio lost its luster", but I think that's, frankly, equestrian manure.

What's also interesting is that Sony operates a second video game label named ANIPLEX.EXE with a primary focus on visual novels and which is apparently also responsible for the recently-released RPG Time: The Legend of Wright (ironically, not a title on PS, but first released on Xbox and PC with a Switch port out last month or so). So there's probably some tension within Sony as to how things operate as well.
 
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The title of the thread has been edited to accurately reflect the video’s message.

As shown, most of the developers that worked at the studio went to Nintendo, but there's a good amount that went to create their own studio. Team Asobi only absorbed the minority of the workers.
This is not accurate, please confirm stuff like this before making threads.
 
The title of the thread has been edited to accurately reflect the video’s message.


This is not accurate, please confirm stuff like this before making threads.

i'm sorry, English is not my main language. I thought I was just using a similar word so It wouldn't get repetitive (there's a term to explain this in portuguese but I also don't know how to say it in english lol).

anyway, it was not my intention but I'll pay more attention in the future.
 
i'm sorry, English is not my main language. I thought I was just using a similar word so It wouldn't get repetitive (there's a term to explain this in portuguese but I also don't know how to say it in english lol).

anyway, it was not my intention but I'll pay more attention in the future.
No worries! Just want to make sure we're accurate with stuff like this.
 
Sony just continues to take L after L for me. They lost me mid-PS4 gen and clearly have taken no steps towards anything that resembles be wanting to go back to them. Such a bummer, great talent squandered.

I didn't realize how dishonest their claim of "absorbing" JP Studio was.
 
Splatoon 3 is the only epd game released after the studio closure,we have to wait some more epd releases to see how many devs nintendo poached
 
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What's also interesting is that Sony operates a second video game label named ANIPLEX.EXE with a primary focus on visual novels and which is apparently also responsible for the recently-released RPG Time: The Legend of Wright (ironically, not a title on PS, but first released on Xbox and PC with a Switch port out last month or so). So there's probably some tension within Sony as to how things operate as well.
Slight correction. The team in question has two parts; the main Aniplex, which is mostly Sony Corp (not SIE)'s anime division, but also has their own game team. They recently published the Demon Slayer game and RPG Time, both got Switch ports this year.

The other seems to be a second division at Aniplex, which is ANIPLEX.EXE, which as you said does visual novels, but that's literally it. They just ported both of their current VNs to the Switch this or last year with Mei or Mel I think their name is? They just announced a 3rd VN for PC only for now (but I'm sure it'll come to Switch sooner or later).

The OTHER but now semi-dead game team from Sony Corp (well there's ForwardWorks but that's another subject) was Unties, AKA Sony Music Japan's game team. They were a multiplat indie publisher, most focused on Touhou games. They shut down a couple years back but immediately resurfaced as Pheonixx which took over everything seemingly. I'm curious if Sony just wasn't fond of how things were going or the other way around and Unties essentially said "fuck this, we're out".
 
I wish Aniplex had just absorbed all of Japan Studio (IP included) and just continued on making inhouse console games with them.

Also Aniplex should totally work with Gamefreak on Jerry Boy 3 (after putting 1 & 2 on NSO).
 
I wish Aniplex had just absorbed all of Japan Studio (IP included) and just continued on making inhouse console games with them.

Also Aniplex should totally work with Gamefreak on Jerry Boy 3 (after putting 1 & 2 on NSO).
maybe they'll start investing in more console games with the absorption of the delightworks and forward works
 
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What's also interesting is that Sony operates a second video game label named ANIPLEX.EXE with a primary focus on visual novels and which is apparently also responsible for the recently-released RPG Time: The Legend of Wright (ironically, not a title on PS, but first released on Xbox and PC with a Switch port out last month or so). So there's probably some tension within Sony as to how things operate as well.
It just a repeat what everyone tell that Sony as a whole aren’t that uniform. ANIPLEX.EXE is under Aniplex which is under Sony Music Entertainment Japan.

You can look easily at their Smartphone side, Xperia. A smartphone with dog shit camera when their camera line is the top of the industry?
 
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I wish Aniplex had just absorbed all of Japan Studio (IP included) and just continued on making inhouse console games with them.

Also Aniplex should totally work with Gamefreak on Jerry Boy 3 (after putting 1 & 2 on NSO).
I want Patapon on Switch
Seriously. Sony's cool with PC ports of their biggest games (whether years late doesn't matter), but putting their small niche JP games on Switch is too risky or some unfathomable thing?

Aniplex could and should act as the 3rd-party arm of SIE to publish their unwanted JP stuff on Switch where it (IMO inevitably) will find an audience. XSEED also can do the western/NA retail publishing if need be as they've done Sony stuff before (some Wild Arms stuff and Brave Story).

Limited Run actually tweeted last week or so about getting PS1 emulation working on Switch (woah), and asked what folks want to see, naturally I and numerous others asked for Sony's 1st-party lot. :p

Edit: Here:

 
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But why? They lose more to PC players easily as why buy on PS5 their AAA games when if you're just patient enough (most are I'd think), you could get them on PC? Sony's JP IPs had their chance and just couldn't move the needle.

Sony may very well gain a fuck ton more from putting those old games on Switch as Nintendo fans have always been the most receptive to Japanese franchises, plus Sony have zero portable system now. Where can you play these games portably unless you take out your old Vita, and Sony's still likely killing the store on Vita (and PS3) down the road, so you wo't have that option for much longer I'd bet.
 
But why? They lose more to PC players easily as why buy on PS5 their AAA games when if you're just patient enough (most are I'd think), you could get them on PC? Sony's JP IPs had their chance and just couldn't move the needle.

Sony may very well gain a fuck ton more from putting those old games on Switch as Nintendo fans have always been the most receptive to Japanese franchises, plus Sony have zero portable system now. Where can you play these games portably unless you take out your old Vita, and Sony's still likely killing the store on Vita (and PS3) down the road, so you wo't have that option for much longer I'd bet.
part of the reason is that they just don't give a shit about those games anymore. they don't think it's worth their time and they want to keep that catalog in their ecosystem. it's important to note that playstation log-in is coming to pc games as well, so there will be eventual deeper ties to the ecosystem.
 
part of the reason is that they just don't give a shit about those games anymore. they don't think it's worth their time and they want to keep that catalog in their ecosystem. it's important to note that playstation log-in is coming to pc games as well, so there will be eventual deeper ties to the ecosystem.
They could do that on Switch also, didn't stop MS from doing that with Minecraft and Ori and the Blind Forest (and apparently A Bard's Tale ARPG) on Switch.
 
But why? They lose more to PC players easily as why buy on PS5 their AAA games when if you're just patient enough (most are I'd think), you could get them on PC? Sony's JP IPs had their chance and just couldn't move the needle.

Sony may very well gain a fuck ton more from putting those old games on Switch as Nintendo fans have always been the most receptive to Japanese franchises, plus Sony have zero portable system now. Where can you play these games portably unless you take out your old Vita, and Sony's still likely killing the store on Vita (and PS3) down the road, so you wo't have that option for much longer I'd bet.
Are you actually confused as to why multimillion sellers are getting ports prioritized over niche games? Don't get me wrong, it would be amazing to see these games on Switch but I think you're vastly overestimating how much they have to gain from such ports
 


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