10 Moves PlayStation MUST Make
4. Bring Back Sony Japan's Ethos
The closure of JAPAN Studio remains one of the biggest shocks of this new generation.
Sony's legendary in-house studio was responsible for a whole host of gaming classics - The Ape Escape Trilogy, ICO and Shadow of the Colossus all came from Sony JAPAN's hallowed halls, as well as the woefully underappreciated Gravity Rush duology.
(They also made Knack, because even when they failed, they failed spectacularly).
Sony's decision to shutter their most iconic studio was (and still is) a worrying indicator of the company's priorities. As the above titles indicate, JAPAN Studio was a glittering curiosity shop in the oft-mundane world of games development; a place where indie sensibilites met AAA budgets and some of gaming's most magical memories came to fruition.
Unfortunately, memories don't pay the bills and after one too many arthouse flops (seriously, why did none of you play Gravity Rush?) Sony decided to "restructure" JAPAN Studio and fold it into Team Asobi, who have been stuck making (admittedly great) games featuring Astro, PlayStation's latest attempt at a mascot.
"Major Corporation Values Commercialism Over Artistic Expression" isn't exactly breaking news, but it's still sad to see Sony's treatment of its most beloved in-house development studio. And with Sony spending $3.6 billion to buy Bungie, the undisputed kings of live-service gaming, it's clear that JAPAN Studio's spirit is no longer an integral part of PlayStation's DNA.