When I think of Japan Studios, the first game that comes to mind is Gravity Rush. One of the coolest games I’ve ever played. It’s a shame they’re defunct now ):
The amount of great video companies that got shut down or their projects canceled in the last couple years has been one of the most depressing things about being a video game lover. I really hope we're on the edge of a breakthrough but something feels off about everything.
@@Vynsentyou should definitely check it out sometime. It was one of the vita's brightest gems. Thankfully it got saved through the ps4 remaster. And got a sequel. Easier access now.
I remember thinking that closing Japan Studio was like cutting the roots of the PlayStation tree. Lately, I see many people complaining that the PS5 is the worst generation due to the lack of new IPs and uninspired mainstream sequels. Back in the day, I often heard Japan Studio wasn’t the most profitable, but I always respected and admired Sony for encouraging the development of artistic games with a unique vision.
I feel like their willingness to take chances and create something new is exactly what the industry is missing nowadays for triple A 🥲 Japan Studio loved to take those risks, and if it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t have experienced some of the PlayStations greatest titles! It’s crazy they would cut them loose like that 😩
It’s a shame really, but I can’t say I’m surprised with the toxic culture of the gaming industry. A lot of great developers are falling victim to it, and it’s hard telling who’s next 😩
@@aserr5660that and whatever bullshit Microsoft has been doin lately with buying a shit ton of studios and closing down the ones... I guess they aren't pleased with or whatever regardless of their successes like tango game works
It’s still absolutely insane to me knowing how important Japan Studio was to Sony and ultimately gaming as a whole and they just went “Get rid of it” never gone forgive em for that one
Great video. I didn’t realize Japan Studio had a hand in so many games… just banger after banger. I hope Astro Bot makes Sony realize we need/want more of what Japan Studio gave us, not strictly cinematic experiences.
@@vladv5126 Yeah, definitely! As someone who mostly got into gaming through cars, Gran Turismo has basically been my third parent growing up. Given that personal weight of the series, it was pretty cool to know that JS had had involvement with its development. Of course, that's not to undermine the quality and legacy of the other titles they've produced! Btw, the world of cars can be just as moving, inspiring, insightful, peotic and emotional as that of stories involving people, if you let it. That though, like you said, very much depends on your "stroke"!
I knew the wait would be worth it. Amazing and very in depth video on an amazing company. I'll forever miss Japan Studio. They gave us the creativity and risk we truly need in this industry. I actually didn't know that they were so involved in Demon Souls and Bloodbourne. That's astonishing. Shadow of the Colossus might be my choice here although the japanese ICO cover will forever stay among my favourites
I’m very glad that you enjoyed! And it really is sad to see such an amazing studio go the way that they did 🥺 fortunately they were around long enough to give us some classics tho 😁
Japan Studio is the home of LocoRoco and Patapon Series. I highly recommend it and had you played both series I’d mentioned? Both are my best games and favorite video game series of all time. And it’s sad that the studio closed down. 😢
I’ve still yet to play either! I hope to do so in the future though 😁 It really is a shame that they were shut down, I just hope the teams are able to take their talents elsewhere!
@@Vynsent at least the OG Creator of Patapon (Hiroyuki Kotani) and the Composer of Patapon/LocoRoco (Kemmei Adachi) Return to make a Spiritual Successor of Patapon in a new studio Ratata Arts/Tokyo Virtual Theory. It’s called “Ratatan” coming next year.
Only a few employees went over to Team Asobi. Most employees either went to Nintendo, are doing their own smaller/indie things, or just aren't in the industry anymore.
The story of japan studios is a perfect representation of how games went from being about fun, creativity, and making meaningful art. To being about profits, money, and corporate greed.
Man I loved Freedom Wars and Gravity Rush 1 and 2 Sony closing them down was a horrible decision, without them, we don't have any smaller scale unique game for the PS5, a Gravity Rush 3 or a new IP would've helped them this year, thanks god we still have Team Asobi and Astro Boy!
Now this is the PlayStation I grow up with fun Experimental and Ambitious its why to this day I still have my ps2 hooked up to this day so I can go back and play Shadow of the Colossus ape Escape and parappa the rapper Honestly it Breaks my heart that Sony is Ashamed of the former glory because their used to be so much Variety then just Triple A Cinematic games 😭😭😭
PlayStation just hasn't been the same since closing Japan Studio and relocating their HQ to America. Don't get me wrong. I still like Sony games like Uncharted, God of War, and Spiderman, but not JUST that style of game. Playstation used to have a lot of variety, but now they just seem to care about "prestigious" games. I miss the A and AA games Playstation used to develop and/or publish. Where are games like Parappa, Vib Ribbon, and Motorstorm? Stellar Blade kinda gives me that feeling of the old Playstation, but we need more of it.
I gotta agree with you my friend! With games like Stellar Blade dropping recently, and with retro gaming becoming so popular, I’m hoping that development studios and their higher ups will begin to take note of that, and revert things back to a more simplified styles of games. Sometimes less is more!
I played a good amount of their titles on release. They were also very good at getting demos of their games out in the US in the early part of their career. That’s what sold me on getting Parappa and Ico when they came out.
The way you present this video is fantastic. Each section flows into the next nicely and your personal anecdotes give it a good balance to keep it personal to your channel. It's been a huge pleasure to listen to and I'm learning a lot from it
I just realized that Japan Studio was the only reason I bought a PlayStation. Majority of the games I loved from Tenchu to Tokyo Jungle were all fully or partly developed byJapan Studios Edit: I may have confused SCEI devs with Japan Studio on Tenchu, but I know they worked partly on a lot of games
@@Vynsent You do know the studio was closed and the team was moved into Team ASOBI right? They weren't betrayed or fired, they made 3 games all of which took far too long and all of which flopped. It doesn't matter how much a handful of people loved ICO or Shadow of the Colossus, nobody bought them. The only game they made that kinda got screwed with the timing of its release was The Puppeteer, it should have been pushed to PS4.
@@lutherheggs451Whoopity doo. A lot of Japan Studio did not move to Team Asobi, which will probably be forced to pump out Astro Bot and nothing else. Shadow of the Colossus sold enough to get a Greatest Hits release and remaster on PS3/PS4, so not sure what you're talking about.
