The closure of Sony's Japan Studio 'wasn't necessarily a surprise' to former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden. He explained that the studio had been struggling for a while, unable to produce a major hit game, leading to a "legacy malaise" where the team forgot what it felt like to have a successful project.
Layden likened the decision to "prune the bonsai", retaining only the successful Astro Bot team as an independent PlayStation studio, while the rest of Japan Studio was effectively disbanded. He noted that this issue of legacy studios struggling to regain their former success is not unique to Japan Studio, but is a broader problem across the Japanese game development industry.
The technical shift to the PS3 generation was particularly challenging for many Japanese studios, as the console experience required a different skillset compared to the arcade-style games they were accustomed to. Layden cited examples of other Japanese studios, such as Square Enix and Bandai Namco, also facing similar challenges in adapting to the changing landscape.
Overall, the closure of Japan Studio, while sad, was not entirely unexpected given the studio's prolonged inability to deliver a major hit game. Sony's decision to refocus on the successful Astro Bot team can be seen as an attempt to revitalize the studio's creative output.
Sony's Japan Studio 'Forgot What It Feels Like to Have a Hit'
Shawn Layden wasn't surprised by closure
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