The former PlayStation executive emphasized that Ghost of Tsushima became the company's first game since 1998 to achieve million-unit sales in Japan. This accomplishment was highly valued within PlayStation.
Another significant point: the closure of Japan Studio, which lost its relevance to the company. PlayStation shifted its focus to blockbuster titles with high sales rather than AA projects. After Yoshida stepped down as president, the studio lost its advocates, sealing its fate. He attempted to save the studio by proposing high-budget game development, but Japan's production system made this difficult to achieve. The decisive factor was PlayStation's globalization, during which Japanese projects stopped receiving proper support, especially during the transitional period between PS3 and PS4.
The most unexpected development was Nier Automata's role in reviving Japan's gaming industry. During the PS3 era, Japanese developers tried following Western trends, but Yoshida notes that Yoko Taro created his game without catering to the Western market. Despite this, the project achieved success. It was Nier that inspired Japanese studios to once again create games reflecting their own vision, culture, and standards, rather than blindly following foreign trends.
Main image: reddit.com
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