The official U.S. PlayStation magazines first PS2 demo disc had a playable demo of ICO that I would play again and again. I actually own a physical copy of the PS2 game, but haven't gotten around to playing it. I've got to say that after seeing this video that it has to be at the top of my list when it comes to the classics. Ape Escape was one of those games that I used to play the demo of again and again on various demo discs when I was a kid and eventually I would play the whole game. I also own Bloodborne and will definitely be getting around to playing that game too. Thank you for this great video about Japan Studio's amazing lineup of games that I feel any of these titles will be worth the time playing based off what I've played and have gotten a taste of.
I definitely had become inspired to play through a few of there classics while making it, and I believe I had that same demo disc as well! I’m very glad you enjoyed the video tho, thank you for watching 😁
I have a similar experience with Ico. It wasn't until I want to my friends house and he showed it to me that I played it. It has lived rent free in my mind ever since. I still used my Ico theme on the PS3 from the Ico / Shadows of the Colossus HD collection.
I bought a ps4 only to play the last guardian, or what I often call; the last tripple A in the industry taking an inconventional path and celebrate creativity. A mind blowing game imho more impressive than uncharted 4. Also, Japan studio created the best vr game to date imo; Astro boy. Amazing game. Japan studio and CING’s closing were the only ones hitting hard on me. Thanks for this tribute my man. Amazing video for an amazing studio. Peace
Very glad you enjoyed my friend! Hopefully we can see more from the talented developers at Japan studio in the future. I wish they could have just re formed it into something new!
Please... Look into the Sony Visual Art Service Group. That's my ALL-TIME favorite studio, which sounds weird because they're mostly just a support studio... But when you look into it.. there is t a single Sony exclusive that they didn't have their hand in, or maybe even ghost-developing (I didn't even know that was a thing, but I PROMISE YOU, it is) the bulk of a title before handing back to the principle studio rounding the last bend before the home stretch. I mean, Sony couldn't even be bothered to give them a REAL name. They were *"The Visual Arts Service Group"* since 2007. Recently they did get a big, fancy rebrand, and a new name.. which is *PlayStation Studios Visual Arts,* 😂. Which isn't any better than their last name. But that studio has made more major games happen than ANY studio over the last 2 generations. And it's sad because 99.9% of the world don't even know they exist.
gran turismo 4 blew my mind everything about it was perfect from the presnetation visuals music gameplay everything about it was immersive and classy i can go on forever about its postives and why it was addicting for me. as for shadow of the collosus it was so mytical and fanastic . the visuals were like you were thrown into painting from a storybook of a medieval legend. the horse and dim colors and the foggy empty landscape with eerie music coupled the wind effects felt almost ethereal . i didnt play many all games from this studio but the one i did were very memorable
@@Vynsent all g bro, If you haven't played it yet I highly recommend both the original and GR2. It's one of those games that can be its own video anyway. I highly recommend playing the first game on PS Vita if you have one. If not its still very enjoyable playing it on ps4 via the remaster
Trico is a good boy. Hard to believe people didn't get The Last Guardian. It's yet another example of a great game needing time for NPC gamers to realize how good it was.
I appreciate the comprehensive look back at one of my all time favourite and under appreciated studios. I was so saddened by their closure. To me, it was a clear signal that Sony wishes to pursue their dominantly successful territories over their own. I'll never forget the creative, innovative and unforgettable works they brought us ❤️❤️
Bloodborne showed what Japan's studios can accomplish with amazing partner like fromsoft too bad Sony never gave them a chance to shine like they used too after Sony of America taken over and eventually shut them down
Maybe that’s why the ps5 line has been lacking because they switch to only making blockbuster 3rd person action games with stealth elements and not having those smaller titles in between otherwise there just going to be a lack of variety and frequently gaps of no new releases
wonderful video, I love Japan Studios games, shadow of the Colossus was the first game I played from their studio and it was an incredible feeling when I killed the first Colossus, with that epic soundtrack. There are other games that you didn't mention like puppeteer, a beautiful and very creative 2D platformer, gravity rush , rain etc. anyway congratulations for the video
That first time playing Shadow really was a magical feeling 🥲 easily some of my fondest memories in gaming! And I really appreciate that my friend 😁 I hope to eventually cover some of the games I left out in the future!
Another solid project bruv. Such a unique and talented studio, their ability to fluidly move between genres, assist other studios and consistently produce something new at times defining generations is crazy. I genuinely believe letting Japan Studios go defunct may be one of the worst long term decisions on Sonys part. They've had a hand in some of the platforms most innovative and impactful titles. Massively underrated and even with this video its still hard to show how much they were involved with or show how great they truly were.
Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most influential game, i still think about it how amazing the experience i have with it on my first try. I got by mistake, was going to get with Shadow of Rome.
Couldn't agree more! Hopefully all the developers will be able to take their talents elsewhere, hopefully in a place they are appreciated! Thank you for watching by the way :)
Great vid, but dang it, I thought you would at least mention other weird and wonderful games, that Japan Studios has been involved into. Such as - LocoRoco, Patapon and Gravity Rush franchises.
Jeez I didn’t realize they were the ones who made so much of my collection! I already knew about the Gravity duology Rush & the Ico trilogy.. As a matter of fact just picked up the ps3 Ico remaster a couple of months ago
The Ico American box art is what turned me off from it when I was a child at EB Games or GameStop. That box art was so bad that it made me think it was a low quality game, back then the box art was everything to go by when determining if a game was interesting enough to buy.
I remember not being able to play Ape Escape on a demo disc, because I got my PS1 right before the Dualshock dropped, and my mom was not dropping bread on a new controller lmao I was DEVASTATED Simpler times
RIP Japan Studios. The one of the very few remainders that sticked to their niche by making quirky games and not third person interactive cinematic adventure snoozefests that Sony seems to cling onto. Only good game they've made from that was Ghost of Tsushima. They even ruined GOW by putting Kratos over his shoulder with the camera angle for some reason instead of keeping it as a top down hack and slash game. Media Molecule and Team Asobi are the only real ones left, and their releases are every 5 years if we're lucky
Yeah, Sony has been making some very questionable decisions the past few years. It's really disappointing, especially since they've made my favorite consoles!
