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Sony are creating a brand new studio in Japan, began last year

kyliethicc

Member
Guy posting this leak also leaked Sony acquiring Housemarque before it went public, so it could be true.

Leaker claims Sony are building a new AAA game studio in Japan, hiring some devs from Capcom (Resident Evil team specifically), Square Enix, Konami, and more. Claims this began last year. Says they are trying to make a big new IP with both Japanese & Western appeal, comparable to how Resident Evil, Metal Gear, Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy, Monster Hunter, etc, are all distinctly Japanese IP that also sell well outside of Japan.

Who knows if its true, but sounds like a good idea. A new Japanese studio making core AAA games would be a good add to PlayStation Studios.


grain of salt
The Last Of Us Playstation GIF by Naughty Dog


 

demonstr8

Member
You won't be dramatically successful in Japan unless you have a prolific Director or well known IP and even then it is still very, very challenging. This has been shown to be true over and over and over again especially for Sony throughout basically every generation of PlayStation, especially now that Mobile is the face of gaming in Japan. These are some of the reasons why Japan Studio was gutted.
If they didn't learn this when Monster Hunter was poached by Nintendo practically single-handedly cratering the Vita in the country no matter what kind of software they threw at it they probably never will.
The only thing that will increase market share there is isolating popular Japanese IP to their console and they could have and should have done this decades ago for their own sake but evidently haven't.
Purchasing 2% of FROMs parent company is probably the closest thing in that vein they have done in a long time but even then I don't expect it to amount to anything.
 
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kyliethicc

Member
I can see this rumor being true. Sony does have a new studio in Malaysia that we barely know about
That's not a "new studio" that will make their own games. They're a support studio that does mostly character and environment art. They're part of Sony's Product Development Support Group, which is hundreds of devs who work on various Sony games.
 
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I don't see how this can be viewed negative or bad. sounds like a win win for everyone, sony is looking to create a big studio on their home turf. some veteran developers from already well known and big established Japanese publishers/developers are being hired or sought after to build said team. Sony wants to create some games with thus studio that appeals to both Japanese and north american audiences. jeez that much salt being withheld over the japan studios incident? Lol
 

Hobbygaming

has been asked to post in 'Grounded' mode.
That's not a "new studio" that will make their own games. They're a support studio that does mostly character and environment art. They're part of Sony's Product Development Support Group, which is hundreds of devs who work on various Sony games.
I didn't know they were a support studio. IMO Sony's support studios like I.C.E are one of their biggest strengths
 
If they still insist making AAA game with both Japanese & Western appeal, they will not be successful. PS is never short of such games.
Did those California management ever look at MediaCreate chart?
 

Tschumi

Member
I'm going to choose to ferment a new narrative and brand this Sony's belated attempt to reclaim some slice of the Japanese market (even though I've repeatedly said they haven't lost their slice, I'm just gonna play along)
 

BlvckFox

Gold Member
Dope as fuck!! Excited to see what they kick out, especially considering how starved we are for high fidelity original IPs.
 

Kagey K

Banned
Japan 2.0?

It was meant to work all you marks who worked yourself into a shoot?

Sony with that 4D chess.
 

ACESHIGH

Banned
I don't see them releasing the typical PS3 era and before quirky games from Japan. Jim Ryan wants these guys to bring in the dough as fast as possible.

Maybe is another Ubisoftian open world game but this time with (better) hand to hand combat as japanese devs do that WAY better than western ones.

Horror open world with stylish combat? sounds good to me.
 

coffinbirth

Member
Japan Studio wasn't killed, it was just officially renamed Team Asobi and some people were fired. Big difference than just closing down.
No.
Team Asobi was PART of Japan Studio, the part that worked on experimental stuff/tech demo's and such. Japan Studio proper, responsible of a LARGE chunk of legacy Playstation IP, didn't have their contracts renewed. Team Asobi was retained due to the critical success of Astro's Playroom.
By and large, Japan Studio was dragged out back and shot.
 

Aenima

Member
Might be just XDEV that is working and hiring in japan and asia to make quality playstation games. Whats the point of keeping a studio secret if they are hiring?

Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, has confirmed that Sony Interactive Entertainment are investing in the Japanese branch of XDEV, the team that collaborated with From Software on Bloodborne and Kojima Productions on Death Stranding. Hulst also addressed claims that PlayStation was abandoning its Japanese heritage by reaffirming that Japanese games are still important to Sony Interactive Entertainment and that the company is still a Japanese company “in some ways”. XDEV were also recruiting for a senior producer, producer and technical producer to work on a new AAA project in Japan.
 
