Japan Studio#Polys Entertainment
{{Short description|Japanese video game developer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Japan Studio
| logo = SIE Japan Studio logo.svg
| native_name = JAPANスタジオ
| native_name_lang = ja
| type = Division
| industry = Video games
| founded = {{Start date and age|2005|7|1|df=yes}}{{cite web |date=7 July 2005 |title=人事･機構改革のお知らせ |url=https://sonyinteractive.com/jp/press-releases/2005/050701b-2/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 January 2025 |website=Sony Interactive Entertainment}}{{cite web |last=Niizumi |first=Hirohiko |date=8 July 2005 |title=SCE reorg taps Harrison, Yamauchi, Chatani |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sce-reorg-taps-harrison-yamauchi-chatani/1100-6128783/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 January 2025 |website=GameSpot}}
| founder =
| defunct = {{End date and age|2021|4|1|df=yes}}
| fate = Merged into Team Asobi and other studios
| successor = Team Asobi
| hq_location_city = Tokyo
| hq_location_country = Japan
| area_served =
| key_people =
| products = {{Unbulleted list
| Talkman
| Siren
| LocoRoco
| Knack
}}
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year =
| parent = Sony Computer Entertainment (2005)
PlayStation Studios (2005–2021)
| divisions = Team Asobi
| website =
}}
Japan Studio was a Japanese video game developer of Sony Interactive Entertainment based in Tokyo. It was best known for the Ape Escape, LocoRoco, Patapon, Gravity Rush, and Knack series, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and Astro's Playroom. In April 2021, Japan Studio was reorganized and merged with Team Asobi and other SIE studios.
History
Sony Computer Entertainment was founded in Tokyo on 16 November 1993, jointly established by Sony and Sony Music Entertainment Japan.{{cite web |last=Nix |first=Marc |date=23 March 2007 |title=The Future of PSP — SCE Japan |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/03/23/the-future-of-psp-sce-japan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224075254/https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/03/23/the-future-of-psp-sce-japan |archive-date=24 February 2021 |access-date=1 March 2021 |website=IGN}} The studio was run similar to Sony Music Entertainment Japan during its first few years, with producers seeking out creative talent and nurturing them to help develop new games.{{cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/06/30/how-playstationas-japan-studio-stands-out-a-ign-first | title = How PlayStation's Japan Studio Stands Out | first = Andrew | last = Goldfarb | date = 30 June 2017 | accessdate = 9 June 2021 | work = IGN }} Examples of these works included PaRappa the Rapper by NanaOn-Sha, and Everybody's Golf by Camelot Software Planning.
Shuhei Yoshida oversaw the company from 1996 through 2000. Yoshida started creating teams and hired for them, while simultaneously assisting other developers for Sony-published exclusives; said teams included Sugar & Rockets, Arc Entertainment and Contrail.{{cite web |date=14 October 1997 |title=Digital entertainment and software production companies founded |url=http://www.sie.com/content/dam/corporate/jp/corporate/release/pdf/971014.pdf |access-date=1 August 2016 |publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. |language=ja}} These teams were consolidated into the company in 2000.{{cite web |date=1 August 2000 |title=Personnel reform and reorganisation announcement |url=http://www.sie.com/content/dam/corporate/jp/corporate/release/pdf/000801b.pdf |access-date=1 August 2016 |publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. |language=ja}} Sony's internal development team also developed original titles such as Ape Escape and The Legend of Dragoon, with dedicated teams lead by Fumito Ueda and Keiichiro Toyama; another such team, Polys Entertainment, was spun off as Polyphony Digital due to the success of Gran Turismo.{{cite web | url = https://kotaku.com/how-sonys-most-creative-studio-rose-from-the-ashes-1458030068 | title = How Sony's Hometown Studio Rose From the Ashes In Time for the PS4
| first =Brian | last =Ashcroft | date = 4 November 2013 | accessdate = 9 June 2021 |work = Kotaku }} Alongside these first-party titles, the latter years of the original PlayStation saw strong third-party support, with games like Square's Final Fantasy VII and Konami's Metal Gear Solid. According to Yoshida, this led Sony into some complacency on relying on third-party games to support further consoles, and oversight and support for first-party games was less of a priority. The studio was moved to SCE Worldwide Studios in 2005, rebranding afterwards as Japan Studio; the brand first appeared in Genji: Days of the Blade, the studio's first game for the PlayStation 3.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} Though Japan Studio's output during the PlayStation 2 years were strong, it struggled to release successful games during the PlayStation 3 era. Yoshida attributed this to the general game development practice in Japan which he described as a "grassroots and bottom up", without a clear vision of what a final game would look like, with exceptions being for people like Kazunori Yamauchi or Fumito Ueda who possessed a specific drive towards a product. In contrast to Western video game development, Yoshida said Japan Studio's methods tended to allow games to wander. Allen Becker, who led Japan Studio starting in 2011, said that their complacency during the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 era caused the studio to fall behind on updated tools and methodologies for game development.
