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\n Report: Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio downsizing, but ASOBI Team remains <\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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The majority of Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio staff have been let go after their annual contracts were not renewed ahead of the next business year, which begins April 1, according to a VGC report<\/a> citing multiple sources. <\/span><\/p>\n
Localization and business staff, as well as Astro Bot<\/em> series<\/a> developer ASOBI Team, will reportedly remain in place, and some Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio staff will join ASOBI Team.<\/p>\n
One source suggested the studio\u2019s External Development Department, which is responsible for collaborations such as the 2020-released Demon\u2019s Souls<\/em> remake, will continue to operate.<\/p>\n
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The sources claimed that Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio simply has not been profitable enough in recent years. While it wanted to create game<\/a>s that appealed to the Japanese market first with hopes of global appeal, the larger organization wanted it to create the kind of global hits other PlayStation Studios produce.<\/p>\n
Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan hinted at this strategy in an interview back in November 2019<\/a>, stating, \u201cThe nature of AAA PlayStation 4 and certainly PlayStation 5 development\u2026 We\u2019re obviously not going to have Worldwide Studios make a game for one specific European country. That might have been the case back in the PSP times with Invizimals<\/em> [which was popular in Spain]. I think this will be where Shuhei Yoshida\u2019s new task [of working with indies] will come in. If we are nimble, flexible, and global, we can work with smaller developers to allow those countries\u2019 specific needs to be met.\u201d<\/p>\n
One source suggested Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio\u2019s fate was sealed after Astro\u2019s Playroom<\/em> and Astro Bot Rescue Mission<\/em> director Nicolas Doucet was promoted to studio director following the departure of long-time president Allan Becker. Another said this was part of Sony Interactive Entertainment shifting its headquarters from Japan to the United States.<\/p>\n
In an interview earlier this week, Jim Ryan was unable to comment on any new titles that may be in development at Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio, but hinted that we may see more from ASOBI Team in the future. He also commented, \u201cSony Interactive Entertainment has strong ties with Japanese licensees, so going forward we would like to continue to strengthen that cooperation and develop titles made in Japan for PlayStation fans around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The downsizing report corroborates a Bloomberg report<\/a> from November 2020, which cited former employees in claiming, \u201cJapan-based developer support teams have been reduced by as much as a third from their peak, and the rolling contracts of a number of game creators at PlayStation\u2019s Japan Studio, one of the unit\u2019s oldest in-house software ateliers, haven\u2019t been renewed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The downsizing report comes following the departure of Masaaki Yamagiwa earlier today, who was a producer on Bloodborne<\/em>, Deracine<\/em>, and Tokyo Jungle<\/em>. Video manager Ryo Sogabe<\/a> and the studio\u2019s Brendan Pritchard<\/a> also recently announced their departure.<\/p>\n
Prior to today, Teruyuki Toriyama, who was also a producer on Bloodborne<\/em>, as well as the Demon\u2019s Souls<\/em> remake, Soul Sacrifice<\/em>, and others, left Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio back in December. And Silent Hill<\/em>, Siren<\/em>, and Gravity Rush<\/em> creator Keiichiro Toyama left alongside colleagues Kazunobu Sato and Junya Okura left earlier that month to form the independent Bokeh Game Studio.<\/p>\n
Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio is Sony Interactive Entertainment\u2019s oldest first-party studio. It was established in November 1993 and has produced over 300 games<\/a>. <\/p>\n
A Sony Interactive Entertainment representative did not respond to our request for comment in time for publishing.<\/p><\/div>\n