Skip it. Play Crash series, Spyro series, Spider-Man series, Toy Story 2, Gex 3, Apocalypse, Jackie Chan Stuntmaster, Akuji The Heartless and Soul Reaver instead. Enough of this cutsie gayeoverrated overgloryfied Japanese stuff. Lets go back to the edgy stuff from 2000's, 90's and early 2010's.
Siren was under-rated. The first game was pretty rough, and the second had some bad acting but I think a new entry with refined controls could be amazing.
Bro, Legend of the Dragoon, Ape Escape, and Gran Turismo were my childhood. Sony isn't a Japanese company anymore though with his Playstation branch. It's HQ is located in Cali for a reason now, and that's because they were a sell out.
They made some of the most important games of their consoles and for Sony to shut them down because they don’t make enough money is shameful. PlayStation wouldn’t be so big without Japan studios. THE LAST OF US WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT ICO
I personally blame Kojima for japan studios shutting down. No joke. I do. When death stranding was in development, sony moved big budgets internally from other studios to their contract with kojima productions in order to help fund its development and secure the temporary exclusivity deal for the ps4, but when it wasn't the enormous sales hit they expected, they started cutting down costs so as to not hurt their bottom line in the coming years. This is also sony's fault for not managing their expectations properly, but I fully blame kojima and his rockstar mentality inflating game budgets in order to hire hollywood stars because he simply has to meet and mingle with the american movie clique.
wheeew, you could very well be onto something with that. As much as I love kojima's work, I can definitely see them neglecting other studios to cater to him and his projects. Death Stranding was definitely a cool idea as well, but not a game for everyone. It's no surprise it didn't sell all that well!
@@Vynsent I keep hearing so many people on this board claim that Sony has given up on Japan and has given up on its roots, but it's been well documented that Sony tried time after time to try and save Japan studio and it just didn't work out. The market has shifted significantly there to mobile and handheld and the games they were making were taking too long to make and weren't selling enough. This includes games like Bloodborne. I always thought Sony should have invested more in acquiring Japanese studios because their internal studio in Japan left a lot to be desired. Sony has worked with a lot of studios in Japan over the years and some of these acquisitions really could have paid off like getting FromSoftware earlier, though ironically had this happened, maybe they wouldn't be as popular as they are now. When you look at Tokyo Studio's big-ticket flops or underperformers, it's no surprise that Sony had to pull the plug on them. Knack Bloodborne Last Guardian Gravity Rush Honestly, the Last Guardian probably sank Japan Studio. They didn't have many developers left after Team ICO left anyways and Gravity Rush was not a commercial success. Sony even tried to get into mobile gaming in Japan by creating ForwardWorks before transferring ownership of the company to Sony Music Entertainment which has more experience managing mobile gaming with Aniplex. I think ultimately Sony isn't quite sure what to do in the mobile space, especially as it pertains to Japan, but they created a mobile game company in the same year they spun off ForwardWorks and bought Savage Game Studios out of Germany. Sony Music through Aniplex also purchased Delightworks. It reminds me a lot of the late 90s early 2000s when Sony didn't have a PC strategy so Sony Pictures owned and ran Sony Online Entertainment, before being absorbed by then SCE, but then later being sold off. Basically, they don't want to taint the PlayStation brand with failures, but they don't really know what they're doing yet with Japan and mobile. Others have been quick to confirm they haven't given up on Japan. They've purchased a lot of Kadokawa and FromSoftware. They've invested in exclusivity deals with Square Enix. They seem somewhat involved in the Silent Hill 2 remake as it will be a timed exclusive. Not many companies are focusing on Japanese-centric AAA games and it probably makes even less sense to cater to the Japanese market as a first party if that market is focused on moba.
It really is a shame! It's a fatal error that a lot of these companies are continuing to make. The only want short term solutions, and no long term success!
Yeah so. Believe it or not, but the closure of Japan Studios was the first nail in the coffin for Sony, at least for me. Don't get me wrong, Playstation will be there for a long time, but for me this comes with a big lack of diversity in games now. Only the GoW, Lou or so are not what makes gaming really interesting. Now they're kind of all in with pc ports and i... I'm sick and tired of paying extra for online gaming, paying at least 10-15 bugs more for console games against pc. Bagging to devs for game updates so you can play older games properly, and so on. All this and more are the reason why i will go back to PC and have a PS as kind of a backup. And obviously this isn't a only Sony thing. EA has closed a lot of beloved studios, Microsoft, THQ and so on. Gaming is full corporate for quite some time now, and games get made because money, not great ideas or visions anymore.
It’s definitely changed for the worse unfortunately 🥲 It’s very sad to see in Sony’s case especially, since the PlayStation has been home for many of the greatest games. It’s just the way things go sometimes I suppose!
I definitely wish I would’ve included more, as I focused primarily on games I had experience with since I was in a bit of a time crunch to put the video out. Japan Studio had plenty more incredible games for me to cover tho, especially in 7th gen!
@@Vynsent Sadly for them, the 7th gen was when mass effect, dragon age, bioshock and gears of war all existed at once...most of these were only on xbox 360. rendering the competition so hard for a more niche studio like japan studio that it probably kept said studio niche even during the ps4 years. hence why sales numbers continued to be more ok and not great which probably lead to its final closure.
When the JAPAN studio closed, SCE realized that it was no longer a traditional Japanese company. It was a natural progression, given the failure of the PS3 and Vita, and the retirement of Kutaragi. The company continued to grow and is now a huge global company. And it was Jim Ryan and the PS4 that rebuilt SCE into what it is today.
It's a shame, even of most of their "games" aren't THAT good in retrospect nor are even theirs (collabs with third party devs or intern subteams becoming a full on developer), would've been cool if the armchair fans instead of crying all day about it they should've actually bought their games day one or in the PSN store, not just buy used copies years later after being dismanteled. Unlike what other pretentious nostalgfucks say PS still makes great unique games, Housmarque made RETURNAL, an absolute masterpiece of a game, risk and bold bullet-hell roguevania that even if it is relatively underrated, it got awards and it actually sold more than Japan studio games combined lol, no wonder they got bought by Sony. At least Team Asobi is there, people are apparently actually buying Astro Bot so the supply and demand rule is always correct.
