Ben-DutkaIf you're not familiar with Sony's Japan Studios, you're missing out on some truly innovative gaming. Shame on you!
And that's because Sony tasks SCE Japan Studios with producing highly creative and unique titles for the PlayStation platforms. At Sony PlayFest earlier this month, PlayStation LifeStyle spoke with Puppeteer writer/director Gavin Moore, who explained the big differences between his studio and a team like Naughty Dog:
"As a developer, Naughty Dog’s mandate is to make AAA blockbusting Hollywood crushing titles, and it’s the same for Santa Monica – whereas our mandate at Japan Studios is to make games that nobody else can see on another console. So it’s kind of crazy in our studio because it’s a bunch of insane people coming up with strange ideas. We’re kind of left alone to come up with what we want. We’re obviously tracked, we do have green light meetings and stuff like that, but because we have smaller teams and smaller budgets to work with there’s less risk, so they allow us to be more creative."
That gives us a nice variety, wouldn't you say? We can expect Uncharted and The Last Of Us from Naughty Dog, while we get extremely creative and innovative titles like Puppeteer from Japan Studios; they've also worked on iconic games like Shadow of the Colossus , Demon's Souls , Echochrome and Ape Escape . They're currently working on Rain , a fantastic idea for the PlayStation Network that is scheduled for later this year.
Yep, gotta support teams like that!
If Sony can afford this kind of thing why can't they afford a dedicated JRPG team?
Haven't you heard? JRPGs don't sell at all. According to the many studies done by everyone in the industry you and I and every other JRPG fan doesn't exist.
you guys, are a dying breed 😉
We're relics from a bygone era I guess.
Yah, I like these guys. They also did Gravity Rush. Another unique title that fits their m.o.
my vita was stolen last year, i had just started gravity rush. bought another vita…is gravity rush worth playing through. only bit of kat i know is from ps all stars and ya i know GR is no fighting game lol
Gravity Rush is probably my favorite game on ANY system from all of last year.
So, IMO, yes.
THIS! Games like Gravity Rush, Katamari Damacy, and Persona are the reason why I always look forward to Japanese games a whole LOT MORE versus the Western games out there.
Sure there's this whole argument that Japan has really fallen behind in terms of technology/graphics/physics and all that – but in terms of creativity…THEY ARE THE TOP OF THE TOP…and that's what makes the game FUN – which I care about the most.
HOW MANY TIMES do I have to see a western game be either one of two things: A SHOOTER with morons on the battlefield yelling nonsense to make a ridiculously stupid situation into a supposedly intense shootout…or a generic 3rd person action game where you DODGE, ROLL, SLAM YOUR BODY BEHIND CONCRETE WALLS, JUMP, CHANGE WEAPONS, KILL, AND THAT'S IT.
I'm not saying that those games can't be fun…but that's all the western gaming industry ever seems to offer me.
In Japan, I can get the most unique of unique. And there used to be more of that in the past with Capcom and Square Enix…but hey they think following the western way would give it to them…and their hurting because of it. And they should be.
After all, I'm sure we all like Japan for its creativeness.
And btw, in no way am I including the great indie developers under "Western developers."
So like, where's Folklore 2?
I need Folklore 2, I loved the first game so so so much.
Ape escape 4 on PS4 make it happen please.
Echocrome – Now that's a unique and enjoyable game.
Go SCE Japan.