It’s no surprise anymore, given the effective closure of Japan Studio, but external production director and executive producer Masami Yamamoto has left Sony after 25 years with the company. The veteran has worked on titles like Bloodborne, Soul Sacrifice, Freedom Wars, Tokyo Jungle, and more. Writing on Twitter, he said that “as a game creator, my job at a first-party was full of happiness”. He continued: “Ah, in the future, I’ll be able to make games on any platform – what a strange feeling!”
Sony announced earlier in the year that it is “reorganising” Japan Studio, which means that it’s effectively closing it down. The company will absorb any external development projects within its PlayStation Studios infrastructure, while ASOBI Team – the division behind the delightful PlayStation 5 pack-in Astro’s Playroom – will remain. Obviously this is sad news, but we wish Yamamoto all the best – and can’t wait to see where he ends up next.
