Sony Japan Studio It closes its doors: what remains of the historic Japanese team, within an oversized hull, will focus on the Astro Bot chain and thus cease to dedicate itself to new and original projects.
Despite the numerous denials, this is a fairly clear confirmation of the fact that it is today Japan It is no longer counted once at home Play Station. Which it has to be said, from a commercial point of view it definitely makes sense.
The trend in recent years for all to see: The Nintendo Switch has ditched the PS4 and PS5 and dominated the Japanese sales charts, both on the hardware and on the software interface.
If we add to this the fact that the bulk of PlayStation’s commercial success lies in its extraordinary popularity in Europe and the United States, it is perfectly natural for the company to at least begin to reconsider its commitment at home.
Economic fitness and business strategies are undoubtedly an essential part of any business, but it is also true that in a medium-sized context such as video games, other factors must also be considered, namely the emotional domain and respect for tradition.
Here, thinking in these terms, the move to shut down Sony Japan Studio seems totally inexplicable. At the stage of its last major conference at E3, the Japanese house showed it was clear about the importance of emotions, but behind the scenes everything changed a little.
Whatever Sony’s actual strategy regarding Japanese production, with Japan Studio, we are saying goodbye to the team that over its long history has spawned some undisputed masterpieces, especially the titles it directed. Fumito Ueda: ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian.
Moreover, there was also room for very interesting experiments: from Jumping Flash 3D platforms! To PaRappa the Rapper’s musical score, from the noisy vibe of Soul Sacrifice to the more cheerful and cartoonish vibe of Gravity Rush, through a whole series of important supporting roles.
In short, shutting down a team as we have known it so far and giving up its many talents can only impoverish the world of the PlayStation exclusive, all while on the flip side it looks like Xbox is heading in the opposite direction.
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