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When I think of Japan Studios, the first game that comes to mind is Gravity Rush. One of the coolest games I’ve ever played. It’s a shame they’re defunct now ):
I wrestled with myself on including GR, unfortunately I’ve never played it tho! Definitely looked amazing from what I’ve seen 😁
some fact: gravity rush was made by a guy who also made siren and silent hill 1
The amount of great video companies that got shut down or their projects canceled in the last couple years has been one of the most depressing things about being a video game lover. I really hope we're on the edge of a breakthrough but something feels off about everything.
Gravity Rush, Folklore, Puppeteer, Wild Arms... and of course the masterpiece, Mister Mosquito 😤
@@Vynsentyou should definitely check it out sometime. It was one of the vita's brightest gems. Thankfully it got saved through the ps4 remaster. And got a sequel. Easier access now.
I remember thinking that closing Japan Studio was like cutting the roots of the PlayStation tree. Lately, I see many people complaining that the PS5 is the worst generation due to the lack of new IPs and uninspired mainstream sequels. Back in the day, I often heard Japan Studio wasn’t the most profitable, but I always respected and admired Sony for encouraging the development of artistic games with a unique vision.
I feel like their willingness to take chances and create something new is exactly what the industry is missing nowadays for triple A 🥲 Japan Studio loved to take those risks, and if it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t have experienced some of the PlayStations greatest titles! It’s crazy they would cut them loose like that 😩
I was heartbroken when I heard Japan Studios was being closed. Truly the end of an era.
It’s a shame really, but I can’t say I’m surprised with the toxic culture of the gaming industry. A lot of great developers are falling victim to it, and it’s hard telling who’s next 😩
@@Vynsentwhich toxic culture? Corporatism or harassment?
@@aserr5660that and whatever bullshit Microsoft has been doin lately with buying a shit ton of studios and closing down the ones... I guess they aren't pleased with or whatever regardless of their successes like tango game works
In my understand, was closed for give resource go concord development. Idk if is true or not...
It’s still absolutely insane to me knowing how important Japan Studio was to Sony and ultimately gaming as a whole and they just went “Get rid of it” never gone forgive em for that one
I blame corporate greed 🥲
What? They ditched this company?
@@4IndieForever yeah man they been defunct for years now
@@SquallNoctisGUX RIDICULOUS!
Great video. I didn’t realize Japan Studio had a hand in so many games… just banger after banger.
I hope Astro Bot makes Sony realize we need/want more of what Japan Studio gave us, not strictly cinematic experiences.
It’s amazing how many great games they had done their part in! But I’m hoping so as well. 😁
I had no idea Japan Studio was involved with Gran Turismo. Great video!
They had a little hand in almost everything it seemed 😅 Thank you for watching!
Huh. Out of all the unique titles they worked on, the very grounded car game is the one that stuck with you? Different strokes I guess.
@@vladv5126 Yeah, definitely! As someone who mostly got into gaming through cars, Gran Turismo has basically been my third parent growing up. Given that personal weight of the series, it was pretty cool to know that JS had had involvement with its development. Of course, that's not to undermine the quality and legacy of the other titles they've produced!
Btw, the world of cars can be just as moving, inspiring, insightful, peotic and emotional as that of stories involving people, if you let it. That though, like you said, very much depends on your "stroke"!
The Puppeteer. One of the best games JAPAN Studio put out there. I still have my copy. Such a creative game
Ooo I’ve never even heard of that! I’ll have to be check it out 😁
One of the best games ever made. One of my all time favourites.
@@Vynsent Puppeteer is the only PS3 game that aged well, the graphical style is still beautiful today.
@@johnserpo9267play more ps3 games, there's plenty that aged better than alot of ps4 games
I knew the wait would be worth it. Amazing and very in depth video on an amazing company. I'll forever miss Japan Studio. They gave us the creativity and risk we truly need in this industry.
I actually didn't know that they were so involved in Demon Souls and Bloodbourne. That's astonishing.
Shadow of the Colossus might be my choice here although the japanese ICO cover will forever stay among my favourites
I’m very glad that you enjoyed! And it really is sad to see such an amazing studio go the way that they did 🥺 fortunately they were around long enough to give us some classics tho 😁
Japan Studio is the home of LocoRoco and Patapon Series. I highly recommend it and had you played both series I’d mentioned?
Both are my best games and favorite video game series of all time. And it’s sad that the studio closed down. 😢
I’ve still yet to play either! I hope to do so in the future though 😁 It really is a shame that they were shut down, I just hope the teams are able to take their talents elsewhere!
@@Vynsent at least the OG Creator of Patapon (Hiroyuki Kotani) and the Composer of Patapon/LocoRoco (Kemmei Adachi) Return to make a Spiritual Successor of Patapon in a new studio Ratata Arts/Tokyo Virtual Theory. It’s called “Ratatan” coming next year.
The successor to Japan Studios right now is Team Asobi, whose members were part of the former.
Astro Bot is looking great! I hope they can continue on the momentum of Japan Studio 😁
Only a few employees went over to Team Asobi. Most employees either went to Nintendo, are doing their own smaller/indie things, or just aren't in the industry anymore.
Japan studios are gonna be remembered as some of the most innovative devs in gaming history
Without a doubt ❤️
The story of japan studios is a perfect representation of how games went from being about fun, creativity, and making meaningful art. To being about profits, money, and corporate greed.
Man I loved Freedom Wars and Gravity Rush 1 and 2
Sony closing them down was a horrible decision, without them, we don't have any smaller scale unique game for the PS5, a Gravity Rush 3 or a new IP would've helped them this year, thanks god we still have Team Asobi and Astro Boy!
It really is a shame 🥲 I’m hoping that Team asobi will be able to carry the torch!
