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Jim Ryan Famitsu Interview - Move to Digital, Japan Studio, and more

Evangelion Unit-01

Master Chief
PS5専用の次世代VRシステム発売を予告! 本体の供給増も明言。SIE社長 ジム・ライアン氏が語るプレステ5の展望 - ファミ通.com (famitsu.com)

Online translator used for excerpts below. Please forgive the obvious translation errors. I am leaving them as is. Don't want to try to paraphrase and personally I found "Ryan Worldwide Studios" too amusing to correct.

Jim Ryan speaks to the changing digital landscape and Japan Studio's future. More at the link.

In Japan, I have the impression that the number of packaged versions of PS5 has not increased so much, but is the number of downloaded versions sold increasing?

Ryan: Not only in Japan, but the ratio of downloaded versions is increasing rapidly worldwide. In 2020, game shops were not able to open overseas, especially due to the effects of the new corona infection. Partly because of this, the download version is increasing rapidly.
For example, "PlayStation Plus" (PS Plus), isn't it? The subscription rate of "PS Plus" seems to be very high.

Ryan: it's very expensive, isn't it? "PS Plus" is always trying to make "PS Plus" itself loved by users. For example, it is one of the big services that offers free-to-play games every month. In the future, we would like to further enhance our services.
Are there many such users who are playing new PS5 games or using PS4 games comfortably?

Ryan: it's both. Ps5 titles have been well received, and many users are playing PS4 titles due to backward compatibility.
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.
 

sublimit

Banned
"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."
d1160758dd12cc82d86bdb5352252378.gif
 

Heimdall_Xtreme

Jim Ryan Fanclub's #1 Member
PS5専用の次世代VRシステム発売を予告! 本体の供給増も明言。SIE社長 ジム・ライアン氏が語るプレステ5の展望 - ファミ通.com (famitsu.com)

Online translator used for excerpts below. Please forgive the obvious translation errors. I am leaving them as is. Don't want to try to paraphrase and personally I found "Ryan Worldwide Studios" too amusing to correct.

Jim Ryan speaks to the changing digital landscape and Japan Studio's future. More at the link.

The son of his bitch mother, destroyed Japan Studio, the most wonderful Sony studio. Thanks for nothing Jim Ryan
 

Heimdall_Xtreme

Jim Ryan Fanclub's #1 Member
I can only forgive him if he collaborates with Bokeh Game Studio and Japan Studio to bring Gravity rush 3 or make a VR sequel.
 
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YukiOnna

Member
He can talk all he wants, but I need to see it. His comment about Japan Studio doesn't fill me with much confidence in regards to having some huge new title lined up. And rather than securing timed exclusives, I'd like to see the development of new games in the same way they made Freedom Wars for the Vita or Bloodborne with FromSoft when talking about 3rd party partnerships.
 

ZehDon

Member
Are there many such users who are playing new PS5 games or using PS4 games comfortably?

Ryan: it's both. Ps5 titles have been well received, and many users are playing PS4 titles due to backward compatibility.
Hmmm no, sorry, Jim must be lying here. PlayStation fans told me no one plays Backwards Compatibility which is why Microsoft's backwards compatibility efforts didn't count.
 
Hmmm no, sorry, Jim must be lying here. PlayStation fans told me no one plays Backwards Compatibility which is why Microsoft's backwards compatibility efforts didn't count.
I initially thought the same. I won't lie.

Until recently where I can see the amazing efforts Xbox is putting into backwards compatible games. I'm sure both PS and Xbox will have amazing current gen games on next gen hardware (PS6 - Xbox Series X2).
Sony has to be forward thinking with regards to BC games. They can't afford for next gen offerings to be of the same quality they have now or many more will jump ship to Xbox. Just my opinion of course.
 
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Kumomeme

Member
ps4 era is where their western games shines. due to that currently they now already has solid portfolio for western games. time to focus on japanese games this generation perhaps? they could come back way stronger for ps6 later with both japan and western backlog.
 
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Hmmm no, sorry, Jim must be lying here. PlayStation fans told me no one plays Backwards Compatibility which is why Microsoft's backwards compatibility efforts didn't count.
It's normal at launch because there are less games. The problem is when you playing previous gen games all the time.
 