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kyliethicc

Member
No.
Team Asobi was PART of Japan Studio, the part that worked on experimental stuff/tech demo's and such. Japan Studio proper, responsible of a LARGE chunk of legacy Playstation IP, didn't have their contracts renewed. Team Asobi was retained due to the critical success of Astro's Playroom.
By and large, Japan Studio was dragged out back and shot.
Yeah some people were fired from Japan Studio and the studio was renamed Team Asobi.

Many of the same employees are still making games in the same building in Tokyo (or are working from home for now).

Few years ago, both Santa Monica Studio and San Diego Studio also had devs laid off. Both studios had previously had secondary teams doing external development support on various 1st party games (The Order 1886, Journey, Guns Up, Drawn To Death, etc) but basically all those people were fired. The 2 studios were trimmed down to just making God of War and MLB The Show, respectively. Now Sony did the same with Japan Studio. Only difference is they renamed the studio too, which is semantics and mostly just marketing. XDev is now a global operation that will do all of Sony's external development support worldwide, instead of having teams within Santa Monica or San Diego or Japan doing that.
 
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Sony Pictures should just buy Capcom and call it a day. Let Aniplex make some Capcom cartoons. Let Playstation make some games. While Sony Pictures makes another 30 Resident Evil movies.

Why do people care about Studio Japan, ita not even a studio. Its a where all their Tokyo studios were located. Lackluster Bloodborne, FromSoftware. STOTC, GenDesign/Team Ico. Astrobot, Team Asobi. They basically fired non-profitable Team Gravity. And renamed the studio Team Asobi.
 

coffinbirth

Member
Yeah some people were fired from Japan Studio and the studio was renamed Team Asobi.

Many of the same employees are still making games in the same building in Tokyo (or are working from home for now).

Few years ago, both Santa Monica Studio and San Diego Studio also had devs laid off. Both studios had previously had secondary teams doing external development support on various 1st party games (The Order 1886, Journey, Guns Up, Drawn To Death, etc) but basically all those people were fired. The 2 studios were trimmed down to just making God of War and MLB The Show, respectively. Now Sony did the same with Japan Studio. Only difference is they renamed the studio too, which is semantics and mostly just marketing. XDev is now a global operation that will do all of Sony's external development support worldwide, instead of having teams within Santa Monica or San Diego or Japan doing that.
Most of the "important" people from the teams outside of Team Asobi were essentially let go. It was kinda a big deal, haha.
 

Hobbygaming

has been asked to post in 'Grounded' mode.
No.
Team Asobi was PART of Japan Studio, the part that worked on experimental stuff/tech demo's and such. Japan Studio proper, responsible of a LARGE chunk of legacy Playstation IP, didn't have their contracts renewed. Team Asobi was retained due to the critical success of Astro's Playroom.
By and large, Japan Studio was dragged out back and shot.
I'm not saying anyone should lose their jobs but Sony Japan's output didn't bring home the bacon. An AAA Japanese studio that also caters to the Western audience sounds like a recipe for success just like the Capcoms
 

coffinbirth

Member
I'm not saying anyone should lose their jobs but Sony Japan's output didn't bring home the bacon. An AAA Japanese studio that also caters to the Western audience sounds like a recipe for success just like the Capcoms


I don't know that I've ever seen MORE bacon, to be honest. Sure, you certainly have a point about AAA games aimed at a western audience....but isn't that what every other studio Sony owns is doing? Team Japan, for me, made some of the very best Playstation games, and quite frankly are the reason I love Playstation as much as I do. Yeah, God of War and Uncharted are awesome franchises, but ICO, Puppeteer, Loco Roco, etc. etc, etc...are what truly made Playstation special to me.
 

CamHostage

Member
It’s probably Bokeh Games Studio.
It’s a studio that started last year that Sony Japan staff migrated too.

Yes, but that's separate from what the leaker says the rumor was.

They say that exes from Capcom, Square Enix and Konami are being brought in to try and make a little supergroup for a core Japanese franchise.

Bokeh, as far as I know, is just the Team Silent group going independent, they're probably still incubating their first idea and not ready to staff up (and also are not known to have a contract with Sony at this point, which would be interesting and weird but not unusual for staff to break away then go back to the parent for their first gig, under new circumstances.)
 
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