Highlights
- Shuhei Yoshida says Sony's focus on AAA games contributed to Japan Studio's closure in 2021.
- PlayStation prioritized hardware-selling franchises like God of War and Uncharted over smaller-scale projects.
- Yoshida encouraged fans to support former Japan Studio developers behind Slitterhead and Ratatan.
Former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios president, Shuhei Yoshida, says PlayStation's growing focus on blockbuster AAA games contributed to the closure of Japan Studio. Speaking at the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference (CEDEC 2026), Yoshida explained that Sony prioritized games that could drive PlayStation 4 (PS4) and PS5 hardware sales.
That shift left little room for the studio's smaller projects.
Japan Studio shut down in 2021 despite producing some of PlayStation's most acclaimed franchises. Its portfolio included Shadow of the Colossus, Ape Escape, Siren, LocoRoco, Patapon, Gravity Rush, and Astro Bot. Yoshida stated that the studio was known for creative ideas, but its projects no longer matched Sony's first-party strategy.
Shuhei Yoshida Details the Factors Behind Japan Studio's Closure
Yoshida reflected on the industry's move from the PS Vita era to the PS4 and PS5. He pointed out that creators such as Silent Hill director, Keiichiro Toyama, continued pitching original ideas. However, those games were difficult to scale into the large productions Sony wanted.
"As a company, PlayStation wanted to drive hardware sales with games like God of War and Uncharted, because that's the kind of game that's in demand," Yoshida said. He added that Japan Studio's games "weren't big in scale," making it harder to launch new console franchises.
Sony did retain Team ASOBI during the restructuring. Astro's Playroom later evolved into Astro Bot, a title that showcased the PS5 and its DualSense controller.
Former Japan Studio Developers Found Success Independently
Yoshida also encouraged fans to support former Japan Studio developers. Toyama founded Bokeh Game Studio and released Slitterhead in 2024. Patapon creator Hiroyuki Kotani later launched Ratatan.
According to Yoshida, several ideas could not move forward before Japan Studio closed. After becoming independent, those creators were able to release games across multiple platforms, including PlayStation.
His comments highlight the tradeoff between Sony's focus on blockbuster exclusives and the smaller experimental games that helped shape PlayStation's identity.
Disclaimer: Sources used have been machine-translated from Japanese.