Now this is the PlayStation I grow up with fun Experimental and Ambitious its why to this day I still have my ps2 hooked up to this day so I can go back and play Shadow of the Colossus ape Escape and parappa the rapper
Honestly it Breaks my heart that Sony is Ashamed of the former glory because their used to be so much Variety then just Triple A Cinematic games 😭😭😭
It was the best! We just gotta be happy it happened at least, they definitely left us with some timeless classics 🥲
PlayStation just hasn't been the same since closing Japan Studio and relocating their HQ to America. Don't get me wrong. I still like Sony games like Uncharted, God of War, and Spiderman, but not JUST that style of game.
Playstation used to have a lot of variety, but now they just seem to care about "prestigious" games. I miss the A and AA games Playstation used to develop and/or publish. Where are games like Parappa, Vib Ribbon, and Motorstorm? Stellar Blade kinda gives me that feeling of the old Playstation, but we need more of it.
I gotta agree with you my friend! With games like Stellar Blade dropping recently, and with retro gaming becoming so popular, I’m hoping that development studios and their higher ups will begin to take note of that, and revert things back to a more simplified styles of games. Sometimes less is more!
Vincent your videos are getting better and better man i love this fantastic work
I appreciate you Dante, you’ve been a day 1 supporter and that means the world to me ❤️😁
I played a good amount of their titles on release. They were also very good at getting demos of their games out in the US in the early part of their career. That’s what sold me on getting Parappa and Ico when they came out.
Very nostalgic, those two games! I remember renting Parappa from blockbuster back in the day, spent the whole day completing it 😅
I saw Japan Studio and thr first game came into mind was Gravity Rush. That game is so good.
I still need to play it! I’ve heard it’s amazing 😁
@@Vynsent please do! It’s probably one of the most unique game I’ve play since shadow of the colossus.
The way you present this video is fantastic. Each section flows into the next nicely and your personal anecdotes give it a good balance to keep it personal to your channel.
It's been a huge pleasure to listen to and I'm learning a lot from it
That means the world to me, and I’m very glad you’ve enjoyed! Thank you so much 😁
I just realized that Japan Studio was the only reason I bought a PlayStation. Majority of the games I loved from Tenchu to Tokyo Jungle were all fully or partly developed byJapan Studios
Edit: I may have confused SCEI devs with Japan Studio on Tenchu, but I know they worked partly on a lot of games
They really had a hand in almost everything at Sony! It’s unbelievable that they would end up being betrayed in the end 😩
@@Vynsent You do know the studio was closed and the team was moved into Team ASOBI right? They weren't betrayed or fired, they made 3 games all of which took far too long and all of which flopped. It doesn't matter how much a handful of people loved ICO or Shadow of the Colossus, nobody bought them. The only game they made that kinda got screwed with the timing of its release was The Puppeteer, it should have been pushed to PS4.
@@lutherheggs451Whoopity doo. A lot of Japan Studio did not move to Team Asobi, which will probably be forced to pump out Astro Bot and nothing else.
Shadow of the Colossus sold enough to get a Greatest Hits release and remaster on PS3/PS4, so not sure what you're talking about.
Japan Studio didn't work on Tenchu
@@user-vi4xy1jw7e i may have confused it with SCEI
The official U.S. PlayStation magazines first PS2 demo disc had a playable demo of ICO that I would play again and again. I actually own a physical copy of the PS2 game, but haven't gotten around to playing it. I've got to say that after seeing this video that it has to be at the top of my list when it comes to the classics. Ape Escape was one of those games that I used to play the demo of again and again on various demo discs when I was a kid and eventually I would play the whole game. I also own Bloodborne and will definitely be getting around to playing that game too. Thank you for this great video about Japan Studio's amazing lineup of games that I feel any of these titles will be worth the time playing based off what I've played and have gotten a taste of.
I definitely had become inspired to play through a few of there classics while making it, and I believe I had that same demo disc as well! I’m very glad you enjoyed the video tho, thank you for watching 😁
@@Vynsent you're welcome! It was very well done.
I have a similar experience with Ico. It wasn't until I want to my friends house and he showed it to me that I played it. It has lived rent free in my mind ever since. I still used my Ico theme on the PS3 from the Ico / Shadows of the Colossus HD collection.
Now that’s a true friend 😎
It's impressive how Shuhei Yoshida was responsible for the software quality from PSX to PS4
A man of brilliance 💫
Japan Studio was one of the best studios, and its closure marked the end of good games from Sony.
Gotta agree, they really made a mistake with its closure 🥲
@@Vynsent Yeah, it's one of their top 3 mistakes imo, right behind moving their headquarters to California and mishandling the Vita.
" marked the end of good games from Sony." is a bit much. I really liked stuff like Spiderman and Ghost of Tsushima etc
@@KingAgniKaiyeah it’s pearl clutching for the sake of Pearl clutching.
The studio has grown and a lot of the talent have made their own studios
Clown take.
I bought a ps4 only to play the last guardian, or what I often call; the last tripple A in the industry taking an inconventional path and celebrate creativity. A mind blowing game imho more impressive than uncharted 4.
Also, Japan studio created the best vr game to date imo; Astro boy. Amazing game. Japan studio and CING’s closing were the only ones hitting hard on me. Thanks for this tribute my man. Amazing video for an amazing studio. Peace
Very glad you enjoyed my friend! Hopefully we can see more from the talented developers at Japan studio in the future. I wish they could have just re formed it into something new!
Great work man, underrated channel
I really appreciate that my friend 😁 Thanks to you guys, we continue to grow!
Please... Look into the Sony Visual Art Service Group. That's my ALL-TIME favorite studio, which sounds weird because they're mostly just a support studio...
But when you look into it.. there is t a single Sony exclusive that they didn't have their hand in, or maybe even ghost-developing (I didn't even know that was a thing, but I PROMISE YOU, it is) the bulk of a title before handing back to the principle studio rounding the last bend before the home stretch.
I mean, Sony couldn't even be bothered to give them a REAL name. They were *"The Visual Arts Service Group"* since 2007. Recently they did get a big, fancy rebrand, and a new name.. which is *PlayStation Studios Visual Arts,* 😂. Which isn't any better than their last name.
But that studio has made more major games happen than ANY studio over the last 2 generations. And it's sad because 99.9% of the world don't even know they exist.
