PlayStation's Japanese Talent Has Moved On

[@BoringBrandon1]

Something about letting talent go to waste in the video game industry rubs me the wrong way. That’s why I’m glad the people from Rare formed Playtonic and the people from Sony are moving around

[@BBWahoo]

We need more of the old rare staff back at platonic, its milk now but not quite a milkshake yknow?

[@SuperSmithersGalaxy]

@@BBWahoo I agree, it’s been 3 years since their last game, really hoping they announce something great soon. A true 3D platformer that doesn’t get as mixed reception is what I’m hoping for.

[@SliderGamer55]

Makes me so sad for all the talented people who are now just stuck working on Call of Duty forever (not even including just the three different main devs for the series).

[@adonis2418]

@@BBWahoo the impossible Lair is a great game, they are doing just fine.

[@jumpyman9754]

@@SuperSmithersGalaxy I think they actually announced yooka laylee 2 a little while ago!

[@NoonDragoon]

MonolithSoft picking up some of the employees from Japan Studios wasn't something I knew about, that's super cool! Sucks for the closure of Japan Studios but at least many of the employees were able to find new work at great studios. And I’ve definitely already backed Armed Fantasia, love me some Wild Arms!

[@asprinjuice425]

Monolith developers know the pain of having their talent and work being kicked from beneath them, I’m so happy that they were able to reuse ideas and assets to become truly successful in Xenoblade Chronicles

[@aminparker01]

任天堂❤

[@RIELTURO]

No wonder why Xenoblade keep getting better and better

[@samt3412]

Monolith keep winning out here

[@mk3a]

Also, Nintendo owns 96% of MonolithSoft so this is another win for Mario.

[@yeehaw1181]

It genuinely broke my heart finding out the Parappa the Rapper's creator game couldn't get funded. What's even worse is that I did it while looking at his/his studio's Wikipedia page and just saw "[New Game Title] (Cancelled)" out of nowhere :(

[@lolcat]

I'm upset, gitaroo man and parappa are some of my favourite games of all time.

[@rudeboyspodcast]

I was there when they were running the Kickstarter and it is 100% their fault they didn't get funding. Not only did they not show any gameplay or even a CONCEPT of what it would be like until the last 7 days, they offered no updates and had way too high a budget expectation for a company that hasn't made a AA budget game in over a decade. Perfect example of how NOT to run a Kickstarter.

[@yeehaw1181]

@@rudeboyspodcast Damn, I had no idea

[@Yoshizuyuner]

@@rudeboyspodcast not just that I am pretty sure marketing would of work well if they did any at all

[@CiromBreeze]

At least there's a spiritual successor coming soon in the form of Scratchin' Melodii. I know it's made by an indie team, but hey - more games in this style is only a good thing.

[@Entropic_Alloy]

The shuttering of such a legendary studio will always remain a black mark on Sony's legacy.

[@gtylerbrown2]

If only there games sold well. 😢

[@ThomastheDankEngine8900]

It sucks but its the fault of Microsoft and their consumers for placing prominence on Western game developers over Japanese ones

[@RexVergstrong]

@@ThomastheDankEngine8900 This is incredibly idiotic to say. Xbox tried the japanese market and the japanese stuck to Sony, so Xbox went for the market they knew. The japanese market started to fail due to PS3's architecture being a nightmare to work on, it being overpriced and japanese gamers preferring mobile phones or going for the Wii due to these circumstances. Japanese studios trying to pander to the COD fans also didn't do them any favors, if they had stuck to their guns they would've been better off. Lastly, going from the PSP to the Vita kinda was the last straw on the camel's back. Japanese gamers love hanhelds and the Vita was powerful, but -even if it did better in Japan than in western markets- it just didn't sell well enough because most games were dating sims, comparing it's catalogue with the PSP it makes it evident just how little Sony cared about the Vita. Sony's mistakes are their own fault, not other company that worked on it's own market.

[@ThomastheDankEngine8900]

@@RexVergstrong no your wrong and here’s why- The PS4 is my least favorite PlayStation, it doesn’t feel like a PlayStation, it feels like an Xbox Lite. The lowest amount of exclusives of any PlayStation and the least amount of diversity in its exclusives to boot. PS1 and especially PS2 (greatest console ever made) were peak Sony to me. PS3 was good too but its massive failure led to the Americanization of the PlayStation brand. Which is the fault of Microsoft for inviting white developers into the mix because the lifeblood of Xbox brand is white teenage boys insecure about their lack of masculinity. Back when western devs knew their place, and knew that they did not hold a candle to Japanese devs is when the gaming industry was at its peak. Fifth and sixth gen gaming was the golden era of the gaming industry. Seventh gen (where white developers gained more prominence) started the decline and eighth gen was garbage. Unfortunately, consoles like the 360 and later the PS4 (can’t really blame Sony for doing what works tbf) which appeal to brainless bandwagoners are what led to the games industry being much worse and cannabalized by white developers who care more about pandering to white teenage boys than if their game is good or not. Just look at the yearly cashgrabs of CoD, Fifa, Assassin’s Creed, etc. made by Activision, EA, and Ubisoft. It’s no secret that the vast vast majority of great games were made by Japanese devs and that continues to this day. The success of the Lbox 360 is what led to the industry decline. White developers have gotten too big for their britches and their greed and the mindless white teenage boys who support them has led the industry to decline. It was an American company, Atari, who caused the first video game crash, and if there’s a second one, Microsoft is definitely going to be responsible for that one. Western developers have ruined the industry.

[@RexVergstrong]

@@ThomastheDankEngine8900 You have the data, but are blinded by what appears to be hate to understand how this happened. "White" developers are not a conglomerate as japanese ones aren't either. You're conflating stuff that doesn't have anything to do with what's actually happening.

