Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio establishes External Development Department

modiz · Apr 1, 2020

Sony Interactive Entertainment JAPAN Studio establishes External Development Department

Sony Interactive Entertainment JAPAN Studio has established an External Development Department and made various organizational changes to inaugurate the new fiscal year, Sony Interactive Entertainm…

www.gematsu.com

There are quite a few additional changes to Japan Studio:

Organizational Changes as of April 1, 2020

External Development Department established.

Product Development Department renamed to Internal Development Department.

Studio Operations Department renamed to Finance & Administration Department.

Creative Product Services Department renamed to Creative Services Department.

Product Technology Department abolished.

Business Development Department abolished.

Personnel Changes as of April 1, 2020

Kazuo Kato appointed Internal Development Department Head, External Development Department Head, and Creative Services Department Head.

Naoaki Aoi appointed to the Finance & Administration Department.

Deleted member 21709 · Apr 1, 2020

My favorite studio. Looking forward to seeing what they do with PS5 (and Siren).

Jarod McChicken · Apr 1, 2020

Looks like a japanese equivalent to XDEV Europe

Philippo · Apr 1, 2020

I suppose this is going to be some sort of support studio for 3rd party exclusives? Kind of like Japan Studio as a whole helped development with Bloodborne? Hope this means several other collaborations with japanese devs are on their way.

SilverX · Apr 1, 2020

Silent Hill

starblue · Apr 1, 2020

What does that mean ? How this is gonna affect the upcoming games from Japan Studios ?

Nightengale · Apr 1, 2020

starblue said:
What does that mean ? How this is gonna affect the upcoming games from Japan Studios ?

It means they're establishing a dedicated arm/team for external development games, probably in the veins of Everybody's Golf, Bloodborne, SoTC Remake, etc.

Don't think there'll be any short-term impact.

modiz · Apr 1, 2020

starblue said:
What does that mean ? How this is gonna affect the upcoming games from Japan Studios ?

i assume its for collaborations with other japanese studios (think bloodborne), it shouldnt affect the games coming from JS, at least for now.

starblue · Apr 1, 2020

Thank you guys

RestEerie · Apr 1, 2020

Jarod McChicken said:
Looks like a japanese equivalent to XDEV Europe

yah..looks to be equiviliant to XDEV Europe and what Sony Santa Monica did for other smaller devs.

nolifebr · Apr 1, 2020

Interesting if this results in more original games from the Japan Studio main teams.

NightShift · Apr 1, 2020

Jarod McChicken said:
Looks like a japanese equivalent to XDEV Europe

That would be dope if it is and makes sense with Yoshida's plans to increase support for indie devs.

PS9 · Apr 1, 2020

Were people laid off in the departments shut down?

Cantaim · Apr 1, 2020

Interested in seeing what could come out of this. Japan studios has a history of working with other developers to create exclusives. Would be interested in seeing what a dedicated department would do.

Desodeset · Apr 1, 2020

nolifebr said:
Interesting if this results in more original games from the Japan Studio main teams.

I think that this is exactly what they are aiming. By creating external development department, Japan Studio internal teams will focus on their own and bigger games.

Bruceleeroy · Apr 1, 2020

I'm playing through Astrobot right now and it's absolutely genius like Miyamoto genius. I'm in awe of it. If this means Sony is adding more external teams to give them some more muscle it's their best decision yet

Necron · Apr 1, 2020

I hold Japan Studio only in the highest regards, especially since Bloodborne and Astrobot.

I hope this leads to even greater projects down the road - exciting times ahead.

SolidSnakex · Apr 1, 2020

Also known as the "Get Bloodborne 2 made" department.

SoulsHunt · Apr 1, 2020

Japan Studio is a such a great studio.

Skittles · Apr 1, 2020

Hopefully it gives me more games like Trash Panic

Afrikan · Apr 1, 2020

Product Technology Department abolished.

I don't know if I like the sound of that. 😕

Kolx · Apr 1, 2020

If this doesn't mean more collaboration with From, then what's the point?

Bundy · Apr 1, 2020

Jarod McChicken said:
Looks like a japanese equivalent to XDEV Europe

Yep, it is a japanese XDev department. EDD.

Mr Swine · Apr 1, 2020

edit: never mind what I wrote. Got things mixed up

LiquidSolid · Apr 1, 2020

nolifebr said:
Interesting if this results in more original games from the Japan Studio main teams.

I'm not sure where you got that from.

TBH this is an interesting move but I doubt much will change from our point of view. Japan Studio always did external development, they just didn't really define it with its own division.

PS9 said:
Were people laid off in the departments shut down?

Probably not. Japanese employment laws mean layoffs don't really happen there. That's why you hear stories of Konami forcing their devs to sit in empty rooms doing nothing, because they're trying to force them to quit.

Mr Swine said:
Do they really need this if most Japanese games are being made for Sony's consoles anyways?

Wat.

modiz · Apr 1, 2020

Do we know what were the product technology department doing previously before getting shut down? is it just about making engines for JS games? maybe that means they are moving to UE4.

Mr Swine · Apr 1, 2020

LiquidSolid said:
Wat.

I just skimmed through the article and got things mixed up. Just ignore what I wrote

Cyberia · Apr 1, 2020

RestEerie said:
yah..looks to be equiviliant to XDEV Europe and what Sony Santa Monica did for other smaller devs.

About that:

Triggerhappytel · Apr 1, 2020

Jarod McChicken said:
Looks like a japanese equivalent to XDEV Europe

And they used to have a really good external development team at Santa Monica Studios before they shut it all down about 4 years ago.

