Torillian said: I agree that is a hole in their first party line up that they are missing. If I were them I'd design a JRPG studio around the Atelier Team (like them, not buying Gust). A smaller cheaper studio making games that are profitable after 100k sales. Not every first party studio has to be a huge budget affair, sometimes you just want to fill a niche that some people enjoy to keep them coming to your system. Do that with a studio that also makes you a little profit and there really isn't a down side as far as I can see. That's all to fill the JRPG hole obviously, I don't really but I'd do something similar with WRPGs. Keep things cheap until the team establishes themselves, if they get a good fanbase going that warrants an increase in budget then go ahead.

Good point,I was thinking of something similar to this. There are plenty of talented devs that make great games that don't sell much, but make profit. Sony could create a team that starts off like this and creates bigger games as they become more experienced and talented.

If you ask me, I don't think Sony needs to create a RPG. They just need to create a game with a lot of single-player content. It can have RPG Elements, but it doesn't have to. The only game they have that does this is Gran Turismo.

Games like Uncharted, God of War, inFamous, Killzone, Heavy Rain, etc. are great and all but they lack much single player content. They can all be completed in around ten hours or so. The only long single-player game they have is Gran Turismo. Games like Zelda or Grand Theft Auto aren't RPG's, but they have a lot of content on their single player side.

Sony has some pretty talented first party devs. I'm pretty sure at least one of them has the potential to make a long single player. It could be Santa Monica, Naugty Dog, or maybe even Guerrilla Games. There was news that SM, GG, and SP were all making new IP's. Hopefully one of them has a single player mode around 30 or 40 hours. I know that's not very long, but it's a good start for their arsenal. Like I said, they could have RPG Elememts, but they don't need to.

They had Demon's Souls, but that went multiplat. They had Valkyria Chronicles, but that went psp. Next year, they have FFversus and AGENT which may be long. In 2013, maybe SM, GG, and SP will release their new IP's which may be very long or be RPG's, possibly.

No it really doesn't. JRPG doesn't have a commanding market presence other than Final Fantasy. The niche market is being catered by third party using Sony's own engine to churn out cheap budget title exclusively for the PS3/PSP while big budget JRPG will have a really hard time ignoring Sony unless they are being money hatted.

Sony will NOT is a JRPG focus studio has mission critical and really it isn't. WRPG is more contentious as it has wider appeal overall and 360 has the ability to receive easy port from former PC exclusives studios who can more easily convert their project to include the 360 architect. It really comes down to who they intend to buy. I am really having a hard time recalling any good WRPG studio that are still freelance. Most are bought or associated with a big publisher, they will like have to look around for talents in Europe.

I'm on the JRPG boat, Sony needs more. Though I personally feel the biggest problem is with Square. They were the JRPG anchor and with the current state they're in it's never gonna get better. Next thing to do is to create another Square like company. Level 5 was a good start, but they've become a mixed bag of quality. You'll get some titles out of them like Dragon Quest and Jeanne D'arc, and then you'll get average stuff out of them like White Knight Chronicles (Which I personally thoroughly enjoyed, but it was lacking polish and was actually a quarter of the true game). Then you get the little guys, but they don't have the budget to even make RPGs like the old days (Trinity Universe for example, just a bunch of pictures talking to each other for cutscenes, no exploration, all menu driven, etc). Capcom dropped Dragon Quest and replaced it with the Dragon's Dogma, all that's left is Namco with their Tales games, but they don't get the marketing they should which would propel them forward. But back to the main point, they need a new RPG company, I feel Mistwalker is that company, but Sakaguchi has to get his head out of his ass and start making RPGs for atleast the RPG machine...the PSP :P. Seriously though; he needs to start multi-platforming his games and stop ignoring Sony's machines. Like all RPGs have gone handheld, but I want full production values that I can only get with a console RPG.

scottie said: Ok, so first I would like to point out that this is a very tough period for Sony financially. They will soon be releasing Vita, which is expected to sell at a loss on hardware for 3 years. This is particularly bad for handhelds - extra controllers on home consoles are a great source of income). They are also no doubt spending a lot of RnD money finishing the PS4, which shall release shortly afterafter Vita, and which will also likely be sold at a loss for the first 2+ years.   What this means, is that Sony have to be very careful about what developers they buy, and what new studios they open.   With the exception of those made by Nintendo or Square-Enix, JRPG's do not generally sell particularly well. This is doubly true this generation, the majority of new JRPG franchises have underperformed. Almost all the exceptions to this are on the DS. Look for example at all the money Microsoft poured into moneyhatting some (timed) exclusive JRPGs - total waste of money.   As for WRPGs, these also have a great danger of underperforming. Many do quite well, but others do not, and they can be quite expensive to make.   Sony have by far the largest 1st party, but they are squandering its potential. They need to cut unprofitable studios, and focus on games that they know there is an audience for, and most importantly, they need to win back third party support.   Also, platformers are much more popular as a genre than you appear to believe.