Yoshida took over full control of Japan Studio in 2008, at the same time that the PlayStation 3 was out and Sony was preparing to launch the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. Around that time, mobile gaming and casual gaming started to become a major factor in the Asian video game market and drove competition from the consoles. Sony found that there was a lack of triple-A third-party support for these new products, and they had to turn to rely on their internal studios for game support. To get Japan Studio back on track, Sony brought in Becker, who had been working at Santa Monica Studio, to lead Japan Studio. Becker made several tough calls of the 40-some games that were in development at the time of his arrival to terminate development of those unlikely to be successful and implemented similar development processes as Sony's Western studios to get the studio back on track. Though Becker's approach, the studio was able to release shorter but cohesive titles that still reflected a Japanese approach to video games, such as Puppeteer, Rain and Knack. Also during this time, emphasis was placed on The Last Guardian, the highly anticipated third title from Ueda which had been in development for over six years, eventually released in 2016, years after Ueda left the studio and formed genDesign.
Across late 2020 and early 2021, several notable Japan Studio employees announced that they were departing the company.{{cite web|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2020/12/siren-and-gravity-rush-creator-keiichiro-toyama-leaves-sony-interactive-entertainment-japan-studio-establishes-bokeh-game-studio|title=Siren and Gravity Rush creator Keiichiro Toyama leaves Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio, establishes Bokeh Game Studio|last=Romano|first=Sal|publisher=Gematsu|date=2 December 2020|accessdate=22 June 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2020/12/teruyuki-toriyama-to-leave-sony-interactive-entertainment-japan-studio|title=Teruyuki Toriyama to leave Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio|last=Romano|first=Sal|publisher=Gematsu|date=24 December 2020|accessdate=22 June 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2021/02/bloodborne-producer-masaaki-yamagiwa-to-leave-sony-interactive-entertainment-japan-studio-at-the-end-of-february|title=Bloodborne producer Masaaki Yamagiwa to leave Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio at the end of February|last=Romano|first=Sal|publisher=Gematsu|date=25 February 2021|accessdate=22 June 2021}} According to multiple sources speaking with Video Games Chronicle Sony had not renewed most of the contracts for the studio outside of those on Team Asobi because the studio was not considered profitable enough to continue with original game development.{{cite web |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sources-playstation-is-winding-down-sony-japan-studio/ |title=Sources: PlayStation is winding down Sony Japan Studio |first1=Andy |last1=Robinson |first2=Alex |last2=Calvin |date=25 February 2021 |website=Video Games Chronicle |access-date=25 February 2021 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225201034/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sources-playstation-is-winding-down-sony-japan-studio/ |url-status=live}} In a statement, Sony stated that, as of 1 April 2021, Japan Studio would be re-centered around Team Asobi to build on the popularity of Astro's Playroom.{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/playstation-reportedly-downscales-sony-japan-studio |title=PlayStation Confirms Japan Studio Will be Re-Organized |first=Matt |last=Kim |date=25 February 2021 |website=IGN |access-date=25 February 2021 |archive-date=28 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228185012/https://www.ign.com/articles/playstation-reportedly-downscales-sony-japan-studio |url-status=live}} Before and shortly after 1 April 2021, several additional Japan Studio staff announced their departure from the studio.