PlayStation Community Thread

[DerNebel]

reads sony's statement...

...okay so I know it's a PR statement and PR specilizes in spinning shame to look like gold but...   a re-org to put greater focus on team ASOBI sounds good to me.

I'm mostly thinking about this:

"In addition, the roles of external production, software localization, and IP management of JAPAN Studio titles will be concentrated within the global functions of PlayStation Studios."

So will those people in Japan be let go and whatever external production efforts may in the future be made in Japan, will be handled from somewhere else in the world? Or is it just an organizational change where the external production team will still be there, just not under Japan Studio/Asobi Team management but instead by a central "external production department"?

And yeah, I have my own pipedreams, but they were never gonna go there anyways, so I'm not going to pretend like I'll miss them stumbling from one flop to the next.

[kitler53]

I'm mostly thinking about this:

"In addition, the roles of external production, software localization, and IP management of JAPAN Studio titles will be concentrated within the global functions of PlayStation Studios."

So will those people in Japan be let go and whatever external production efforts may in the future be made in Japan, will be handled from somewhere else in the world? Or is it just an organizational change where the external production team will still be there, just not under Japan Studio/Asobi Team management but instead by a central "external production department"?

And yeah, I have my own pipedreams, but they were never gonna go there anyways, so I'm not going to pretend like I'll miss them stumbling from one flop to the next.

I mean, it's a re-org and it sounds like what I've seen in my companies a half dozen times.  the same people are doing the same thing but report to a new director. 

I obviously can't be sure but really,..  why should a development studio be handeling external development or localization instead of making their games?  

[DerNebel]

I mean, it's a re-org and it sounds like what I've seen in my companies a half dozen times.  the same people are doing the same thing but report to a new director.

I obviously can't be sure but really,..  why should a development studio be handeling external development or localization instead of making their games?  

That's kinda where my gut feeling is going as well, I'm just not sure since I've already seen people online say "they've killed their external development department".

[the-pi-guy]

Eh not a great day.

Coming off the back of a state of play, and my confidence in Sony has probably never been lower.

Gran turismo delayed, God of War seems certain to be delayed.  
Sony Japan getting shrunk, at a time when the competition is growing aggressively.  
I was fine with the PC initiative, but it feels more worrisome with the above two factors.  
Fewer games coming this year and it feels like there's a good chance that PC will have a better year for PlayStation.  

I am reaching a point where I actually am wanting Sony to announce some acquisitions.  I think they need to do something bold.  

Maybe under ASOBI team, Japan Studio will grow again.

[DerNebel]

Eh not a great day.

Coming off the back of a state of play, and my confidence in Sony has probably never been lower.

Gran turismo delayed, God of War seems certain to be delayed.  
Sony Japan getting shrunk, at a time when the competition is growing aggressively.  
I was fine with the PC initiative, but it feels more worrisome with the above two factors.  
Fewer games coming this year and it feels like there's a good chance that PC will have a better year for PlayStation.  

I am reaching a point where I actually am wanting Sony to announce some acquisitions.  I think they need to do something bold.  

Maybe under ASOBI team, Japan Studio will grow again.

Well their successful studios are all growing... I mean how many more chances were these Japan Studio Teams supposed to get? Should they have just been dragged around with the studio, putting out a flop every couple years until retirement?

Great example: The creator of Locoroco Tsutomu Kouno, has not released a new game or apparently worked on a new game that managed to come out since Locoroco 2 (not counting the Remaster) and he still worked for the company until at least 2018, hell he might still be there. That is over 10 years with essentially nothing to show for.

I mean I hope all those people find new jobs quickly but at some point something needed to change.

Regarding the delays: Covid's a baby

[the-pi-guy]

Well their successful studios are all growing... I mean how many more chances were these Japan Studio Teams supposed to get? Should they have just been dragged around with the studio, putting out a flop every couple years until retirement?

You've missed my point. I'm not complaining about Japan Studio.  I'm talking about how there was a lot of bad news for the first big news of the year and no real good news. 
For a PlayStation exclusive buyer, there was barely any good news this week. 

No news of first party expansion, or a new trailer (except for Returnal but that isn't a Sony studio) or anything else. 