The only thing is, Sony have a large amount of cash that they are sitting on, I don't know where it has come from, but there have been loads of stories about them buying up things (Sony as a whole, not SCE)

Torillian said: I agree that is a hole in their first party line up that they are missing. If I were them I'd design a JRPG studio around the Atelier Team (like them, not buying Gust). A smaller cheaper studio making games that are profitable after 100k sales. Not every first party studio has to be a huge budget affair, sometimes you just want to fill a niche that some people enjoy to keep them coming to your system. Do that with a studio that also makes you a little profit and there really isn't a down side as far as I can see. That's all to fill the JRPG hole obviously, I don't really but I'd do something similar with WRPGs. Keep things cheap until the team establishes themselves, if they get a good fanbase going that warrants an increase in budget then go ahead.

Terrible Idea Tor, If you wanna play GUST games well go play GUST games they haven't gone anywhere. The second part of your Idea is ridiculous, SONY should create a J Team with the mission of creating a multimillion selling franchise just like the of their studios... purposely limiting the JRPG before it even has chance out door is the reason Why JRPG are stuck this gen and are limited to handhelds.

mibuokami said: No it really doesn't. JRPG doesn't have a commanding market presence other than Final Fantasy. The niche market is being catered by third party using Sony's own engine to churn out cheap budget title exclusively for the PS3/PSP while big budget JRPG will have a really hard time ignoring Sony unless they are being money hatted. Sony will NOT is a JRPG focus studio has mission critical and really it isn't. WRPG is more contentious as it has wider appeal overall and 360 has the ability to receive easy port from former PC exclusives studios who can more easily convert their project to include the 360 architect. It really comes down to who they intend to buy. I am really having a hard time recalling any good WRPG studio that are still freelance. Most are bought or associated with a big publisher, they will like have to look around for talents in Europe.

Final Fantasy is only Mainstrean because it is the Only breed to be. It gettin annoying that ppl think JRPG's cant be big outside or should just literated to hanhelds. a 1st party created JRPG by SONY(which instantly raise its chances), with the right quality, and the right marketing could easily outsell SONY's current IP's( which FFXIII a JRPG has already done). FF didnt get big overnight, it took constant breeding for that success.

Jay520 said: Torillian said: I agree that is a hole in their first party line up that they are missing. If I were them I'd design a JRPG studio around the Atelier Team (like them, not buying Gust). A smaller cheaper studio making games that are profitable after 100k sales. Not every first party studio has to be a huge budget affair, sometimes you just want to fill a niche that some people enjoy to keep them coming to your system. Do that with a studio that also makes you a little profit and there really isn't a down side as far as I can see. That's all to fill the JRPG hole obviously, I don't really but I'd do something similar with WRPGs. Keep things cheap until the team establishes themselves, if they get a good fanbase going that warrants an increase in budget then go ahead. If you ask me, I don't think Sony needs to create a RPG. They just need to create a game with a lot of single-player content. It can have RPG Elements, but it doesn't have to. Games like Uncharted, God of War, inFamous, Killzone, Heavy Rain, etc. are great and all but they lack much single player content. They can all be completed in around ten hours or so. Sony has some pretty talented first party devs. I'm pretty sure at least one of them has the potential to make a long single player.

I agree that they're liking big time in this department. It's the reason Dark Souls and Dragon's Dogma are at the top of my hype list... 

And it sucks because current gen consoles hold so much potential for these kind of games but we've seen so few of them.