[@Ash_Yu]

Thank you for this. I loved a lot of Japan Studio's games, all the way through Gravity Rush which became my reason for wanting a Vita. The closing of Japan Studio has become such a touchy topic on Sony related forums though, and even appreciating them now is hard to do without getting defensive pushback from current Sony fans. So it's refreshing to see a laid back video like this talk about where these people are now and I'm glad many of them found good work

[@latetotheparty5156]

Gravity Rush and Gravity Rush 2 were some of my favorite games on PS4. It was too bad that Sony basically just put out the series to die without much support because I really liked the gravity manipulation mechanic.

[@DeterminedTorres]

@@latetotheparty5156 Well apparently I’m fearing they’ll butcher the franchise even more with the potential Gravity Rush movie if it’s not an animation.

[@travishylton6976]

@@DeterminedTorres was sonic bad?

[@JacobOlli]

@@latetotheparty5156 Wish they would remaster both games for PS5. Hell put them on all platforms so more people can experience them. Both some of my favourite games

[@friktogurg9242]

@@latetotheparty5156 I wish for gravity rush 3

[@YoMamaBih]

Thank you so much for this video. As a huge Gravity Rush fan, it devastated me that the studio shut down and abandoned its talent.

[@StateOfTheMind11225]

for all the worst things could happen, atleast the story is concluded in gravity rush 2.

[@friktogurg9242]

@@StateOfTheMind11225 There can always be a part 3

[@s3studios597]

It's sad because the Japanese games were largely the ones I actually cared about or was interested in. Ape Escape is one of my all-time favorite franchises, so it sucks to see it dead. And yeah, I agree with the sentiment towards AAA games. Everything just seems to be turning into everything else and I haven't the slightest interest.

[@aegisreflector1239]

Same

[@azimulhoque1497]

Well Switch seems to really be the next step for something like the PS2. Smaller budget and experimental games are in their.

[@antrite08]

Same! and i hate people want to argue with me well ''none of these japanes games were selling'' BS! And ''Sony only focuses on what sells'' You don't need to be a AAA titles that sells like hotcakes all the time these smaller franchises deserve there time to shine. I have absolutely no interest in God of War which sucks because besides from that there's nothing else from Sony the rest of this year.

[@hue9129]

I agree, Ape Escape was awesome!

[@MrRtubers]

Every playstation exclusive games have become so repetitive, a formulaic third person single player game with cinematic story, every single time. Its getting tired at this point. No wonder horizon forbidden west stomped to death by innovative game like elden ring.

[@glazestelar]

Japan Studios talent running to Nintendo and Monolith makes a lot of sense when you think about it

[@moonlalune8003]

yeah, coz nintendo is still more japanese in a sense, and that's really good.

[@SacrificAbominat]

At this point I think Sony shot themselves in the foot dissolving this studio, but I'm happy a lot of the talent went elsewhere and is doing their own projects. I'm also happy Nintendo and Monolith Soft have taken some of the talent as well because they're killing it, and more talented designers under them is only a good thing.

[@stebinalex1395]

They will be fine. Sony kept the best studio anyway, which is Team Asobi. they make amazing platforms, very Nintendo esque

[@Kingdom850]

@@stebinalex1395 They made a 6 hour tech demo, bro. Calm down. Asobi's next game will be evidence if it was a good idea to keep them around or not.

[@suzyocean7392]

@@Kingdom850 6 hours is pretty generous at that, the main course is finished in like under 3 hours and unless you're a completionist or trying to beat your own high scores there's not much else to do

[@stebinalex1395]

@@Kingdom850 6hr is still good bro. Had soo much fun playing it. Well it's universally liked than any other Japan studio title. They are pretty much the future for Japan studio. Whether you like it or not. It's gonna happen. I can't wait for more in astro as well Nintendo platform inspired title from them.

[@sweet_sukeban4022]

They didn't shoot themselves in the foot. They shot themselves in the head. This studio made sony in the ps1-ps3 gen. Playstation as a whole is dead

[@datalphalion]

I’m sad that Everybody’s Golf PS4 is having its online servers shut down this week. I just got into the series with the PS1 original and Hot Shots Tennis, and I would’ve absolutely loved to play this game online with people.

[@NoonDragoon]

Yikes, I did not know this! I had just recently downloaded it since it’s on PS+ Extra. Gotta get some online games in while I can.

[@solitonmedic]

I believe the developers behind EG are making their own game outside Playstation?

[@DrRyan82994]

just got into it since it’s on ps++. i’m like “huh it keeps telling me theirs online, go fish in online courses” yeah, luckily it just straight up is on switch but wtf

[@kadosho02]

Totally agree, the more variety the better. AAA does not always mean different, but it used to. I wish that mentality returned, it just feels wrong when everything is the same. When AAA could be: immersion, wild, wacky, colorful, atmospheric, dark, moody, captivating, suspenseful and so much more

[@RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS77]

It sucks that there's really no middle ground between indie and blockbuster.

[@sammruczek5626]

@@RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS77 most of japanese titles are that middle ground

[@CrookerG]

There is lol. Lots of AA games come out every yeah are you living under a rock.

[@kadosho02]

@@CrookerG if people need a break, there are other titles worth exploring. Living under a rock? I just choose not to be into everything that's released.

[@RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS77]

@@sammruczek5626 OK, not "literally none." Much less than there used to be.

[@chanhjohnnguyen1867]

Sony just doesn’t realize there’s space for both American and Japanese development these days

[@MystifiedBeef]

Because they are trying to out muscle Microsoft in the West

[@Carsonj13]

@Anonymous Turkey If you asked me, these problems started long before Lyin' Jim Ryan took the helm. Didn't a former Naughty Dog employee come out and state "Gritty XBOX shooters" caused Uncharted 1 to have more realistic themes? Sony was feeling the heat from Hollywood and Microshit LONG before Jimmy boy....