Now this could definitely make an interesting video! I appreciate that my friend, I’m gonna add it to my list for research 😁❤️
I still play Ico from time to time, and always on original hardware (thru a Retrotink 5x).
Stil looks and plays amazing to this day
Ooo, now that’s how you do it my friend! Hope to get me a retrotink one day 😁
gran turismo 4 blew my mind everything about it was perfect from the presnetation visuals music gameplay everything about it was immersive and classy i can go on forever about its postives and why it was addicting for me. as for shadow of the collosus it was so mytical and fanastic . the visuals were like you were thrown into painting from a storybook of a medieval legend. the horse and dim colors and the foggy empty landscape with eerie music coupled the wind effects felt almost ethereal .
i didnt play many all games from this studio but the one i did were very memorable
Absolutely! My first time playing SoC has always stuck with me. That game provides an atmosphere that’s hard to find, loved it!
Gravity Rush is the game that made me fall in love with Japan Studios
I fumbled the bag on including that :(
@@Vynsent all g bro, If you haven't played it yet I highly recommend both the original and GR2. It's one of those games that can be its own video anyway. I highly recommend playing the first game on PS Vita if you have one. If not its still very enjoyable playing it on ps4 via the remaster
Trico is a good boy. Hard to believe people didn't get The Last Guardian. It's yet another example of a great game needing time for NPC gamers to realize how good it was.
Very underrated! Was one of the better releases of the past decade in my opinion 😅
I definitely will be playing that game sometime after watching this! I love everything that I've seen and learned about it.
I appreciate the comprehensive look back at one of my all time favourite and under appreciated studios. I was so saddened by their closure. To me, it was a clear signal that Sony wishes to pursue their dominantly successful territories over their own. I'll never forget the creative, innovative and unforgettable works they brought us ❤️❤️
They were the backbone of Sony for so long, it still blows me away that they closed down 🥲 Hopefully Team Asobi will be able to carry the torch!
Bloodborne showed what Japan's studios can accomplish with amazing partner like fromsoft too bad Sony never gave them a chance to shine like they used too after Sony of America taken over and eventually shut them down
It’s a shame, it really is 🥲
Maybe that’s why the ps5 line has been lacking because they switch to only making blockbuster 3rd person action games with stealth elements and not having those smaller titles in between otherwise there just going to be a lack of variety and frequently gaps of no new releases
It definitely could be! It’s been really sad to see how sparse the PS5 selection has been. I’ve barely even played mine since getting it 🥲
Bring them back Sony. That's all I want from you
wonderful video, I love Japan Studios games, shadow of the Colossus was the first game I played from their studio and it was an incredible feeling when I killed the first Colossus, with that epic soundtrack. There are other games that you didn't mention like puppeteer, a beautiful and very creative 2D platformer, gravity rush , rain etc. anyway congratulations for the video
That first time playing Shadow really was a magical feeling 🥲 easily some of my fondest memories in gaming! And I really appreciate that my friend 😁 I hope to eventually cover some of the games I left out in the future!
Rain is one of my very favorite games & is mysteriously rarely if ever mentioned
My favorite TH-camr 🔥absolute banger. So much I never knew… keep it coming brother!
I appreciate you brother ❤️ Thank you!
Shadow of the Colossus. Enough said. I will never forget you, Japan Studio! 💔💔
Rest In Peace to some real ones 🥲
@@Vynsent Still, feels good to say "I was there when it happened" =,)
Another solid project bruv. Such a unique and talented studio, their ability to fluidly move between genres, assist other studios and consistently produce something new at times defining generations is crazy. I genuinely believe letting Japan Studios go defunct may be one of the worst long term decisions on Sonys part. They've had a hand in some of the platforms most innovative and impactful titles. Massively underrated and even with this video its still hard to show how much they were involved with or show how great they truly were.
I gotta agree man! It’s crazy how much of an impact they had on Sony’s growth. To let that go is mind blowing to me!
Bro, you're videos are top tier! Great job!!
I really appreciate that my friend! Thank you 😁❤️
Just found this vid and subbed to the channel - keep up this awesome ever-green content!
Thanks a lot my friend! Your support means the world 😁💫
Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most influential game, i still think about it how amazing the experience i have with it on my first try. I got by mistake, was going to get with Shadow of Rome.
I gotta agree! It’s definitely in my top 10 😁 And I gotta say, that’s a pretty great mistake to make 🤣
What a massive blunder for Sony and Playstation closing Japan Studio was...
I have to agree, a pure shame 🥲
As always, great video! They were a super talented studio, still such a shame that Sony decided to shut them down 3 years ago 😢.
Couldn't agree more! Hopefully all the developers will be able to take their talents elsewhere, hopefully in a place they are appreciated! Thank you for watching by the way :)
@@Vynsent You're welcome 😊👍🏻
You forgot Patapon - another unusual rhythm game.
Ahhh, wish I would’ve included it!
Sony had gem of a studio on their hands, and ever since Sony closed them down they have been going down a ugly path since.
It’s very sad to see! Sony was always my favorite 🥲
Great vid, but dang it, I thought you would at least mention other weird and wonderful games, that Japan Studios has been involved into. Such as - LocoRoco, Patapon and Gravity Rush franchises.
seems he only bothered to talk about games he has played and that were released in the west. very low level research.
@@DANNY__JK Those games that I mentioned has been released worldwide.
I’m sorry that I skipped out on those! I definitely should’ve included gravity rush 🥲
Jeez I didn’t realize they were the ones who made so much of my collection! I already knew about the Gravity duology Rush & the Ico trilogy.. As a matter of fact just picked up the ps3 Ico remaster a couple of months ago
They made all the classics ❤️
Shadow of the Colossus is top 5 games of all-time. Whatever Goat list exists, this game is on it.
Definitely in my personal top 5! Legendary game 💫
Oreshika: Tainted Bloodline has to be the most overlooked and unknown Japan Studio game.
I would agree, I’ve never heard of it 😅
@@Vynsent I only heard about it a few months ago.
The Ico American box art is what turned me off from it when I was a child at EB Games or GameStop. That box art was so bad that it made me think it was a low quality game, back then the box art was everything to go by when determining if a game was interesting enough to buy.
