So do we expect Sony to show up to Paris or PSX this year with new announcements?

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Started by Legend, Aug 13, 2018, 10:00 PM

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DerNebel

Aug 26, 2018, 12:11 AM Last Edit: Aug 26, 2018, 11:00 AM by DerNebel
I'll probably watch it, not expecting a lot though.

Outside of getting Dragon Quest and Monster Hunter back to Playstation I've been seriously disappointed with Sonys effort for the japanese market/people who enjoy games more aimed at the japanese market this generation. This is the most profitable this business has ever been and they are just barely putting any of that money back into securing a future market position in their own home territory, which is especially important right now, with Nintendo coming back strong and actually appealing to all those japanese third parties very much.

People keep saying "Oh, Sony doesn't need to do anything for Japan, all those japanese companies will keep making games for future PS consoles anyways". Will they? Will they really? Outside of the two japanese third parties still trying to actively push the technical boundaries with their games (Square Enix, Capcom), will any of these publishers stick around just because, if they are selling just as well if not better on the Switch and can't keep up with AAA budgets anyways? Why not keep their budgets lower and simply stick to the weaker Switch, if it keeps them in business just as well? After all japanese publishers have shown time and again, that they have no problem making games platform exclusive for no good reason. Why for instance is Yokai Watch 4 not coming to PS4 next to the Switch? Technically it should easily be doable, the game should compare reasonably well visually to other japanese PS4 games, should sell reasonably well and their shouldn't be any weird control scheme issues either. So unless there's some backdoor Nintendo deal in place, there is no fudgy reason why this game shouldn't be on PS4 or even Steam and Xbox aside from the Switch and yet here we are.

In a time like this Sony's japanese studios should play leading roles in the building of actual high profile system selling software for the japanese market, just like their western teams do for the western market. Not only because they want to sell their games and systems in Japan, but also because it acts as proof of faith in the japanese market, that would show japanese developers, that Sony still cares about this market and about creating a healthy environment for them to sell their games to. Instead we have Japan Studios being hellbend on making "unique medium sized games", which has resulted in a whole lot of mediocrity and not a lot of sales, Polyphony Digital deciding to try something new, but ending up not only delivering too late once again, but also lacking a whole lot of content, that they are now implementing into the game post release and all of Sony Japans collaborations outside of Bloodborne pretty much falling on their faces.

Making unique experiences is fine, but Sony needs big tentpole titles for the japanese market, that they own and make. Otherwise this idea of the Playstation console being the one system where you can play pretty much anything coming out outside of first party games no matter if it's western or eastern, might no longer be true in a couple years. Expand your existing studios, buy new ones, do something!!

I just want the AAA JRPG market to stop being completely held by fudgy Square Enix for god's sake. -_____________-

Rant over.