[@mpo48]

Xenophobia, that's all there's to it.

[@bingobongo1615]

@@mpo48 Xenophobia? How? Sony is completely focussed on producing western games...

[@mpo48]

@@bingobongo1615 japanese studios were originally an equal part of sony, seeing as they were more succefull sony forces them out.

[@fantasythinkerfan]

Playstation's portfolio just isn't what it used to be. Blockbuster AAA action/adventure games are cool and popular, but there's some soul missing from the PS1-3 days. Glad many of the devs have moved on to more creative studios/gone indie.

[@weaverquest]

To be honest if we are being realistic Playstation's portfolio has never been stronger than it currently is. Even if we ignore to all the top quality blockbusters like Spider-Man and God of War that casually get 96% ratings on Steam (meaning wide appreciation from outside the PS fanbase), or some of the most successful original IPs in recent memory like Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon Zero Dawn, or some of the most risky and divisive AAA productions like Death Stranding and Last of Us 2, they still produce wildly creative stuff like Dreams, Astrobot, Returnal, Concrete Genie, Sackboy Adventure, Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart and all the awesome VR games. It is still a shame though that Japan Studio isn't there anymore to bolster the line-up even further. Gravity Rush was so creative both from a worldbuilding and gameplay standpoint as well as how it utilized the Vita. It would have been awesome to see what Japan Studio could have come up with PSVR 2. Of course the talent is still out there as this video shows but I am not sure whether any other studio or going indie will allow them the creative freedom and resources PlayStation provided to come up with stuff like Gravity Rush or Puppeteer.

[@Carsonj13]

@@weaverquest Sony's portfolio is as uninspired and lackluster as if EA or Activision were to have a console. You just named literally every game to come out of them worth a damn in the last decade that isn't from the Japanese studio. Sony have fallen hard and will continue because nobody calls them out on it. Look at 2018. People say they "killed it" that year with their two games. Same with 2020. 2 big games... 2 games a year is not killing it. Certainly not compared to what they used to be in the PS1-PS2 era.

[@stebinalex1395]

@@Carsonj13 They have not fallen hard, they are even more successful than before :), Weaver described the best-selling games on PS in the last decade, which includes most of my favourites games as well. At the end of the day, PS players buy PS4/PS5 to play these games, with COD, FIFA, Madden, NBA etc.... Some of the new quirky risky games PS has come out sold far more than Japan studio, dreams, astrobot, retunal etc..., and so they will continue to make more games like that. Fans of Japan studio should have brought their games, rather than complain here about SONY and doom posting lol

[@Carsonj13]

@@stebinalex1395 Sales don't equal quality. If anything, that's kind of the problem. My point is that Sony will continue to be successful regardless of how objectively limited their software lineup is. Quality will diminish, and like Apple, people will still buy their products. 2 great games a year is not "killing it." The fact that they're making so much money is in a way proof of what I'm saying; they can put less effort and money into ambitious projects and reap more in returns.

[@drowningin]

@@weaverquest at the start of your post I was excited to read what games Sony has so maybe I would be interested in them again. My face went from a smile to a frown incrementally with each game name I read. Literally not 1 title I am interested in. Damn

[@moister3727]

Sony needs to port the Gravity Rush on PC, or PS5 someday. I've only heard good things about both games.

[@windy3935]

Mainly GR2, since GR at least supports 60fps. The least PS can do for the series is give it that proper PS5 upgrade/optimization.

[@lol-ih1tl]

you can play Gravity Rush Remastered and Gravity Rush 2 on PS5 via backwards compatibility.

[@noisykestrel]

That's something even the game's director wants to do. We can only dream for now, but I hope it happens one day!

[@MagillanicaLouM]

They are both great times

[@TainoMoya]

Seriously thank you for these "where are they now and what do they do?" Type videos. Looking into armed fantasia

[@krauserduke1234]

I'll never forget you, Ape Escape 😔

[@mugiwarajm]

As someone whose favorite game of all time is MediEvil, and I'm pretty sure that team no longer works in the game industry anymore, I know all too well how everyone feels responding to this vid

[@KaminoKatie]

Cambridge Studio shut down in early 2017 (And even before then, they are relegated into doing smaller projects after MediEvil Resurrection)

[@juiceala]

I just fairly this past couple of weeks got to play Gravity Rush 1&2 and I cried, these are good games and it’s unfortunate Japan Studio is shut down and we may never see a third installment, heck, with the way Jim Ryan is running the company I don’t expect them to re-release these games ever again, instead let’s remake The Last of Us Part 2 for the Playstation 5.

[@stebinalex1395]

They are re-releasing Tlou because the fans will buy there and support them accordingly. Cant say the same about "Japan studio" fans

[@naotocchi]

@@stebinalex1395 what's Tlou?

[@samfivedot]

@@stebinalex1395 maybe Gravity Rush could have pulled those numbers too if Sony gave it more of a marketing push than "none at all". Or didn't take the servers offline after only a year.

[@stebinalex1395]

@@samfivedot sony didn't give marketing push, because the game wasn't good. It had the guy who made gravity rush 1. So he could have done a better job with the sequel.

