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Masami Yamamoto leaves Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio, the latest in a long line of departing creators

Masami-SIE-Japan_03-15-21.jpg


Masami Yamamoto left Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio on January 28, the developer announced on Twitter.

Yamamoto was an external production director and executive producer, and has worked on titles such as the No Heroes Allowed series, Tokyo Jungle, Rain, Bloodborne, Soul Sacrifice, Freedom Wars, and more.

“Including my last position at Sony Music Entertainment, I was with Sony Group for 25 years,” Masami said. “As a game creator, my job at a first-party was full of happiness. And it was all thanks to your support. Ah, in the future, I’ll be able to make games on any platform… what a strange feeling!”

Sony Interactive Entertainment confirmed back in February that it will reorganize Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio into a new organization on April 1, re-centering it to Team ASOBI, the creative team behind Astro’s Playroom. Masami is the latest in a long line of developers who have left the company as a result of its downsizing.

 

MiguelItUp

Member
*Lets everybody pretend to knew who this guy was and be sad about it*
Pretty much. I can understand being a bit bummed if that person was associated with a favorite game of yours (or several). But, their role really matters in the long run. As someone that's currently in production, there's nothing wrong with it. That being said, if someone else was in my position, the end result of the project wouldn't really change much. If at all. Good/great production definitely matters, but changes in production won't really impact the perspective of the consumer/fan.
 
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Kagoshima_Luke

Gold Member
Pretty much. I can understand being a bit bummed if that person was associated with a favorite game of yours (or several). But, their role really matters in the long run. As someone that's currently in production, there's nothing wrong with it. That being said, if someone else was in my position, the end result of the project wouldn't really change much. If at all. Good/great production definitely matters, but changes in production won't really impact the perspective of the consumer/fan.
Isn't the problem that they are getting rid of tenured people from the Japan Studio and not starting new development (outside of Astro's)? They should be keeping these people and making new games. Japanese games matter for a lot of people and leaving almost all of that to 3rd parties is a huge mistake. There may be a point soon where Microsoft has more in house Japanese developers and that would be a sad day for Sony and Playstation fans.
 

Airbus Jr

Banned
Thats ok if they can find a suitable replacent for him but if Jim Ryan gona close Japan Studio thats fucked up and im gona hunt him down

I want Bloodborne 2 so bad
 
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Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Yeh PlayStation without Japan and without any single player games (your view in another thread) will help PlayStation flourish.

Ok.

the office headache GIF

No, single player is important. It makes publishers plenty of money. God of War, Horizon, Ghost of Tsushima, Naughty Dog single player games are super important for Sony.

But how many AA efforts from Japanese studios make little to no splash when games like Deep Rock Galactic, Valheim, Fall Guys, Among Us etc are lighting the charts on fire?

Bloodborne was Sony Japan's last big hit and it sold ~3 million copies after 7 years on the market, after numerous price drops? Sony needs to invest in AA hitters who can knock it out of the park. Father time is undefeated and the industry rolled past Japan.
 
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Perrott

Gold Member
That picture should be Jim Ryan.

Japan Studio was like the Nintendo of Sony.... but Sony is so ignorant to see this.
No, they weren't.

And I get that you fans of Gravity Rush or their other games are pissed, but you all know that their closure won't matter in the long run because Japan Studio was a studio that didn't even matter in the great scheme of things even when it was still operational.
 

Heimdall_Xtreme

Jim Ryan Fanclub's #1 Member
No, single player is important. It makes publishers plenty of money. God of War, Horizon, Ghost of Tsushima, Naughty Dog single player games are super important for Sony.

But how many AA efforts from Japanese studios make little to no splash when games like Deep Rock Galactic, Valheim, Fall Guys, Among Us etc are lighting the charts on fire?