Xxain said: Torillian said: I agree that is a hole in their first party line up that they are missing. If I were them I'd design a JRPG studio around the Atelier Team (like them, not buying Gust). A smaller cheaper studio making games that are profitable after 100k sales. Not every first party studio has to be a huge budget affair, sometimes you just want to fill a niche that some people enjoy to keep them coming to your system. Do that with a studio that also makes you a little profit and there really isn't a down side as far as I can see. That's all to fill the JRPG hole obviously, I don't really but I'd do something similar with WRPGs. Keep things cheap until the team establishes themselves, if they get a good fanbase going that warrants an increase in budget then go ahead. Terrible Idea Tor, If you wanna play GUST games well go play GUST games they haven't gone anywhere. The second part of your Idea is ridiculous, SONY should create a J Team with the mission of creating a multimillion selling franchise just like the of their studios... purposely limiting the JRPG before it even has chance out door is the reason Why JRPG are stuck this gen and are limited to handhelds.

I don't think that making a studio that has the same kind of production value as Gust means that it's the exact same as Gust, there's room for more than one jRPG developer in that range.  I didn't say that they'd make Atelier, just that that is the kind of quality they can shoot for while still not needing to sell millions.  If that's your theory then why do we need a big budget JRPG developer when Square Enix is still coming out with Final Fantasy?  

JRPGs are a niche, few and far between sell multimillions, making a team with that budget in mind is a sure fire way to not get your money back.  Gust games sell in the 100's of thousands range and could do better with a solid PR push behind them which Sony would provide for their own first party stuff.  Once you build up the team and they get a name for themselves you can start giving them a bigger budget but just starting out with the assumption that you are going to revitalise an entire genre and sell millions where really only DQ, FF, and Pokemon have come before is just ridiculous.  Start it up like Team Ico, smaller budget and small team for the first game and then build things up once they prove themselves.

Torillian said: Xxain said: Torillian said: I agree that is a hole in their first party line up that they are missing. If I were them I'd design a JRPG studio around the Atelier Team (like them, not buying Gust). A smaller cheaper studio making games that are profitable after 100k sales. Not every first party studio has to be a huge budget affair, sometimes you just want to fill a niche that some people enjoy to keep them coming to your system. Do that with a studio that also makes you a little profit and there really isn't a down side as far as I can see. That's all to fill the JRPG hole obviously, I don't really but I'd do something similar with WRPGs. Keep things cheap until the team establishes themselves, if they get a good fanbase going that warrants an increase in budget then go ahead. Terrible Idea Tor, If you wanna play GUST games well go play GUST games they haven't gone anywhere. The second part of your Idea is ridiculous, SONY should create a J Team with the mission of creating a multimillion selling franchise just like the of their studios... purposely limiting the JRPG before it even has chance out door is the reason Why JRPG are stuck this gen and are limited to handhelds. I don't think that making a studio that has the same kind of production value as Gust means that it's the exact same as Gust, there's room for more than one jRPG developer in that range.  I didn't say that they'd make Atelier, just that that is the kind of quality they can shoot for while still not needing to sell millions.  If that's your theory then why do we need a big budget JRPG developer when Square Enix is still coming out with Final Fantasy?   JRPGs are a niche, few and far between sell multimillions, making a team with that budget in mind is a sure fire way to not get your money back.  Gust games sell in the 100's of thousands range and could do better with a solid PR push behind them which Sony would provide for their own first party stuff.  Once you build up the team and they get a name for themselves you can start giving them a bigger budget but just starting out with the assumption that you are going to revitalise an entire genre and sell millions where really only DQ, FF, and Pokemon have come before is just ridiculous.  Start it up like Team Ico, smaller budget and small team for the first game and then build things up once they prove themselves.

I understand that you meant not Atelier, What you mean by "Quality" in this sense because i might be interpreting it differently. Of cousre we need more Big budget JRPG's Final Fantasy cannot alive itself. JRPG is niche only because Japanese industry aloud it to be a niche. Final Fantasy did not get big overnight, it took work. How many JRPG developers get the budget and marketing of a FF or DQ title? none. Then we have our small Developers like Gust and imagepooh, compile Heart ext who make great JRPG's just dont have awareness. The general acceptance of the JRPG being niche, staying niche, and cant be anything but niche is annoying. DQ FF and Pokemon are big because the got pushed be.

I think Sony should get From Software. Demon souls was such an awesome RPG and i was upset when are heard that there next installment dark souls would be mutliplat.

Also incase yall didnt know Sony has plenty of exclusives RPG's. Many of them are 3rd party coming from Nis-america and Atlus.