[@stebinalex1395]

@@naotocchi the last of us. The last of us part 1 is pretty good. Been having a great time playing it. Gonna do permadeath mode... wish me luck💀

[@bigthecat100]

A very bittersweet video. I'm glad that some of these developers are still making games in some capacity, but it's a little depressing to find out that even in the unlikely event Sony brought back any of their old IPs (like say, Ape Escape or Parappa), they'd be in name only and none of the talent associated with them still works for Sony :/

[@MagillanicaLouM]

Always the worst part of those news. Though at least the potential to be good returns remains. Not expecting Sony to ever greenlight though

[@MajoraZ]

I think this has been one of the most important losses and shifts in the gaming industry in the past half a decade or so, and has really not gotten a lot of fanfare outside of some niche spaces and communities for a variety of reasons. This Sony division, Gravity Rush in particular, was one of the last bastions of the "AA" market, that used to be a HUGE part of the gaming industry back before the 7th and especially 8th gen, and some of my absolute favorite gaming memories as a kid and teen was playing quirky, medium budget projects on 6th gen consoles, a lot of them coming out of Japan. It's especially a shame I think with Ape Escape, because the PS5's controller's esoteric features would be PERFECT for an Ape Escape game, which were all about using the controller in gimmicky ways.

[@charlestrudel8308]

ape escape with dual sense would be so goty considering astros playroom.

[@Pownchao]

I was so sad, because this studio was the main reason for me getting a PS5. I wanted to try those creative games exclusive to PlayStation (coming from an exclusively Nintendo household). Luckily, I did pickup the Graviy Rush Duology and The Last Guardian early on before even owning a PS5. I think those games have really climbed up in price since the studio's closure, so I got lucky there. There are still plenty Japan Studio games I want to try. out!

[@Pownchao]

If anything, I'm hopeful that The Legend of Zelda TotK gives me the similar feeling of falling from Gravity Rush.

[@icedcapplord710]

I'd highly recommend the Shadow of the Colossus remake if you like Last Guardian. The original game involved a lot of that team and the graphical overhaul looks incredible. Same with Demon's Souls. Also the Patapon games are on PS4 now and they're great

[@ooze1982]

Main thing to blame here is Sony going to California for their main HQ. They forgot their roots and have become more anti consumer. They need to be put a peg down

[@Flixcer1404]

Sony group(Mother) still in Tokyo japan. SIE(Sony interactive Ent.) who control game segment are the one in California.

[@powerfulaura5166]

@@Flixcer1404 That's what he meant.

[@mers3331]

SIE has completely lost its way. Concord is the best proof of that now. They never should have left Japan

[@matthewlasalvia7026]

I’m getting flashbacks to the “Catering to West” era of Capcom. 😢

[@The_Admiral_Angel]

I enjoy Western-esque games like Horizon Dawn and Elder Scrolls as much as the next guy, but games like Gravity Rush 1 & 2 and Shadows of Colossus are part of the reasons why I bought a PS5. Though I have yet to play the latter (and I really need to), the Gravity Rush games are both incredible titles with endearing characters, great music, colorful artstyles, and fun gameplay mechanics. And I agree with Jon. A lot of these Triple A titles are basically either cinematic films, just in video game form and with no real depth. Or gritty, realistic shooters that blend into each too well. Which is fine. Those specific genres earn their reputation in the industry, but there's more to games than just that. I enjoy wacky and creative platformers. I enjoy RPGs with beautiful worlds, interesting themes with an engaging story, cast, and deep gameplay mechanics. I enjoy action-adventure games with fun, flashy, and over-the-top combat. And I enjoy games that offer unique, colorful visuals that we don't see a lot of in huge Triple A titles.

[@GantzGeo]

Yeah your take on western games is soo true. What I love about Japanese games is they tend to be really fun. And that's because they focus on gameplay over graphics.

[@ChubsGlobby]

omfg thank you for making this video, I would've never known the Gravity Rush creator was making a new game!! I realllly hope to god he can make another Gravity Rush game, It's genuinely one of my favorite games of all time. Also, I REALLY hope now that Project Rap Rabbit is getting popular a bit as its spreading around online that maybe he'll do another kickstarter for it. I really want a new Parappa game and unfortunately, Sony isn't gonna do anything with any of their good franchises, so I'm praying we can get a successor. Anyway, thank you for covering the more obscure Sony games, hoping this video gets a lot of attention, so more people can go back and give these franchises a chance... like Gravity Rush!

[@stygiann]

I loved this video - it was super comfy. Japan Studios is one of the studios I remember and love the most. They were responsible for so many incredible memories from my childhood, playing Ape Escape, Parappa The Rapper, then playing Shadow of The Colossus and finally Patapon on the PSP. The only thing I'm personally interested in terms of new Sony IPs is the Spider-Man franchise, because Insomniac (another dear Studio, wonder who's left there) is making a great job with that franchise, but old Naughty Dog is dead. I would say Naughty Dog is the reason why everyone else is gone. TLOU and Uncharted sold too well.

[@bingobongo1615]

Naughty Dog, SIE Santa Monica Studio, Guerilla games and often overlooked Quantic Dreams - those killed the Playstation brand's Japanese flair and Bluepoint is danglig its corpse in front of our eyes... And dont get me wrong - those studios make great games (well I hate quantic dreams games but they were pretty influential during PS3 times) but they all try to take on movies for a cinematic experiences which I am frankly burned out of. HZD FW (what a title...) has amazing robot fights but the most grinding dialogues and some of the most mediocre open world gaming. It could have been a 10/10 action game or even a monster hunter clone but it had to be a cinematic experience which just adds unnecessary weight to me.