{{cite web |last=Kim |first=Matt |date=1 April 2021 |title=Sony Japan Studio Restructure Leads to Mass Exodus of Developers |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/sony-japan-studio-restructure-mass-exodus-playstation |accessdate=1 January 2025 |work=IGN}} Team Asobi was moved into PlayStation Studios in June 2021.{{cite web |url=https://blog.playstation.com/2021/06/02/introducing-team-asobi-creators-of-the-astro-bot-series |title=Introducing Team Asobi, creators of the Astro Bot series |first=Nicolas |last=Doucet |date=2 June 2021 |website=PlayStation Blog |access-date=2 June 2021 }} Shawn Layden, former chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, stated in 2024 that Japan Studio had been suffering from "legacy malaise", having failed to recreate the successful games they once had and lacked the experience to do so again, and eliminating all but Team Asobi was akin to "trimming a bonsai", hopeful that the smaller team would be able to recapture the earlier successes.https://www.eurogamer.net/sonys-closure-of-japan-studio-was-like-pruning-a-bonsai-says-former-playstation-boss Yoshida said in a 2025 interview that with the growth of indie games, the gap widened between triple-A games and smaller games of the type Japan Studio specialized in, and it became difficult for the studio to gain approval for such concepts within Sony. Yoshida gave the example of Keiichiro Toyama, who led development of Gravity Rush 2; though he had ideas for smaller games, he could not get approval by Sony for these, so left the company in 2020, founded his own independent studio Bokeh Game Studio, and began releasing his own smaller games, starting with Slitterhead.{{cite web | url = https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ps5-japan-studios-closed-because-the-double-a-market-has-disappeared-says-shuhei-yoshida/ | title = PS5: Japan Studio closed because the double-A market has ‘disappeared’, says Shuhei Yoshida | first= Jordan | last = Middler | date = February 19, 2025 | accessdate = February 19, 2025 | work = Video Games Chronicle }}
List of games
= 1994–1998 =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Platform(s) ! scope="col" | {{Abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}} |
|---|
| rowspan="2" scope="row" | 1994
| rowspan="55" | PlayStation | rowspan="55" | {{cite web |year=2021 |title=JAPANスタジオ作品一覧 1998年～1994年 |trans-title=List of Japan Studio works 1998–1994 |url=https://www.playstation.com/ja-jp/corporate/playstation-studios/japan-studio/history-1994-1998/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226134223/https://www.playstation.com/ja-jp/corporate/playstation-studios/japan-studio/history-1994-1998/ |archive-date=26 February 2021 |access-date=1 March 2021 |publisher=Sony Interactive Entertainment |language=ja}} |
| Motor Toon Grand Prix |
| scope="row" rowspan="11" | 1995
| Victory Zone |
| Rapid Reload |
| Jumping Flash! |
| Arc the Lad |
| Philosoma |
| Hermie Hopperhead: Scrap Panic |
| Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant |
| Sengoku Cyber: Fujimaru Jigokuhen |
| Beyond the Beyond |
| Sentou Kokka: Air Land Battle |
| Project Horned Owl |
| rowspan="10" scope="row" | 1996 |
| Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 |
| PopoloCrois Monogatari |
| Eigo no Tetsujin: Center Shiken Trial |
| Victory Zone 2 |
| Arc the Lad II |
| Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenyaku Romantan – Ishin Gekitou Hen |
| PaRappa the Rapper |
| Fluid |
| Wild Arms |
| rowspan="16" scope="row" | 1997 |
| Sentou Kokka Kai: Improved |
| Alundra |
| Velldeselba Senki Tsubasa no Kunshou |
| Pet in TV |
| Baby Universe |
| Quest for Fame |
| Ghost in the Shell |
| Everybody's Golf |
| Arc the Lad: Monster Game with Casino Game |
| Linda Cube |
| The Granstream Saga |
| Crime Crackers 2 |
| Elemental Gearbolt |
| Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan – Juu Yuushi Inbou Hen |
