Sony has confirmed that Japan Studio, its Tokyo-based in-house video game developer, will basically slow down and focus again on a single team. In a statement to IGN, Japan Studio said that as of April 1 it would be “centered again on Team Asobi, the creative team behind Astro’s Playroom, allowing the team to focus on a single vision and take advantage of the popularity of Astro’s Playroom. ”In other words, get ready for more star games.
Astro’s Playroom is a well-received title packaged with all PlayStation 5 consoles. It is a 3D platform game designed to show the advanced haptic feedback of the new DualSense controller. Before that, the same team developed Astro Bot: rescue mission, widely considered the PlayStation VR exclusive standout title
VGC previously reported that the “vast majority” of the Japan Studio team was being discharged because Sony refused to renew its annual contracts, which run through the end of the fiscal year on March 31. Some employees have been transferred to the Asobi Team, while others are joining Bokeh, a new studio founded by silent Hill and Gravity Rush director Keiichiro Toyama.
While Team Asobi’s work has so far been acclaimed, Japan Studio has been an important part of Sony’s PlayStation development efforts for decades. He created series like Ape Escape, Patapon, and LocoRoco, while helping to develop titles such as Bloodborne and The Last Guardian. Before leaving last year, Toyama led a division that was responsible for Mermaid and Gravity Rush games.