[@stygiann]

@@bingobongo1615 You're right. Unfortunately the problem with modern PlayStation Studios is that they basically go for a broad approach, they want to make sure they appeal to the biggest audience possible before anything. I think it's lame, all of their budget is being allocated towards awful people like Neil Druckmann who makes super political games instead of just fun titles like they used to. I'm not trying to sound like an old boomer but TLOU2 was objectively a good game with a horrible direction and plot. I fear that's the future of the brand and as they move along a PC approach I think that's what we're getting. Horizon was really boring, I started playing it and got bored a couple hours in. It's the same Ubisoft game I've played over and over again for 10 years. There's definitely talent but no soul. Quantic Dreams games are bad, in my opinion they shouldn't be classified as video games bc they're more akin to an interactive movie. I don't mind games with long ass cutscenes like the newer FF games and MGS, but man I want a game to play, not a 10 hour QTE movie. I skipped PS4 bc I lived in a third world country and I'm probably skipping PS5 as well. There's no need for me to get a console when I can play anything I want on PC, including PS5 games and even Switch games (but that's piracy so I'd understand if you didn't agree with that part)

[@X2011racer]

@@bingobongo1615 Let's not forget Polyphony Digital, the only Japanese developer left and hanging on thin thread here.

[@flamingkitsune2792]

there goes playstations originality

[@sorcerethan]

Another game I think is worth mentioning for this topic is Last Labyrinth, a VR horror/puzzle game directed and produced by Hiromichi Takahashi, the co-creator of Doko Demo Issyo (the series Toro Inoue is from, though it was created by BeXide and not Japan Studio). He said that it continues the communication theme of that series, but instead through nonverbal communication to solve the game's puzzles.

[@yeaboy707]

More videos like this would be cool. Where you talk about talent who made classic games and you give an update on where they are now. Cool to know that the map artist from Bloodbourne is behind the recently released Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

[@BoundaryBreak]

Thanks for covering legend of dragoon!

[@GVG]

Wish it was a more eventful story :(

[@CrowTRobot]

I'm really glad you made a video about this. These games were such a key part of the PlayStation identity to me.

[@HybridAngelZero]

While it hurts that almost everything I love about first party PlayStation isn't a part of that any longer, I'm happy to see most of the creators moving on and many pursuing passion projects that had been shot down. And of course, I'm over the moon for Armed Fantasia and Penny Blood. I'm so happy they found so much success so fast, and the fact that I'll be able to play what's more or less Wild ARMs 6 on Xbox or possibly Nintendo is both wonderful and surreal

[@TheWordPlay]

These developers deserved better. I really loved Ape Escape and wanted a sequel so bad It's good to know that some of the devs are still in the industry

[@callumdointhings5]

Tbf there's 3 mainline Ape Escape games on PS2 and one on PSP. 4 good original games is pretty decent. Off topic but just remembering PS Move Ape Escape while typing this and now crying

[@X2011racer]

@@callumdointhings5 You also forget Ape Escape Million Monkeys, which is Japan only.

[@medoagamer9497]

I sincerely hope that ape escape gets a spiritual successor like other games. 3 and Pumped and primed are master pieces in my eyes and it's saddens me knowing there's as of now, nothing like that.

[@SamM_Scot]

I never knew that about Bloodborne lead map artist going onto work for Monolith Soft. Sony's loss is Nintendo gain big-time I guess and shows with the incredible Xeno 3 :-)

[@MethaBenzy]

Great video, and a wonderful point that you bring up Jon. I can't agree more that it would be a shame to let such talent go unnoticed and wasted. Studios don't make games. It's the people who make up the studio. And those people aren't faceless. Artist recognition really deserves more attention.

[@jimmyrobinson6185]

I get that there aren't many alternatives in Japan (the only other company I can think of is Bandai Namco), but the fact a good chunk of Japan Studio went to Nintendo is both really funny and kinda telling of the current state of things over at Sony.

[@stripedrajang3571]

I'm actually surprised Nintendo accepted them.

[@roskiart8750]

@@stripedrajang3571 Why? They're talented employees, Nintendo needs more staff, and the stupid console wars and brand loyalty are more a matter of the gaming community than the companies.

[@stripedrajang3571]

@@roskiart8750, well, I don't know ...

[@MrHomelessHobos]

@@stripedrajang3571 So you have nothing to back up your viewpoint

[@stripedrajang3571]

@@MrHomelessHobos, I do. I was just being silent. I'll break my silence. I would think that there is a "business culture difference" between Sony and Nintendo. And, there's always risks of trade secrets between the 2 companies. That's why I was surprised that Nintendo took Sony employees in.

[@bluemageblues8678]

I want a Gravity Rush 3 so bad dude, it breaks my heart that we most likely won't get one. I hope that rumoured Gravity Rush movie ends up being good though

[@DeterminedTorres]

Mhm, they better not butcher it with Live Action.

[@poopikins]

@@DeterminedTorres I hope it's beautifully animated

[@pennylessz]

This studio is basically responsible for the games that made me love Playstation. Very glad I just use a Steam Deck now.

[@benvids]

90s and 00s Sony was the best. I guess I’ll get a Switch 2 and keep my eyes peeled for new projects. Japanese games.

[@c.dl.4274]

People know him for Gravity Rush, but I know him for The Forbidden Siren

[@ParmMannREBORN]

Something about playing Shadow of the Colossus footage when talking about the studio developing Locoroco & Ape Escape had me dying

[@hemangchauhan2864]

Consumers drive innovation! Final point is so important. If people keep buying the same old, we will keep getting same old. Support stuff that's not that and we might see new types of games emerge (or old ones that desperately need revival/more attention). I try to support any "not same-old" type game whenever I can, AAA, AA or indie. Former Sony staff trying to do something new will always have my attention.

[@TheMuffinMan1894]

We live in the era of spiritual successors/sequels and many creators have succeeded where AAA studios have stagnated. A lot people don't know this and just keep asking for games whose original creators and teams have long disbanded.