| Gran Turismo |
| scope="row" rowspan="16" | 1998
| PlayStation Comic No. 1 – Space Adventure Cobra: The Psycogun Vol. 1 |
| PlayStation Comic No. 1 – Space Adventure Cobra: The Psycogun Vol. 2 |
| Zero Pilot: Ginyoku no Senshi |
| PlayStation Comic No. 2 – Carol the Dark Angel |
| Tomoyasu Hotei: Stolen Song |
| Devil Dice |
| Yarudora Series Vol. 1: Double Cast |
| Souten no Shiroki Kami no Za: Great Peak |
| Yarudora Series Vol. 2: Kisetsu O Dakishimete |
| Yarudora Series Vol. 3: Sampaguita |
| Legend of Legaia |
| Yarudora Series Vol. 4: Yukiwari no Hana |
| PopoRogue |
| Wonder Trek |
| PlayStation Comic No. 3 – 2999 Game Kids |
| I.Q Final |
= 1999–2000 =
= 2001–2002 =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Platform(s) ! scope="col" | {{Abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}} |
|---|
| rowspan="22" scope="row" | 2001
| Sagashi ni Ikouyo | rowspan="6" | PlayStation 2 |
| Tsugunai: Atonement |
| Extermination |
| Okage: Shadow King |
| Check-i-TV |
| Phase Paradox |
| iMode mo Issyo: Doko Demo Issyo Tsuika Disc
| PlayStation |
| Mister Mosquito
| rowspan="32" | PlayStation 2 |
| Rimo-Cocoron |
| Pipo Saru 2001 |
| Everybody's Golf 3 |
| PaRappa the Rapper 2 |
| Ico |
| SkyGunner |
| The Yamanote Sen: Train Simulator Real |
| Mad Maestro! |
| Genshi no Kotoba |
| Seigi no Mikata |
| Bravo Music: Christmas Edition |
| Legaia 2: Duel Saga |
| Toro to Kyuujitsu |
| Yoake no Mariko |
| scope="row" rowspan="17" | 2002 |
| Yoake no Mariko 2nd Act |
| Dual Hearts |
| Wild Arms 3 |
| Surveillance Kanshisha |
| Otostaz |
| Popolocrois: Adventure of Beginnings |
| Futari no Fantavision |
| Boku no Natsuyasumi 2 |
| Ape Escape 2 |
| Poinie's Poin |
| Space Fishermen |
| The Keihin Kyuukou: Train Simulator Real |
| Dark Chronicle |
| Gacharoku |
| Let's Bravo Music |
| Bombastic |
= 2003–2005 =
= 2006–2007 =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Platform(s) ! scope="col" | {{Abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}} |
|---|
| rowspan="32" scope="row" | 2006
| Gunparade Orchestra: Shiro no Shou | rowspan="5" | PlayStation 2 |
| Rule of Rose |
| Yarudora Portable: Blood The Last Vampire |
| Bleach: Hanatareshi Yabou |
| Forbidden Siren 2 |
| Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner
| rowspan="6" | PlayStation Portable |
| Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light |
| Derby Time 2006 |
| Bomberman: Bakufuu Sentai Bombermen |
| XI Coliseum |
| I.Q. Mania |
| Gunparade Orchestra: Midori no Shou
| PlayStation 2 |
| Talkman Euro
| rowspan="4" | PlayStation Portable |
| Doko Demo Issyo: Let's Gakkou! |
| Boku no Natsuyasumi |
| Brave Story: New Traveler |
| Brave Story: Wataru's Adventure
| rowspan="2" | PlayStation 2 |
| Saru! Get You! Million Monkeys |
| LocoRoco
| PlayStation Portable |
| Gunparade Orchestra: Ao no Shou
| PlayStation 2 |
| Bleach: Heat the Soul 3
| PlayStation Portable |
| Blood+: Souyoku no Battle Rondo
| PlayStation 2 |
| Blood+: Final Piece
| PlayStation Portable |
| Everybody's Tennis
| rowspan="2" | PlayStation 2 |
| Bleach: Blade Battlers |
| Tenchi no Mon 2: Busouden
| PlayStation Portable |
| Genji: Days of the Blade |
| Jeanne d'Arc
| rowspan="3" | PlayStation Portable |
| PaRappa the Rapper |
| Ape Escape Racing |
| Wild Arms 5
| PlayStation 2 |
| P-kara
| rowspan="2" | PlayStation Portable |
| scope="row" rowspan="26" | 2007
| Talkman-Shiki Shaberingual Eigkaiwa |
| Kikou Souhei Armodyne
| PlayStation 2 |
| Bleach: Heat the Soul 4
| rowspan="2" | PlayStation Portable |
| Minna no Golf Ba Vol. 1 |
| Folklore
| rowspan="2" | PlayStation 3 |
| Piyotama |
| Talkman-Shiki Shaberingual Eigkaiwa for Kids!
| PlayStation Portable |
| Boku no Natsuyasumi 3
| rowspan="2" | PlayStation 3 |
| Everybody's Golf 5 |
| Saru! Get You! SaruSaru Big Mission
| rowspan="4" | PlayStation Portable |
| Minna no Golf Ba Vol. 2 |
| Wild Arms XF |
| Rezel Cross |
| LocoRoco Cocoreccho!
