The current state of the video game industry often seems harsh. When a game fails to meet sales expectations, some companies choose to shut down the entire studio. Recently, a new twist on this trend emerged when a studio was closed not due to low sales but because it didn’t achieve enough pre-orders and launch day figures. This unfortunate fate has now befallen Ouka Studios, the creators of the newly released Visions of Mana.
According to Bloomberg, Ouka Studios, which is based in Japan and owned by NetEase, has seen significant layoffs. The studio opened in 2020 with talent from companies like Capcom and Bandai Namco. Despite this promising start, most employees have been let go, leaving only a few to oversee the final game releases before the studio closes.
Seeing reactions to the story in English, I can add one thing that is in the Japanese version of the same story: NetEase has been cutting staff at Ouka for a while, since this spring at least.https://t.co/NxoCMo0bTZ
— Takashi Mochizuki (@6d6f636869) August 30, 2024
The shutdown comes amidst a strategic pullback by NetEase and Tencent from their investments in Japanese studios. There is a growing frustration between the Chinese investors and Japanese developers due to differing ambitions. Tencent seeks globally successful franchises, while Japanese studios prefer smaller, less risky projects.
NetEase commented, “In supporting studios outside China, we craft our strategy based on our goal of providing better gaming experiences to local and global players,” but had “nothing to announce” regarding the closure.
Visions of Mana is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