[@TyGuy9001]

I actually finished Easy Come Easy Golf and you’re getting a way better golf game for $20 versus a $60 Mario Golf game. It’s really good. It’s cool to see this type of video showcasing some more in depth stuff on the game industry here.

[@superkoopamocha]

To be fair, it's pretty common nowadays to find a new copy of Mario Golf Super Rush at around $25 and at that price it's really worth it.

[@luminosity01]

@@superkoopamocha It shouldn't been $60 from the start.

[@dav2-094]

You forgot to mention XDev Japan, part of the team at Japan Studio that was in charge of partnerships with 3rd party studios (like the ones they had with Clap Hanz and From Software) formed that new asian branch of XDev, that up until that point only operated in Europe.

[@roberthmartinez6884]

Another group within Japan Studio was Exact/Sugar & Rockets. They were responsible for four of the best games on the X68000 computer (Naious, Aquales, Etoile Princesse and Geograph Seal), as well as Jumping Flash and Ghost in the Shell for PS1.

[@michaelh4227]

Even if the talent has moved elsewhere there's something about Sony's Japanese first party games that had a unique look to them. They're weird and but also a little darker and less colourful than the stuff you see from Nintendo.

[@protocetid]

These developers gave PlayStation a bit of Nintendoesque flair and of course Sony had to dump them.

[@michaelh4227]

@@protocetid Yeah, now they're all big blockbuster games.

[@elidasilva5558]

I was just thinking about this quirky side of Playstation..

[@u12blue]

I doubt they would find it hard to look for companies who value their talent. They can even make a company themselves if they have the fund. Thats how amazing these people behind our games are

[@KingOfTheWindmills]

Its not all bad this gives room for new devs too step up and these companies are gonna find work with this history.

[@Whirlwhind1]

I was distraught over Japan Studio's demise because it dashed my hopes of a Patapon 3 remaster. Needless to say, Jabberwocky has got my attention.

[@theonewhowrotethis5681]

That blows. Sony's Japanese games were WAY more interesting to me than their English departments' games. Hopefully the talent from that studio continues to get good work as their titles were pretty sweet.

[@cirmothe9]

I missed the part about easy come easy golf releasing after the direct world wide. Downloading it now.

[@AlexandraStubbs]

A very solid video, thank you for the great update.

[@ee_li]

Great video!! -Thanks Jon

[@sayckeone]

Sony moving the PS brand to California was a mistake.

[@ohamatchhams]

Sony Japan being axed being one of the contributing factors to development of Sony's Concord

[@SammEater]

The way Sony treats all the other studios not named Naughty Dog and Inmsoniac is truly ridiculous. I still remember when they disabled the Gravity Rush 2 servers less than a year after the game came out. Guess all that PS Plus money is worthless if Sony can't keep a game's online features working.

[@RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS77]

The games industry will not rest until everything cool is extinguished

[@GuardianEnzoMatrix]

The timing on this video is insane considering I just started replaying the Ape Escape series. It's sad to see that we won't be getting successors to that or Gravity Rush any time soon, since those are my fav Japan Studio properties. On the other hand... Armed Fantasia looks amazing, so I'm glad I learned of it from this video. It's sad to lose such a talented studio, but at least the talent has moved on and continued their legacy unbound from a parent company that doesn't appreciate them.

[@mattduncan3869]

I literally just played Astro's Playroom on the PS5 earlier today and it was littered with references to at least half of the franchises mentioned in this video. It's sad Sony will still pepper references to these characters here and there just to tug at your heart strings while having no actual intentions to ever do anything else with them. What a waste.

[@wubbers662]

Now that I think about it, Astro's Playroom is just NintendoLand on PlayStation

[@patrickholt8782]

Ape escape!?! Noooo I want a new ape escape!

[@icedcapplord710]

I say this as someone who likes modern PlayStation, but I do genuinely miss when Japan Studio was around as its own entity. I can see why Sony folded them since their games attracted a very small audience compared to the Western-made stuff, but I liked that they added a lot of variety with just how odd and unexpected a lot of their games were. Stuff like LocoRoco, Dark Cloud, Gravity Rush, Legend of Dragoon, the Team Ico stuff and especially Puppeteer really helped diversify the libraries of the last 3 PlayStation consoles and their handhelds. I do realize however that they just weren't as financially viable as games like Uncharted, Last of Us, inFAMOUS etc. to really be considered hugely profitable for SIE after the PS2 era. A sad reality but it is what it is I am at least glad they are giving indies a lot of attention so there's still a presence of a lot of the oddball stuff to supplement the big first-party games They actually have made an effort to give smaller games or Japanese games a time to shine at their showcases but the problem is whenever a State of Play rolls around their core fanbase just dismisses those games for not being something like God of War or Spider-Man (like this recent, Japanese-centric one they did)

[@NoonDragoon]

I feel largely the same way. I fell in love with PlayStation for a lot of the smaller stuff, which I didn’t even know were from Japan when I was a kid. Shadow of the Colossus was my second favorite game on the entire platform (after KH). I do like PS Studios modern output, but I miss some of the variety and uniqueness from the earlier generations.

[@icedcapplord710]

@@NoonDragoon My one hope is that Team Asobi (which got folded with Japan Studio at the start of the PS5 generation after Demon's Souls launched) gets to branch out beyond the Astro Bot stuff and make games that are more evocative of what Japan Studio used to make. From a financial standpoint I understand why Sony feels as if the more profitable solution is to go after indies and third party deals with JP publishers but I think even just having one central studio for all the uniquely Japanese stuff with Asobi could be a cool way of getting more of those really weird and unique games that were very present during the PS2 or PS3 gens

[@Tudsworth]

Indie games are fine, sure, but it's an absolute loss for the industry at large that those small, oddball projects are no longer, at least in Sony's eyes, worth directly publishing under a Sony studio with Sony branding and the general recognition and global distribution that such a pedigree would imply. Perhaps the business has changed to make such risks; and let's be honest, titles like PaRappa and Gravity Rush absolutely were risks; difficult to justify... But it's not like Japan Studio was never, on paper at least, profitable. The industry, and Sony in particular, becoming so risk-averse that it needs to offload even the smallest risk to smaller companies is absolutely a point that should be pressed more.