Very true! They should have definitely re worked it, could have made a huge difference on sales 😅
The Sony Computer Entertainment logo wasn't enough? That always got me interested. Just like seeing the Nintendo logo.
I'm playing The Last Guardian right now, a wonderful game
It really is! Definitely one of my favorite PS4 games ever!
TOKYO JUNGLE! 🐕🐺🐈🦁🐅🐆🐎🦓🦌🐄🐖🐑🦒🐘🦣🦔🐇🐻🦘🐓🐤🐊🦖🌱
I had no idea we had a hedgehog emoji 😅
I remember not being able to play Ape Escape on a demo disc, because I got my PS1 right before the Dualshock dropped, and my mom was not dropping bread on a new controller lmao
I was DEVASTATED
Simpler times
Lmao I feel you my friend, I don’t think I ever got a memory card for my PS1. Which led to my console being forever powered on 😂
@@Vynsent that's a whole other struggle 🥴😂
14:27 Our current political situation.
15:01 What Netflix is trying to accomplish.
RIP Japan Studios. The one of the very few remainders that sticked to their niche by making quirky games and not third person interactive cinematic adventure snoozefests that Sony seems to cling onto. Only good game they've made from that was Ghost of Tsushima. They even ruined GOW by putting Kratos over his shoulder with the camera angle for some reason instead of keeping it as a top down hack and slash game. Media Molecule and Team Asobi are the only real ones left, and their releases are every 5 years if we're lucky
Yeah, Sony has been making some very questionable decisions the past few years. It's really disappointing, especially since they've made my favorite consoles!
Crazy, i was a teenager during the PS1 era and i never played ape escape, havent tried it even to this day
You gotta try it! It’s a super fun game 😁
Skip it. Play Crash series, Spyro series, Spider-Man series, Toy Story 2, Gex 3, Apocalypse, Jackie Chan Stuntmaster, Akuji The Heartless and Soul Reaver instead. Enough of this cutsie gayeoverrated overgloryfied Japanese stuff. Lets go back to the edgy stuff from 2000's, 90's and early 2010's.
Great video! tho i think games like Gravity Rush, Tokyo Jungle and Puppeteer deserved more attention
Absolutely! I wish I would have included them 🥲
Siren was under-rated. The first game was pretty rough, and the second had some bad acting but I think a new entry with refined controls could be amazing.
I agree! But the visual roughness of the first one was almost the main reason the game felt so unsettling 🤣 Those faces haunt me lmao
First time watching. Brilliant video. Subbed
Your support means the world, thank you my friend! 😁
2:49-fun fact this game is a predecessor to wild arms
I can see the similarities!
One of my favourite channels
I’m honored my friend 😁 Thank you ❤️
Bro, Legend of the Dragoon, Ape Escape, and Gran Turismo were my childhood. Sony isn't a Japanese company anymore though with his Playstation branch. It's HQ is located in Cali for a reason now, and that's because they were a sell out.
I miss the old Sony 🥲
21:25 Noone was thinking that way until you put the unfitting ass "Pause" edit man.
Super professional video 👌🏽
Thank you very much my friend 😄💫 Thank you for watching!
The only negative about shadow of the colossus is the number of video essays it spawned
Lmao it made too big of an impact I suppose!
very cool video keep it up , i think u forgot about few games such as gravity rush and rain
Very glad you enjoyed my friend! Thank you 😁 And I was originally planning to include Gravity Rush but opted out last minute, very regretful for that!
I hope I can see Toro Inoue again 😿
Not fair that when we finally get a Toro game on playstation in the west and it was a short lived Vita app
One can only hope my friend! 🥲
Take a shot Everytime he says responsible
Ain’t enough liquor in the world for that my friend 😂
Another banger uploads 🔥🔥🔥
Thank you my friend! This one was a lot 😂
Bring back Bloodborne 2,my soul is yours!
One can only hope!
All those franchises and games done by that studio and Sony owns but now nothing from them. RIP Japan Studio.
Very sad to see 🥲
locoroco the first psp game i ever played
Love the art direction of that game!
Excellent !!!
Thank you! 😁
legend of dragon was like the first game ive played that have VO in the cutscene and amaze how the cutscene look
It’s a beautiful game for sure! I love the visual style of it 😁
Great video! 💙
Thank you very much 😁 I’m glad you enjoyed!
And we'll never see anything amazing from them EVER again because sony shut them down. How dare they get rid of such talented individuals.
It really is a shame 😩 Hopefully the indie developers can carry gaming for the future. We’re losing great studios at a rapid rate!
bro really wants knack 3
No Gravity Rush? That was the first title I knew of Japan Studios, so sad 😢
I’m very sorry my friend 😭 I was initially planning to include it, but only opted out because I’ve never played it unfortunately 😅
Great video, can you do a video about clap hanz studios
Absolutely! I’ll add it to my list 😁 Thank you for watching ❤️
They made some of the most important games of their consoles and for Sony to shut them down because they don’t make enough money is shameful. PlayStation wouldn’t be so big without Japan studios.
THE LAST OF US WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT ICO
It’s just the way of the world at this point, it’s very much a shame 🥲
I personally blame Kojima for japan studios shutting down. No joke. I do.
When death stranding was in development, sony moved big budgets internally from other studios to their contract with kojima productions in order to help fund its development and secure the temporary exclusivity deal for the ps4, but when it wasn't the enormous sales hit they expected, they started cutting down costs so as to not hurt their bottom line in the coming years. This is also sony's fault for not managing their expectations properly, but I fully blame kojima and his rockstar mentality inflating game budgets in order to hire hollywood stars because he simply has to meet and mingle with the american movie clique.
wheeew, you could very well be onto something with that. As much as I love kojima's work, I can definitely see them neglecting other studios to cater to him and his projects. Death Stranding was definitely a cool idea as well, but not a game for everyone. It's no surprise it didn't sell all that well!
Great vid.
Very glad you enjoyed 😁
I wonder where the devs will end up
A lot of them have been moved to Team Asobi! They’ve got some pretty promising games on the way 😁
@@Vynsent oh sweet thx for the heads up
A studio called Japan Studio, singular, not plural…
Still, great video, thanks 👍
I kept making that mistake throughout the video 😂 I appreciate you watching the video tho my friend! Thank you 😁❤️
most of my games on vita was made by Japan Studio
Ahhh the good ole vita!
