Sony Japan Studio Shutting Down Game Development For Restructuring

Sony Interactive Entertainment, more colloquially known as SIE Japan, PlayStation's longest running in-house developer, is closing down a lot of its core software creation. SIE is noted for creating some of the more critically acclaimed for the Sony brand like Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian, Ape Escape, including fan favorite games such as the role-playing game The Legend Of Dragoon on the PS1 in 2000.

According to the reports, sources told VGC that most of its staff was let go when their contracts were not renewed for the next business year, that's set to begin April 1st. What remains of SIE will be absorbed into Team ASOBI, as Astro's Playroom for the PlayStation 5 will be a bigger part of the staff's focus.

“In an effort to further strengthen business operations, SIE can confirm PlayStation Studios JAPAN Studio will be re-organized into a new organization on April 1", a spokesperson stated. "JAPAN Studio will be re-centered to Team ASOBI, the creative team behind Astro’s PLAYROOM, allowing the team to focus on a single vision and build on the popularity of Astro’s PLAYROOM.  

“In addition, the roles of external production, software localization, and IP management of JAPAN Studio titles will be concentrated within the global functions of PlayStation Studios.”

The reporting of the layoffs and departures began several weeks ago, one of the notable ones being former Silent Hill and Gravity Rush producer Keiichiro Toyama announced he would be stepping away form Bokeh Studios alongside development veterans Kazunobu Sato and Junya Okura, who worked on The Last Guardian and the Gravity Rush series respectively. While titles like the aforementioned The Last Guardian and Gravity Rush are praised among journalists and gamers, they have cited as not being the commercial successes to warrant further focus.

SIE has also aided in the production of exclusives like Demon Souls and Bloodborne.

SOURCE: Video Games Chronicle, Game Informer

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