[@icedcapplord710]

@@Tudsworth I don't think it's that Japan Studio was never profitable, but they definitely attracted smaller audiences after the PS2 which was in my opinion, their strongest generation. It didn't help that starting with PS3, their footing in Japan started to diminish quite a bit which didn't help things for games made by their Japanese studios in terms of attracting players. The Last of Us and Uncharted were really the games that probably made Sony realize what their first party stuff can represent. Those kinds of experiences are now fully ingrained in PlayStation's identity the way Nintendo has been defined by its big franchises so I think they're just comfortable with that now. I'm not like defending it but I get why it happened. And that's not to say theyre steering clear of that either considering they have partners like XDEV which seek to collaborate with external talent for games Sony will publish as PlayStation games such as Nioh, Bloodborne and Death Stranding

[@vedaryan334]

On the plus side , Team Asobi might be making a proper game

[@rikustorm13]

So we're never getting Ape Escape 4 or Knack 3? RIP...

[@LandscapingHeroes]

This is even more relevant with recent news.

[@fotografick]

This video captures my feelings so comprehensively. Main reason I'm not interested in Sony anymore. At least with Xbox and Nintendo we are still getting creative, unique experience. Really looking forward to Pentiment.

[@jirehtheprovider]

yeah. It is just so weird to not have Sony Japan compete with Nintendo Japan in the last 7+ years in IPs. Never realized that they are... well, American instead of Japanese game developer centric in this day and age. For as much as I have mixed views of Nintendo business wise, their ips are still holding it's Japanese traits to various degrees. But right now, how many former PlayStation developers are now making ips for older audiences akin to a Bayonetta age range and concept art style?

[@TheKaizokuman]

Yeah Xbox are wait and see for now even still. Throwing money around doesn't mean they have a handle on their current devs.

[@fotografick]

@@TheKaizokuman Games like Deathloop, Psychonauts 2 and the upcoming Pentiment are far more creative than games from Sony studios. Hopefully Naughty Dog brings back Jak and Daxter.

[@TheKaizokuman]

@@fotografick Games like Deathloop and Psychonauts were in production long before they were acquired by Xbox. Again throwing money around doesn't mean they know how to lead devs and how to be beneficial partners. Right now Nintendo is leagues ahead both.

[@fotografick]

@@TheKaizokuman It's safe to say that Microsoft wants to give space and money for creative ventures though. Look at the legacy of Double Fine. Microsoft acquired them because they want to support their pedigree of creativity. Same thing with Obsidian having the freedom to make Pentiment. Time will tell of course, but for now things are looking fine (or double fine)

[@TheBitishDragon]

I seriously hope Team Gravity eventually gets the Gravity Rush license away from sony's shitty hands and can give us the third game I love the series.

[@theodoreabshire933]

I have no idea what a third Gravity Rush game would even be like. Gravity Rush 2 felt like they took every single sequel idea they had and did them all at once.

[@nathanielenochs1843]

Their former talent made the smartest decision fleeing SIE

[@DragoonWarrior790]

Hearing about the director for Legend of Dragoon was painful. I loved that game so much.

[@pinto5012]

I would be really interested to know if this has affected the Japanese gaming community’s view on Sony. When this first happened, it appeared that Sony was making a move towards more Western cinematic games.

[@randomduck8679]

The Xbox Series X is outselling the PS5

[@unsavedprogress1419]

If Microsoft were smart, they'd try and capture that Japanese market. The PlayStation of our childhoods simply doesn't exist anymore

[@randomduck8679]

@@unsavedprogress1419 You think Microsoft has never tried that before? Although they've been making some progress this generation

[@MaxIronsThird]

I have no idea why Sony wouldn't keep Gravity Rush going.

[@fantoniumnitrous]

Not profitable enough

[@franciscobutte]

People that are waiting for Bloodborne 2 they have no idea that it will not be the same without Japan Studio.

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

I don't know if there SHOULD be a Gravity Rush 3. Maybe 2 games are enough. But I do want the 2 games to get more love.

[@thunderhammerx2966]

"a more powerful console" naw, if you can't shoehorn that JRPG into the Switch; I don't need it that badly.

[@fredreichmendiola9255]

ape escape

[@HaitaniMasayuki]

What's Tokyo Jungle's Crispy up to nowadays? Looks like their website hasn't been touched since 2015

[@JackEGee-il9mz]

Here after Ratatan reached its goal!

[@Maverick.D.]

This is the beginning of the end for Sony.

[@MrSupersmash93]

Ether Nintendo or Microsoft should snagg them. I would love to see an Ape Escape spiritual successor on switch.

[@G.L.999]

Me t. It'd be interesting to see Sony Fanboys react to that if Nintendo were given exclusive rights develop IPs that Sony has no use for. *Spoiler alert*, they'd go apes**t on Twitter!

[@JohnnyBurnes]

Gravity Rush was in the thumbnail, so I clicked.

[@YarugumaSou]

Talent? More like talents.

[@lennywright5655]

I don’t understand why Sony wants to be an American company now, it’s like they’re ashamed of their Japanese roots.

[@MUSQUIZanimation]

I genuinely do not plan on buying a PS5 until I see either Parapa 3 or Ape Escape 4.

