PlayStation Veteran Shuhei Yoshida Cites AA Market Disappearance For Sony Japan Studio Closure

The gaming space has room for all sorts of experiences, and in terms of categorisations, we can break them down into top-tier, usually costly AAA titles, down to the indie scene where even solo developers can make a significant impact. Then there are the AA games, sitting between the big and small titles but still maintaining a creative focus that is out of the box. This slice of the gaming space has largely disappeared in recent times, and according to PlayStation veteran Shuhei Yoshida, it’s the key reason Sony Japan Studio was shut down.

A 30-year legend in PlayStation, Yoshida is someone who has seen it all, moving from first-party to indies and an important voice for developers and gamers alike. Following his retirement, he has been sharing more about what goes on behind the scenes.

Talking about the Japanese market, he pointed to the lack of AAA successes coming out of the country compared to the West, which became a point of contention. And as indies started to fill the gap, the AA games began to disappear.

“Most of the IPs that Japan Studio had were in that smaller double-A sized group and the market became really difficult for these kinds of games. For example, after Gravity Rush 2, [director Keiichiro Toyama] tried to come up with a new concept, but we were not able to greenlight any of his new concepts, even though they were really interesting,” he said on the Sacred Symbols Podcast (h/t VGC)

 “In my mind, I remember his product looked like something the company wouldn’t support, the company was looking for triple-A titles, and we really struggled to get the game going. So when Japan Studios was shut down and he became independent, he was able to create and release Slitterhead.”

Sony Japan Studio was reorganised in 2021, with many of its staff laid off. Others left once their contracts were up, bringing to an end the source of many classics like Ape Escape and Gravity Rush. However, there appears to be some hope that an AA market still exists.

Yoshida also brought up the example of Ratatan, the spiritual successor to the Patapon series, as the type of game that continues Sony Japan Studio’s storied legacy, even if the gaming giant is no longer pursuing that route. This is not to say that it wasn’t a good decision, as Sony has produced many successful AAA games since the PlayStation 3 era through to PlayStation 5, and these continue to be their main selling points for pushing more consoles into the market.