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ACESHIGH

Banned
They should settle things with from software and put in work for the bloodborne remaster for ps5/pc.

Probably they can do it by themselves. I don't get why their most critically acclaimed exclusive still looks and runs like crap.
 

Airbus Jr

Banned
That's what people said about Layden when he first arrived and what people will say about the next CEO when people remember Jim fondly.
Shawn Layden was a very casual guy when it comes to appearance

He wears crash bandicoot and other videogame tshirt spend lot of time on fan festival and actually playing videogames

I dont know about this Jim Ryan guy

Ever since he took in i never heard any good news from Playstation

Heres what i can gather ever since he took in :

- One by one PS exclusive game are gone and went to PC

- First party game become $70

- More strick cencorship

- O confirm button for Japan and Asia are swapped to X

- Japan Studio getting reduced ( i dont know wether if its staff member or its funding )

- He throws some shaddy shit about xbox series S in an interview ( but i forgot what exactly did he says)

- He said he believe in generation but yet the contrary keep announcing ps4 port game like Spiderman Morales and Horizon Forbiden West

- Manchester Studio is closed

- He seems to favor digital over physical game and seems to embrace an all full digital console in the future

The positive news about PS5 is the superior SSD, the Kraken compression technique and its capabilities to outperform Xbox Series X with higher teraflops in numerous occasion is thanks to Mark Cerny as lead architect it has nothing to do with Jim Ryan
 
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Boss Mog

Member
Imagine if PSVR 2 launched with Astro Bot 2 and Half-Life Alyx. It would be tough for me not to buy it at launch.
 

Fake

Member
Less focus on western games and give us some god damn Japanese games, it my reason getting in to PlayStation in the first place, I don't need them to be another Xbox.

Me too mate. When Sony stop supporting Japanese games I move to Switch.
Glad we share the same view.
 

Zeroing

Banned
Shawn Layden was a very casual guy when it comes to appearance

He wears crash bandicoot and other videogame tshirt spend lot of time on fan festival and actually playing videogames

I dont know about this Jim Ryan guy

Ever since he took in i never heard any good news from Playstation

Heres what i can gather ever since he took in :

- One by one PS exclusive game are gone and went to PC

- First party game become $70

- More strick cencorship

- O confirm button for Japan and Asia are swapped to X

- Japan Studio getting reduced ( i dont know wether if its staff member or its funding )

- He throws some shaddy shit about xbox series S in an interview ( but i forgot what exactly did he says)

- He said he believe in generation but yet the contrary keep announcing ps4 port game like Spiderman Morales and Horizon Forbiden West

- Manchester Studio is closed

- He seems to favor digital over physical game and seems to embrace an all full digital console in the future

The positive news about PS5 is the superior SSD, the Kraken compression technique and its capabilities to outperform Xbox Series X with higher teraflops in numerous occasion is thanks to Mark Cerny as lead architect it has nothing to do with Jim Ryan
Ok my take on this! Jim is boring. But he knew what gamers in Europe wants. Unlike Microsoft who thought Europe was a country lol it’s true google it.
So he had a little merit, he’s been in PlayStation for quite some time!

Games going to pc will attract more fans and make more money for the studios!

for a long time all exclusives from PlayStation here in my country were 50 euros and for example EA 60 euros.

nobody likes a price increase but if that brings quality to the studios then 10 euros more is not a big deal for me.

Manchester Studio closed mostly because of brexit! Sony even moved their headquarters from London to Holland
 

ZywyPL

Banned
I like how Ryan acts like the free PS+ games were Sony's initiative all along, while in reality they had to react to XBL's aggressive marketing back in the days.

Other than that nothing new, digital sales are constantly pushing physical distribution out of the market, Covid or not, by 2030 physical distribution will be responsible for not even 10% of the overall sales, if it will even be a thing by then, because most of the old "muh physical!" folks won't be gaming anymore by then while today's youngsters who are born in the all-digital era will be the majority of the market once they grow up.

But I fully agree on supporting/reviving the good 'ol franchises that are synonymous with Playstation, it's the best practice they can do right now, considering how few studios they have that are working on their own IPs, so outsourcing or at least buying timed exclusivity would be a very cost effective way to back a ton of great franchises back to Playstation.