| PlayStation 3 |
| Bleach: Blade Battlers 2nd
| PlayStation 2 |
| Go! Sports Ski
| PlayStation 3 |
| Minna no Golf Ba Vol. 3
| PlayStation Portable |
| The Eye of Judgment
| rowspan="2" | PlayStation 3 |
| Toy Home |
| Minna no Golf Ba Vol. 4
| PlayStation Portable |
| Dark Mist
| PlayStation 3 |
| What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord?
| rowspan="5" | PlayStation Portable |
| Everybody's Golf Portable 2 |
| Talkman Travel |
| Doko Demo Issyo: Let's Gakkou! Training Hen |
| Patapon |
= 2008–2009 =
= 2010–2014 =
= 2015–2020 =
Teams
Japan Studio was formed by several internal development teams, with all of them being disbanded, reorganised, or spun off into a separate studio.
The studio's unnamed main unit, its first development team, is responsible for all co-development efforts. As a primary developer, they developed the Ape Escape and LocoRoco series as well as individual titles like The Legend of Dragoon and Fantavision.
= Polys Entertainment =
A unit of SCEJ headed by Kazunori Yamauchi dedicated to racing games and the second established. Initially developing Motor Toon Grand Prix and its sequel, the success of its 1997 racing game Gran Turismo caused it to be formally spun off into Polyphony Digital.
= Team Asobi =
{{main|Team Asobi}}
A development unit established in 2012 by Nicolas Doucet, who previously worked for London Studio and Saffire.{{Cite web |title=Nicolas Doucet - MobyGames |url=https://www.mobygames.com/person/74676/nicolas-doucet/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804070903/https://www.mobygames.com/person/74676/nicolas-doucet/ |archive-date=4 August 2024 |access-date=4 August 2024 |website=MobyGames |url-status=live }} It worked on the Astro Bot series in the entire span of its existence under Japan Studio. In April 2021, they were formally spun off into a separate studio under SIE Worldwide Studios, serving as a successor to Japan Studio after its redundancy.
= Team Ico =
A development unit headed by Fumito Ueda and the third established in the studio. It developed Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/12/02/every-sony-owned-studio-from-worst-to-best |title=Every Sony-Owned Studio, From Worst to Best |first=Colin |last=Moriarty |date=2 December 2013 |website=IGN |access-date=1 March 2021 |archive-date=28 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128052205/https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/12/02/every-sony-owned-studio-from-worst-to-best |url-status=live}} They were disbanded following lead game designer Fumito Ueda departing the company and establishing genDESIGN during development of The Last Guardian.{{Cite web|last=Leone|first=Matt|date=16 March 2018|title=Directing from the sidelines|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/3/16/17123366/concept-teams-mizuguchi-ueda-sakaguchi|access-date=3 June 2021|website=Polygon|language=en}}
= Team Gravity =
A development unit formed in 1999 by former members of Team Silent, the creators of Silent Hill.{{cite web |last1=Gifford |first1=Kevin |date=13 October 2013 |title=Silent Hill creator discusses how he joined the game biz and why AAA horror is 'difficult' to fund |url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/10/30/5048140/silent-hill-creator-discusses-how-he-joined-the-game-biz-and-why |website=Polygon}} The team developed games in the Siren and Gravity Rush series and was led by game designer and director Keiichiro Toyama, who, alongside designers Kazunobu Sato and Junya Okura, left Japan Studio in late 2020 to form Bokeh Game Studio.{{cite web |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-12-02/silent-hill-gravity-rush-keiichiro-toyama-leaves-sie-founds-new-studio/.166978 |title=Silent Hill, Gravity Rush's Keiichirō Toyama Leaves SIE, Founds New Studio |first=Rafael Antonio |last=Pineda |date=2 December 2020 |website=Anime News Network |access-date=5 December 2020 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203060004/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-12-02/silent-hill-gravity-rush-keiichiro-toyama-leaves-sie-founds-new-studio/.166978 |url-status=live}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.playstation.com/ja-jp/corporate/playstation-studios/japan-studio/}} {{in lang|ja}}
{{PlayStation Studios}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:First-party video game developers
Category:Japanese companies established in 1993
Category:2021 disestablishments in Japan
Category:Software companies based in Tokyo
Category:Video game companies established in 1993
Category:Defunct video game companies of Japan