Bloodborne was Sony Japan's last big hit and it sold ~3 million copies after 7 years on the market, after numerous price drops? Sony needs to invest in AA hitters who can knock it out of the park. Father time is undefeated and the industry rolled past Japan.
this people are the cancer of the gaming industry modern.

blog-youtubers.jpg


and him

1573328480_1280x720.jpg




Is not the fault of Japan Studio
 

Miles708

Member
So Japan Studios is reorganizing then? I’ll wait to see what comes of this and then judge.
Japan Studio has been closed, all creative people left Sony altogether. some have created the new Bokeh Studio, an independent software house that will work on a horror game.

Sony will end basically having only Horizon, GoT and Spider Man as first party franchises.
Not like this, Jim. Not like this.
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
Japan Studio has been closed, all creative people left Sony altogether. some have created the new Bokeh Studio, an independent software house that will work on a horror game.

Sony will end basically having only Horizon, GoT and Spider Man as first party franchises.
Not like this, Jim. Not like this.

There's a little game called God of War and a little studio called Naughty Dog you're forgetting.
 

Aion002

Member
Expected... These days I just hope that Sony keeps pushing Koei games and don't forget that From Software exist.

At least Capcom and Square-Enix are still extremely important to Sony.
 

Miles708

Member
There's a little game called God of War and a little studio called Naughty Dog you're forgetting.
That's true. There's also Gran Turismo.

I guess the overall point, at least in my point of view, is that Sony is placing itself in the same spot Microsoft is trying for years to get out from. Having a variety of first party games, but mostly on one genre.

Let's say, closing one of your crowned jewels (and, I think, the only first party Japanese studio outside of Polyphony) is not exactly an inspiring move.
 
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Perrott

Gold Member
this people are the cancer of the gaming industry modern.

blog-youtubers.jpg


and him

1573328480_1280x720.jpg




Is not the fault of Japan Studio
How it's not the fault of Japan Studio? Then who is to blame for the release of the two Knack games? Who is to blame for Gravity Rush 2 being an underwhelming PS4 title plagued with game design from the PS2 era? And who is to blame for all the cancelations? Because Gavin Moore (Puppeteer, 2013) and Tsutomu Kouno (LocoRoco 2, 2008) spent the entire PS4 generation working on stuff that didn't even managed to get revealed at all.

How can you defend such a mess of a studio? If they were so worth-having, they would've release RaySpace or whatever other game two years ago to worldwide commercial success, but they didn't because they failed time and again, and in the end they got what they deserved.

Just like Evolution, just like Zipper Interactive.
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
Having a variety of first party games, but mostly on one genre.

Let's say, closing one of your crowned jewels (and, I think, the only first party Japanese studio outside of Polyphony) is not exactly an inspiring move.

Didn't really make much of a difference for the generation they just crushed. Third person adventure games are what Sony does well, they sell extraordinarily well,, and ironically that's mostly what Japan Studio made for PS4, they just made mostly underwhelming ones. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only new games on PS4 Japan Studio were wholly responsible for were two Knack games, two Gravity Rush games, The Last Guardian, and the 12th Everybody's Golf game. I'm not surprised Sony are cutting the deadweight when the Playstation is practically dead in Japan anyway.
 
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Perrott

Gold Member
That's true. There's also Gran Turismo.

I guess the overall point, at least in my point of view, is that Sony is placing itself in the same spot Microsoft is trying for years to get out from. Having a variety of first party games, but mostly on one genre.

Let's say, closing one of your crowned jewels (and, I think, the only first party Japanese studio outside of Polyphony) is not exactly an inspiring move.
Asobi Team is still around and better than ever before. They were the crown jewel, not the Japan Studio.
 

Stuart360

Member
I'm going to miss this era of PlayStation though. Siren and Siren: Blood Curse were always pretty interesting to me.
Japanese games are not going anywhere though, PS5 will still get a load of them. Japanese studios are not closing down.
Japan just dont do TV consoles anymore, but Japanese studios will still be making games for consoles and the rest of the world.
 