I don't get why their most critically acclaimed exclusive still looks and runs like crap.

Because it's a very niche title compared to their other exclusives, they'll prefer making 10 more Spider-Man games than remaster Bloodborne, it's just a business after all.
 

GHG

Gold Member
I like how Ryan acts like the free PS+ games were Sony's initiative all along, while in reality they had to react to XBL's aggressive marketing back in the days.

This doesn't make any sense.

Online gaming was still free when plus was first introduced. Plus was originally a service that offered monthly "free" games, discounts and other membership perks.


The primary reason they did it was because they were bleeding so much money at the time and needed a way to get some guaranteed repeatable quarterly/annual revenue.

It was actually the first gaming subscription of it's kind which has now evolved into what you see today with the likes of PS Now, Gamepass, EA Play, etc. The only modern gaming sub that still strictly follows the original PS Plus model is Humble Choice (only difference there being that the games are yours to keep forever even after your sub lapses).

They then used it as ammunition/lube when they decided to charge for online gaming when the PS4 launched.
 

ZywyPL

Banned
This doesn't make any sense.

Online gaming was still free when plus was first introduced. Plus was originally a service that offered monthly "free" games, discounts and other membership perks.

They saw MS getting away with paid P2P online, earning free billions each year, so they had to come up with something, anything, to get some of that kind of money as well, and they couldn't simply all of a sudden announce that PSN is becoming paid after years of marketing it as a free service. Actually, being free was a good excuse/backup for the poor quality of the service, with maintenance happening every now and then, lack of features like global chat, and absolutely awful download speeds, many many people including myself said "well, at least it's free", and Sony knew well people would eat them alive if only they wanted to charge them for such a lackluster service. But still, it wasn't until PS4 arrived when they announced that PS+ is becoming mandatory to play online and the service finally started to gain traction, to become one of the, if not THE most profitable aspect of Playstation for Sony as it is today. If there wasn't serious money on the table, they would never bother, but MS paved the way, and Sony followed suit.
 

Withnail

Member
This doesn't make any sense.

Online gaming was still free when plus was first introduced. Plus was originally a service that offered monthly "free" games, discounts and other membership perks.


The primary reason they did it was because they were bleeding so much money at the time and needed a way to get some guaranteed repeatable quarterly/annual revenue.

It was actually the first gaming subscription of it's kind which has now evolved into what you see today with the likes of PS Now, Gamepass, EA Play, etc. The only modern gaming sub that still strictly follows the original PS Plus model is Humble Choice (only difference there being that the games are yours to keep forever even after your sub lapses).

They then used it as ammunition/lube when they decided to charge for online gaming when the PS4 launched.

Yep, back in the PS3 days the Instant Game Collection had 15 (I think) games as part of the subscription and games were rotated in and out. It was clearly a forerunner of Gamepass but as is often the way Sony didn't see the potential and someone else came along and did it better.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Yep, back in the PS3 days the Instant Game Collection had 15 (I think) games as part of the subscription and games were rotated in and out. It was clearly a forerunner of Gamepass but as is often the way Sony didn't see the potential and someone else came along and did it better.

Actually is was the forerunner for "Games With Gold" MS' me-too competitor. GamePass is closer to PSNow, which again Sony rolled out first, to tepid levels of interest.

The only real innovation with GamePass is sacrificing retail sales by offering new product day #1.
 

Banjo64

cumsessed
Ok my take on this! Jim is boring. But he knew what gamers in Europe wants. Unlike Microsoft who thought Europe was a country lol it’s true google it.
So he had a little merit, he’s been in PlayStation for quite some time!

Games going to pc will attract more fans and make more money for the studios!

for a long time all exclusives from PlayStation here in my country were 50 euros and for example EA 60 euros.

nobody likes a price increase but if that brings quality to the studios then 10 euros more is not a big deal for me.

Manchester Studio closed mostly because of brexit! Sony even moved their headquarters from London to Holland
I’m from the UK, so not the EU, but I can comfortably say that Jim Ryan doesn’t know dick about what I want at this moment in time.

Delayed launch of the PS5, putting us in a tier 2 category behind the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.