…….And imagine if it was Xbox
We’d have one game instead of a lineage of some of the most influential games of all time
Sony is becoming a shell of their former selves, and it pains me lol
@@Vynsent I keep hearing so many people on this board claim that Sony has given up on Japan and has given up on its roots, but it's been well documented that Sony tried time after time to try and save Japan studio and it just didn't work out.
The market has shifted significantly there to mobile and handheld and the games they were making were taking too long to make and weren't selling enough. This includes games like Bloodborne.
I always thought Sony should have invested more in acquiring Japanese studios because their internal studio in Japan left a lot to be desired. Sony has worked with a lot of studios in Japan over the years and some of these acquisitions really could have paid off like getting FromSoftware earlier, though ironically had this happened, maybe they wouldn't be as popular as they are now.
When you look at Tokyo Studio's big-ticket flops or underperformers, it's no surprise that Sony had to pull the plug on them.
Knack
Bloodborne
Last Guardian
Gravity Rush
Honestly, the Last Guardian probably sank Japan Studio. They didn't have many developers left after Team ICO left anyways and Gravity Rush was not a commercial success.
Sony even tried to get into mobile gaming in Japan by creating ForwardWorks before transferring ownership of the company to Sony Music Entertainment which has more experience managing mobile gaming with Aniplex. I think ultimately Sony isn't quite sure what to do in the mobile space, especially as it pertains to Japan, but they created a mobile game company in the same year they spun off ForwardWorks and bought Savage Game Studios out of Germany. Sony Music through Aniplex also purchased Delightworks.
It reminds me a lot of the late 90s early 2000s when Sony didn't have a PC strategy so Sony Pictures owned and ran Sony Online Entertainment, before being absorbed by then SCE, but then later being sold off.
Basically, they don't want to taint the PlayStation brand with failures, but they don't really know what they're doing yet with Japan and mobile. Others have been quick to confirm they haven't given up on Japan. They've purchased a lot of Kadokawa and FromSoftware. They've invested in exclusivity deals with Square Enix. They seem somewhat involved in the Silent Hill 2 remake as it will be a timed exclusive.
Not many companies are focusing on Japanese-centric AAA games and it probably makes even less sense to cater to the Japanese market as a first party if that market is focused on moba.
gravity rush?
I wanted to include it initially, but I have yet to play it unfortunately 🥲
The Richest portfolio. I HATE PlayStation for not growing the talent here and getting a hold of their very own mini Nintendo.
It really is a shame! It's a fatal error that a lot of these companies are continuing to make. The only want short term solutions, and no long term success!
Havent bought a PS studios game after The Last Guardian
It just doesn’t hit the same anymore 🥲
Why is From Software the only ones that get recognition for Bloodborne?
That’s a good question! I think it’s more so because of the creators name being tied to FromSoftware 😅
@@Vynsent yip
U also forgot Puppeteer for the PS3
Ahh, still have to give it a play!
I haven't played it also lol
Yeah so. Believe it or not, but the closure of Japan Studios was the first nail in the coffin for Sony, at least for me. Don't get me wrong, Playstation will be there for a long time, but for me this comes with a big lack of diversity in games now. Only the GoW, Lou or so are not what makes gaming really interesting. Now they're kind of all in with pc ports and i... I'm sick and tired of paying extra for online gaming, paying at least 10-15 bugs more for console games against pc. Bagging to devs for game updates so you can play older games properly, and so on.
All this and more are the reason why i will go back to PC and have a PS as kind of a backup.
And obviously this isn't a only Sony thing.
EA has closed a lot of beloved studios, Microsoft, THQ and so on.
Gaming is full corporate for quite some time now, and games get made because money, not great ideas or visions anymore.
It’s definitely changed for the worse unfortunately 🥲 It’s very sad to see in Sony’s case especially, since the PlayStation has been home for many of the greatest games. It’s just the way things go sometimes I suppose!
Why did you skip their marvels of 7th generation? Demon Souls, Folklore, White Knight Chroncicles, rain, Puppetier and so on....
I definitely wish I would’ve included more, as I focused primarily on games I had experience with since I was in a bit of a time crunch to put the video out. Japan Studio had plenty more incredible games for me to cover tho, especially in 7th gen!
@@Vynsent Sadly for them, the 7th gen was when mass effect, dragon age, bioshock and gears of war all existed at once...most of these were only on xbox 360. rendering the competition so hard for a more niche studio like japan studio that it probably kept said studio niche even during the ps4 years. hence why sales numbers continued to be more ok and not great which probably lead to its final closure.
No PS3 gen?
I def missed out on some of the PS3 greats 😅
25:27 Asian Ja Rule.
Where's gravity rush?
In the bag, that I fumbled 🥲
Bro, hear me out when I say that Japan Studios carried playstation. When Sony closed the studio they just destroyed the ps5 definetly
Definitely a bad move on their part!
PlayStation lost its purpose.
So it seems 🥲 I just heard today they’re opening a new studio for mobile games lol
When the JAPAN studio closed, SCE realized that it was no longer a traditional Japanese company. It was a natural progression, given the failure of the PS3 and Vita, and the retirement of Kutaragi. The company continued to grow and is now a huge global company. And it was Jim Ryan and the PS4 that rebuilt SCE into what it is today.
If only things could have worked out for Japan Studio 🥲
It's a shame, even of most of their "games" aren't THAT good in retrospect nor are even theirs (collabs with third party devs or intern subteams becoming a full on developer), would've been cool if the armchair fans instead of crying all day about it they should've actually bought their games day one or in the PSN store, not just buy used copies years later after being dismanteled.
Unlike what other pretentious nostalgfucks say PS still makes great unique games, Housmarque made RETURNAL, an absolute masterpiece of a game, risk and bold bullet-hell roguevania that even if it is relatively underrated, it got awards and it actually sold more than Japan studio games combined lol, no wonder they got bought by Sony.
At least Team Asobi is there, people are apparently actually buying Astro Bot so the supply and demand rule is always correct.