[@giga.s.o.p]

it's almost hurtful seeing all that soul being sucked out of sony and playstation ever since they moved to california... now all we get is gray 3rd person shooters and remakes.

[@Negius]

Sony had such amazing talent and they just left them all to rot. So fucking infuriating. At least they're free now.

[@pinaseraphina]

0:35 Behold an absolute Masterpiece of a Game ♡.♡

[@catriamflockentanz]

5:28 To be fair: Mashing up Edo Japan and Rap Music was a concept destined to fail from the start.

[@123darkelf]

Hmmmm okies I watch. **Finds out the existence of Penny Blood.** OH FUCK YEAH BABY LETS GOOOOOOOO!

[@LoliconSamalik]

hahaha. He said divorced during a monkey wedding scene!

[@spin2winbaybee894]

This explains why they're doing remakes after remakes. Sony's got no new talents left

[@warningdontread5478]

What's even more depressing is that shutting down of Japan Studio isn't necessarily a bad business decision. As much as I regard JS's works as pinnacles of their genres, I can't lie to myself and say they have as much mass appeal as any gritty boring looking shooter developed now. It's a shame that it seems to also affect NA studios like NaughtyDog being a TLOU only studio and Insomniac into a Marvel's games studio, no new creative ideas allowed.

[@ArmaBiologica35]

Sony: If your franchise isn't an edgy, pretentious pseudo movie, we don't care.

[@deepmind5318]

It's just sad that Sony has almost exclusively become a western company. I can't completely blame Sony because those Japanese games are not selling well in the first place, so they are just following the money trail, but man does it sting to see Sony abandoning their Japanese roots.

[@Mattjazz47]

thats sony fault, nintendo proved japanese games sales can still be strong in japan

[@NoonDragoon]

It’s is weird when people say “Japanese games are not selling well”. Splatoon 3 just launched with record breaking sales numbers.

[@jirehtheprovider]

it is a painful shock even for a fan from Nintendo. The IP variety that Sony can give that Nintendo does always specialize suddenly feels missing.

[@TechieWidget]

One of the biggest problems that plague those Japanese games is that Sony really sucks at marketing them. They suck at marketing them as bad as marketing their TVs and smartphones. Without marketing, how do gamers know what to buy?

[@bargaintuesday812]

@@NoonDragoon They mean Japanese style games. Splatoon could easily be a western game.

[@Benjamillion]

Well dang, I guess we'll never be getting a new Ape Escape now.

[@Potidaon]

Shadow Hearts was not a Sony property, and the dev staff of SH/PB were not Sony staff. It belongs, and always has, to Universal Entertainment Corp., formerly Aruze, who published all three previous games and also owns Koudelka. The dev studio for SH was Sacnoth/Nautilus. Additionally, Wild Bunch Prod. is only the developer for Armed Fantasia. The developer for Penny Blood is Yukikaze, which consists of staff from Nautilus. Other than that, good video.

[@AdamTheGameBoy]

...so basically Sony has no exclusives for people who aren't casual gamers? Why would I get a PS5 if there will be no Ape Escape, Gravity Rush or JRPGs. Is Sony trying to fail doing this and raising the PS5 prices? You can't rely on casuals and "game journos" forever; Nintendo already learned that lesson.

[@icedcapplord710]

I really think this is a huge overexaggeration of the situation. The fact that the Western-made games have historically done way better than anything to come out of Japan Studio signifies they are doubling down precisely on what PlayStation's core audience wants. Their best received games of the last generation have largely been of the narrative driven action-adventure variety like God of War, Ghost of Tsushima and Spider-Man. It's not what everyone including myself wants to hear but games like Gravity Rush and Ape Escape never found a sizable enough audience compared to the larger experiences. And it's not like Japan is out of the picture for Sony since they have used XDEV to get Japanese-developed exclusives on recent consoles, but the landscape just isn't the same anymore

[@selder_7]

Monolith Soft just keeps getting stronger

[@PurpleLink11]

As a fan of PlayStation not having a team of smaller yet full creatively eccentric games is a huge bummer. Not every game has to be a 5+ year development of the same shell: Third person action adventure open world (at least in elements if not fully embraced) story heavy blockbuster. Their output is so much less unique and for that reason it is harder to justify even recommending PlayStation rather than just building a PC.

[@sammalone7881]

Guess you're ignoring Ratchet , Astrobot and Sackboy?

[@TheRodlack]

They dont need to be third person action adventure, rather succesfull enougj to grant a sequel. Do you think Nintendo will keep making games of cartain IPs if there werent succesfull?

[@icedcapplord710]

@@TheRodlack I mean tbf they are the same company that tried and failed numerous times to make Chibi-Robo a thing They did it badly but still

[@icedcapplord710]

@@sammalone7881 I'm glad Ratchet is around for sure but that's basically the only platforming franchise that has had staying power at Sony. Naughty Dog ditched Crash and Jak, Sucker Punch ditched Sly Cooper, and LittleBigPlanet isn't even being done by Media Molecule anymore not to mention Tearaway was a one off from them. It's basically just Ratchet and I guess Astro even if for all intended purposes Astro's Playroom is less Ratchet and more Nintendo Land: PlayStation Edition

[@brycebitetti1402]

@@TheRodlack The problem is that Sony never even tried to give franchises like Gravity Rush the push they needed to succeed. They've also adopted the mentality that many AAA studios adopt, where if the game doesn't break 10 million copies they call it a failure and leave the franchise to rot.

[@cyberrb25]

Expected ex Japan Studio jumping ship to Nintendo, but kinda didn't expect seeing who and to which game.

[@totallyrighteous1846]

At this point i would already be happy with a gravity rush pc release :/