£70 games at a time of great economic uncertainty due to a worldwide pandemic when Sony are already absolutely creaming the profits from PS Plus. Nintendo are pillared for their game prices, but new releases like Mario 3D World and even Monster Hunter Rise are sub £40.

Manchester Studio closed because of Brexit? What a load of shit. Plenty of game studios are still perfectly operational post-brexit; Rare, Rockstar, Media Molecule, Code Masters, Rocksteady, Playground. There’s a gigantic list. They didn’t all disappear in to the void as soon as we told Brussels to fuck off.
 
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SkylineRKR

Member
But what did Japan studio release for PS4? TLG, was by Team ICO and Ueda already ended his contract during production. Gravity Rush 2, same fate. Bloodborne, by FROM. Knack sucks. Everybody's Golf sucked as well, not nearly as good as the legacy games. SotC and DeS both done by Bluepoint.

It seems to me that Asobi is the most worthwhile team, and they're around. Astrobot would've been a so much better PS4 launch platform game than Knack.
 
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MagnesG

Banned
Delayed launch of the PS5, putting us in a tier 2 category behind the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
Not sure about others, but Japan and SK launch only get measly 100-200k max of stock, and imagine the SE region gouging those units too for their countries. Most people felt Asian market have been sidelined since the start.
 
Shawn Layden was a very casual guy when it comes to appearance

He wears crash bandicoot and other videogame tshirt spend lot of time on fan festival and actually playing videogames

I dont know about this Jim Ryan guy

Ever since he took in i never heard any good news from Playstation

Heres what i can gather ever since he took in :

- One by one PS exclusive game are gone and went to PC

- First party game become $70

- More strick cencorship

- O confirm button for Japan and Asia are swapped to X

- Japan Studio getting reduced ( i dont know wether if its staff member or its funding )

- He throws some shaddy shit about xbox series S in an interview ( but i forgot what exactly did he says)

- He said he believe in generation but yet the contrary keep announcing ps4 port game like Spiderman Morales and Horizon Forbiden West

- Manchester Studio is closed

- He seems to favor digital over physical game and seems to embrace an all full digital console in the future

The positive news about PS5 is the superior SSD, the Kraken compression technique and its capabilities to outperform Xbox Series X with higher teraflops in numerous occasion is thanks to Mark Cerny as lead architect it has nothing to do with Jim Ryan
Don't forget his "Why would anybody play this?" famous quote, talking about the old Gran turismo games. I think this shows he is a pure accountant, a seller of producs. His acts show he is only interested at short term money and he doesn't understant that videogames are much more than a cereal product.

He is so much worse than Spencer or Mattrick. Even Mattrick had a plan: gather people thanks to TV and sports. Jim Ryan main plan is to make money as quickly as possible.
 
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Redlancet

Banned
Our feelings are mutual

When i heard he talk he felt like a coorporate, businessman and all that

With people like Reggie and Phil Spencer talks you can feel like theyre actual fan of videogames
Reggie? Lol dude fucking lol worse than matrick, boy this thread its getting wild
 
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Mmnow

Member
The rise of PS Plus and the Instant Game Collection was entirely a result of the famous PSN hack. The four free games given out as an apology ended up bringing in money through DLC and the purchase of sequels. They realised there was a larger potential and it grew from there.

You can argue about who influenced who and who did what first, but it wasn't some great out-of-the-blue business moment, it was exactly the same sentiment that led to the rise of subscriptions in most other industries: remove upfront barriers and people are more likely to spend and more likely to think they're getting good value into the bargain.
 
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Redlancet

Banned
I like how Ryan acts like the free PS+ games were Sony's initiative all along, while in reality they had to react to XBL's aggressive marketing back in the days.
Psn offering free games was a sony Initiative, Microsoft spended years giving jackshit and the follow after Sony
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Manchester Studio closed because of Brexit? What a load of shit. Plenty of game studios are still perfectly operational post-brexit; Rare, Rockstar, Media Molecule, Code Masters, Rocksteady, Playground. There’s a gigantic list. They didn’t all disappear in to the void as soon as we told Brussels to fuck off.

Manchester studio was closed because they were going nowhere. Sony's UK studios have a grim history of serial mismanagement and a resultant lack of output.

