[ad_1]
Gavin Moore, the creative director of the Demon’s Souls remaster on PS5, has confirmed that he has left PlayStation’s Japan Studio.
Moore confirmed the news in a tweet Thursday, saying, “After 24 years at Sony and 18 years in Japan, yesterday was my last day at #JAPANStudio.
“I will miss the great creative spirit and the camaraderie of the studio. It’s time to look for exciting new opportunities! “
Moore’s announcement comes on the day Sony is due to integrate the lead developer into its Worldwide Studios operation.
Dozens of employees have confirmed their departure in recent months, and VGC understands that the majority of its original game developers have left the studio, known for the Ape Escape, Gravity Rush and Knack game series.
The director of Demon’s Souls PS5 is one of the most prominent creatives to announce his release from Japan Studio.
Moore posted a dedication to his development team on Wednesday, as well as the cryptic inclusion of the This is Fine meme, which features a dog making sure all is well, despite sitting in a burning room.
The British artist and designer moved to Japan almost 20 years ago. Speaking at a recent GDC conference, he spoke about the challenges of working in Japan as a foreigner.
“I think the challenges are how the working practices here are different here than in the West,” he said. “It’s very common for any member of the Western team to speak up and voice their opinion.
“It’s not that common in a Japanese development team, but it’s something in Japan Studio that we’ve worked a lot on to make sure everyone has a say in the development of the game and to say : speak from your mind and be creative ”.
“Everyone who works in games is very creative and if we don’t listen to them we are losing a precious resource.”
VGC sources revealed in February that Sony plans to shut down Japan Studio, with the majority of its development staff laid off and the staff remaining absorbed into Team ASOBI, the creative team behind Astro’s Playroom.
Sony later confirmed this in a statement, saying, “In an effort to further strengthen business operations, SIE can confirm that PlayStation Studios Japan Studio will be reorganized into a new organization on April 1.
“Japan Studio will be refocused on Team ASOBI, the creative team behind Astro’s Playroom, allowing the team to focus on a single vision and build on the popularity of Astro’s Playroom.”
Keiichiro Toyama, the director of the two Gravity Rush games, the first Silent Hill and the Siren series, announced that he was gone in December.
Toyama formed a new studio, Bokeh, with Junya Okura, lead designer of the Gravity Rush series, and Kazunobu Sato, lead designer of Puppeteer from 2013, both of whom left Sony after nearly two decades of service.
VGC’s reports corroborated a Bloomberg article from November last year, which said Sony Japan had been “sidelined” and its development teams cut off.
PlayStation boss Jim Ryan had played down this narrative on several occasions; in December, he said Japan remains an extremely important market for Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Last month, Famitsu posted an interview with Ryan in which he said he considers all SIE studios important and continues to support the development of Japanese games for PS5.
[ad_2]
Source link