PSVR 2 is great news, but it's niche and it's a long ways away and we barely got anything there. Other than "it's coming". 

We get Ratchet for free, and that's pretty much it? 

Like if Sony announced an acquisition or something this week, I wouldnt be worrying at all about their direction.

I mean I hope all those people find new jobs quickly but at some point something needed to change.

They seem to be doing fine. Some are going to other studios already and a few are staying.

[the-pi-guy]

he's not going to get banned, so chill the fudge out. There's been smoke from multiple sources about Bluepoint being acquired by Sony, so it's pretty much going to happen, it's just a matter of when. I had faith enough that it was going to happen so I would never have to ban them in the first place. I don't like actual ban bets and don't tend to entertain them.

*T on break*

So I wanted to clarify some things since there was miscommunication both internally and in this thread: We are going to uphold a ban on the 28th if this doesn't come to pass, because the staff made that commitment.

[Xevross]

I mean, it's a re-org and it sounds like what I've seen in my companies a half dozen times.  the same people are doing the same thing but report to a new director.

I obviously can't be sure but really,..  why should a development studio be handeling external development or localization instead of making their games?  

I think you missed the part that said most of their staff are being laid off.

[DerNebel]

I think you missed the part that said most of their staff are being laid off.

VGC specifically mentioned that they didn't know if that affected their External Production Team.

You've missed my point. I'm not complaining about Japan Studio.  I'm talking about how there was a lot of bad news for the first big news of the year and no real good news. 
For a PlayStation exclusive buyer, there was barely any good news this week. 

No news of first party expansion, or a new trailer (except for Returnal but that isn't a Sony studio) or anything else. 

PSVR 2 is great news, but it's niche and it's a long ways away and we barely got anything there. Other than "it's coming". 

We get Ratchet for free, and that's pretty much it? 

Like if Sony announced an acquisition or something this week, I wouldnt be worrying at all about their direction.

They seem to be doing fine. Some are going to other studios already and a few are staying.

So this all boils down to "Sony didn't announce that they bought a studio this week, so I'm worried"?

[Xevross]

VGC specifically mentioned that they didn't know if that affected their External Production Team.
So this all boils down to "Sony didn't announce that they bought a studio this week, so I'm worried"?

Yes but its still most staff laid off, including all the creative leads.

[DerNebel]

Yes but its still most staff laid off, including all the creative leads.

Most of their internal development staff, yes, but we were talking about the external production people.

[the-pi-guy]

So this all boils down to "Sony didn't announce that they bought a studio this week, so I'm worried"?

If that's the point you want to take from my post, I guess go for it.  

[Xevross]

Coming to PS Plus in March

- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Maquette
- Remnant from the Ashes
- Farpoint VR

via https://t.co/lR29C9MRim pic.twitter.com/LEb3aHcyXI

— Nibel (@Nibellion) February 26, 2021

[DerNebel]

If that's the point you want to take from my post, I guess go for it.  

You're not doing a good job explaining what you're worried about.

You're worried because games are getting delayed? Like are you fudgy kidding me? For months it has been said "Covid is impacting game development and causing delays" and now that those exact delays are being announced, you're getting worried? Why do gamers keep selectively ignoring Covid?

And the "PC initiative feels worrisome" because games are getting delayed and Japan Studio is being scaled back? Why?

Coming to PS Plus in March

- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Maquette
- Remnant from the Ashes
- Farpoint VR

via https://t.co/lR29C9MRim pic.twitter.com/LEb3aHcyXI

— Nibel (@Nibellion) February 26, 2021

A another new game on PS Plus, neat.

[the-pi-guy]

You're not doing a good job explaining what you're worried about.

You're worried because games are getting delayed? Like are you fudgy kidding me? For months it has been said "Covid is impacting game development and causing delays" and now that those exact delays are being announced, you're getting worried? Why do gamers keep selectively ignoring Covid?

And the "PC initiative feels worrisome" because games are getting delayed and Japan Studio is being scaled back? Why?

It's not even about the delays.  

It's about the lack of good news for first party this week to counteract any of the bad news.  

A new game trailer for Horizon would have been good news.  

Or even heck, "Gran Turismo 7 has gotten delayed due to Covid, but we wanted to show you the progress we've made" would have been good news for me.