Personally I blame it on a lot of mid-management holdovers from the late 90's who were always useless chancers and survived by playing the corporate game of cronyism and keeping their competition (i.e people with a clue) down.
 

yurinka

Member
Jim Ryan: "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."
d1160758dd12cc82d86bdb5352252378.gif
To be fair here Ryan basically only said: 'We'll also continue having a lot of 2nd and 3rd party Japanese games, as always. Basically every known 3rd party Japanese studio released some exclusive game for PS4 in addition to multi games, and they will continue doing it on PS5."
 

yurinka

Member
Manchester Studio closed because of Brexit? What a load of shit. Plenty of game studios are still perfectly operational post-brexit; Rare, Rockstar, Media Molecule, Code Masters, Rocksteady, Playground. There’s a gigantic list. They didn’t all disappear in to the void as soon as we told Brussels to fuck off.
I didn't know they shut down Manchester Studio. Did they release something in the 5-6 years they were running? At least some small VR game? If not, then this is the reason of why they shut it down. Not Brexit.

The only thing i care at this point is when he's gonna abandon this crossgen bullshit.
In the 'we believe in generations' interview he mentioned they were going to continue supporting PS4 for at least 2 or 3 years because PS4 still had 100M+ active users, was selling great and even if they sell PS5 at record levels people most players will continue on PS4 during some years before moving to PS5. So approx. the same than MS: a couple of years of crossgen games since launch more or less. Plus in the case of Sony, some additional next gen only games during that period.
 
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GymWolf

Member
I didn't know they shut down Manchester Studio. Did they release something in the 5-6 years they were running? At least some small VR game? If not, then this is the reason of why they shut it down. Not Brexit.


In the 'we believe in generations' interview he mentioned they were going to continue supporting PS4 for at least 2 or 3 years because PS4 still had 100M+ active users, was selling great and even if they sell PS5 at record levels people most players will continue on PS4 during some years before moving to PS5. So approx. the same than MS: a couple of years of crossgen games since launch more or less. Plus in the case of Sony, some additional next gen only games during that period.
Well, fuck him then.
 

GymWolf

Member
You guys are seriously overreacting with their cross-gen stance

Less than half of their announced first party games are cross-gen. It'll be fine
I don't care.

They are making the sequel of my gotg and the sequel of my second favourite sony game from last gen both crossgen, i don't give a fuck if a remake of ps3 game and the sequel of fucking ratchet are full ps5 exclusive.

In my eyes they already ruined (strong word but you get my point) my most hyped sony games in the entire next gen, so no, i'm not over-reacting, probably the opposite, me calling jimbo a clown in a forum hardly make jimbo or sony sleep bad at night, but at least i can vent on a videogame forum.

I don't give a fuck if people want to play a ps5 game with a 8 year old console it's not my fucking problem, buy a new console like you did every other gen before this (of course when it's gonna be available again in shops)

And ps3 had 80 mil of users, but ps4 still had all the big exclusives for the new gen, again, i'm a final consumer, not a sony share holder.

P.s. just for the record, the 2 games are horizon 2 and gow ragnarock.
 
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I don't care.

They are making the sequel of my gotg and the sequel of my second favourite sony game from last gen both crossgen, i don't give a fuck if a remake of ps3 game and the sequel of fucking ratchet are full ps5 exclusive.

In my eyes they already ruined my most hyped games in the entire gen.

I don't give a fuck if people want to play a ps5 game with a 8 year old console it's not my fucking problem.

And ps3 had 80 mil of users, but ps4 still had all the big exclusives for the new gen, again, i'm a final consumer, not a sony share holder.

P.s. just for the record, the 2 games are horizon 2 and gow ragnarock.

Horizon 2 started development in 2017. Shit was already set in stone back then, and making the game exclusive now would just be making it exclusive for the sake of it.

GOW hasn't been confirmed to be crossgen
 

bender

What time is it?
I can only forgive him if he collaborates with Bokeh Game Studio and Japan Studio to bring Gravity rush 3 or make a VR sequel.

You can't fault Sony for Gravity Rush if they choose to not go on with the franchise. The original got a quality port to PS4 and a sequel.
 
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