AmuroChan

Member
It's sad, but I feel like the writing's been on the wall for a while. Outside of Astrobot, Japan Studio's internally developed games have mostly flopped commercially in recent years. Sony's last two Japanese-style games were GoT and Demon's Souls, both made by western developers. I grew up with the PS1 and PS2 when Japan Studio was the crown jewel studio of Sony, but there's no denying that they've been a shell of their former glory for some years now.
 

sublimit

Banned
I remember SO MUCH praise to Sony Japan Studio here...Now...
Well, fanboys are hypocrites.
Oh wow that's some amazing spinning right there buddy to once again push a fanboy agendas and console wars.Congrats!

The real hypocrites are people who never bought a single Sony Japan game (and i mean on day 1 not when it ended up on deals or when their prices hit rock bottom) and now are pretending they are sad about them and how "Sony hates Japan".I bet some of those people who are suddenly so "concerned" about Sony Japan never even had a Playstation.
 
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McCheese

Member
I was ready to be outraged then read the list of titles he produced. If they are going to funnel some of this money back into team Asobi instead I'm all for it.
 
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Isa

Gold Member
Dj Khaled GIF by Kids' Choice Awards


Expected really. Honestly as an optimist I've taken a pretty grim view to current gaming and the future direction the industry is heading. I have a PS5 (and thankfully all my old systems too), but I'm not filled with confidence as to what Sony is doing and is planning for the future. PC is such a surefire bet for multiplats and uncensored content(for me this matters). I feel so put off by modern gaming that instead of finishing games I've been playing or wrestling with my backlog I've been going old school where most of the raw passion is, when games were actually creative, artistic and most of all fun. Its incredible the diversity of game genres and styles across just about any old system including the failed ones.

My girl and I have only casually gamed lately when the mood catches us and its always something different. Beat 'em ups, schmups, platformers, rpgs, actual couch co-op games. Back when I could beat a game in a single sitting and then wanted to replay the damn thing. The love and care that went into the spritework and animations, which were handcrafted. But mainly we've taken to old movies, old and new anime/manga/doujins and art circles, and especially tabletop rpgs. Where our homebrew game is taking shape and isn't being wrecked by stupid ideologues and politics. I've spent more on the OSR scene than... well I haven't been convinced to spend a single cent for the past few months which is the only time since the last recession that I hadn't bought any games. Frankly very little has convinced me otherwise save for a few Japanese games. Really diggin' Nintendo though, they've still got it. For the most part. Okay I lied I still bought a few games for the Switch. And pc.

I know she and I are just a microscopic drop in the bucket compared to the world, but its disheartening for us to see them seemingly forget the appeal and value of what made the brand strong in the first place. The Nintendo head guy did an interview recently that showed that they not only realize that the big three have been leap-frogging each other each generation in terms of successes and failures, but that they understand and want to continue to grow their brand and characters without ruining the brand with one wrong move. They get it. I respect that. They get consumer allure and appeal. I feel Sony is painting themselves into a corner as a one trick pony. A slow one at that. That relies to much on third party support that may be tempted to focus elsewhere in the future do to certain policies. Us fans of Japanese games may start to congregate elsewhere where we're treated better, which may merely be a fraction of the market, but let us not forget that aside from old pc games some of the first collectors editions I recall were from groups like the rarified Working Designs. But I digress. I wish this guy and all the others who've left or will a brighter future.
 

Airbus Jr

Banned
It's sad, but I feel like the writing's been on the wall for a while. Outside of Astrobot, Japan Studio's internally developed games have mostly flopped commercially in recent years. Sony's last two Japanese-style games were GoT and Demon's Souls, both made by western developers. I grew up with the PS1 and PS2 when Japan Studio was the crown jewel studio of Sony, but there's no denying that they've been a shell of their former glory for some years now.
Demon Souls wasnt made by western developer( but the remake yes )
 
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