Angie · Apr 1, 2020

Cyberia said:
About that:

SSM established a External Development Department too?
I thought they stop doing that this gen after The Order 1886.

zeuanimals · Apr 1, 2020

inguef said:
My favorite studio. Looking forward to seeing what they do with PS5 (and Siren).

Y'all think sight jacking will work in VR? Or will that be puke central? Maybe they'll use a second screen functionality and you gotta move the headset up to look at your TV where the sightjacking will be. Would make it tense, but it'll be a hassle and completely take you out of the experience.

RestEerie · Apr 1, 2020

Cyberia said:
About that:

some of you guys seems to forget about THATGAMECOMPANY and other smaller sony published externally developed games during the PS3/early PS4 period and how those games spotted a SSM logo during startup. They stopped doing that for awhile and maybe this is to indicate they are getting back at it.

PS9 · Apr 1, 2020

I'm pretty sure Santa Monica external development projects were sold off to Annapurna but I could be wrong maybe they're still doing stuff.

SolidSnakex · Apr 1, 2020

Angie22 said:
SSM established a External Development Department too?
I thought they stop doing that this gen after The Order 1886.

It wouldn't surprise me if they put External Development on the backburner after Internal-7 went under. Allowing them go go all hands on deck for GoW since the studio was shaky at that point. As Cyberia's post shows, it seems like they restarted their external development in 2018 after GoW shipped.

Angie · Apr 1, 2020

SolidSnakex said:
It wouldn't surprise me if they put External Development on the backburner after Internal-7 went under. Allowing them go go all hands on deck for GoW since the studio was shaky at that point. As Cyberia's post shows, it seems like they restarted their external development in 2018 after GoW shipped.

Nice. Their work with Indie studios was the best last gen.

Bundy · Apr 1, 2020

Cyberia said:
About that:

They need all these XDev people for the new Ready at Dawn + SSM collaboration on PS5 😊👍

NippleViking · Apr 1, 2020

nolifebr said:
Interesting if this results in more original games from the Japan Studio main teams.

I feel like this more likely means more Japanese games, but not necessarily more original games from Sony's Japan studios. This seems to be an arm to help second and third party Japanese developers.

Hayeya · Apr 1, 2020

I can only think of bloodborne 2 and silent hills, hellllp

Callibretto · Apr 1, 2020

Is xdev the 3rd party moneyhat department? I thought resetera hated that :P

zeuanimals · Apr 1, 2020

What are the chances Sony makes Bloodborne 2 without From Soft?

Nightengale · Apr 1, 2020

As for why they're setting up a department when they were already doing it anyway -

Dedicated and focused priorities mean that money, time, attention - and most importantly employee's job performance ranking. =P

Callibretto said:
Is xdev the 3rd party moneyhat department? I thought resetera hated that :P

Games like Everybody's Golf/Bloodborne/SoTC Remake fall under external development.

Temascos · Apr 1, 2020

An XDEV/SSM for Japan, not a bad idea. They do need to cultivate talent over there and build up more games that can increase the userbase over there, given that it's fallen behind what it once was.

Nestunt · Apr 1, 2020

This, hopefully, means even more support for JP AAA games.

LiquidSolid · Apr 1, 2020

Triggerhappytel said:
And they used to have a really good external development team at Santa Monica Studios before they shut it all down about 4 years ago.

Everyone keeps mentioning SMS while completely ignoring Sony's main external development division in the US at Sony San Mateo.

Triggerhappytel · Apr 1, 2020

LiquidSolid said:
Everyone keeps mentioning SMS while completely ignoring Sony's main external development division in the US at Sony San Mateo.

Okay. What games have they produced? I don't know anything about San Mateo, but I do know SMS featured heavily on some of my favourite games 6-8 years ago like Journey, The Unfinished Swan and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, and I was disappointed when they closed down that department.

Angie · Apr 1, 2020

Sony Japan output this gen was already amazing.
The Last Guardian
Gravity Rush 2
Astro Bot and The PlayRoom
Knack 1 and 2
The Tomorrow Children
Everybody's Golf and the VR version
Déraciné
And Bloodborne I guess

So if next gen is better than this, that would be amazing.

Bundy · Apr 1, 2020

Triggerhappytel said:
Okay. What games have they produced? I don't know anything about San Mateo, but I do know SMS featured heavily on some of my favourite games 6-8 years ago like Journey, The Unfinished Swan and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, and I was disappointed when they closed down that department.

Spider-Man, Concrete Genie, Farpoint, etc.

Triggerhappytel · Apr 1, 2020

Bundy said:
Spider-Man, Concrete Genie, Farpoint, etc.

Oh, they're Foster City Studio rebranded. Well that's cool; do they have a splash page on these games? I don't recall them being mentioned on Spider-Man but I haven't played it since late 2018.

IIFloodyII · Apr 1, 2020

Callibretto said:
Is xdev the 3rd party moneyhat department? I thought resetera hated that :P

No, they are like a publisher that helps European studios with funding, project management, marketing etc.

gofreak · Apr 1, 2020

Callibretto said:
Is xdev the 3rd party moneyhat department? I thought resetera hated that :P

It's 'second party' development. When they contract games with external developers, assign them a producer or producers, coordinate for any resources or support the project needs etc.

So - for example - Quantic Dream's projects were managed by XDev. Media Molecule was until it was acquired. Tarsier did work under xdev. Etc.

The 3rd party moneyhats/'co-marketing' are another budget altogether.

Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio establishes External Development Department

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