As a seasoned gamer with a soft spot for Japanese RPGs and a keen eye for industry news, I can’t help but feel a pang of sadness reading about the reported layoffs at Ouka Studios, developers of Visions of Mana. Having played and enjoyed this game immensely, it’s disheartening to see such talent potentially lost amidst corporate decisions.
It appears that Tencent and NetEase, two prominent Chinese gaming companies, may be withdrawing financial support from Japanese game studios. This shift is already having an impact on Ouka Studios, which recently launched a highly anticipated title over the weekend. Reports indicate that Ouka Studios, a subsidiary of NetEase, has undergone significant layoffs, potentially leading to the closure of the studio once its current projects are completed.
Reports from Bloomberg suggest that both Tencent and NetEase are shifting their focus away from Japanese game studios and instead looking towards the resurgence of game development in China. According to unnamed sources, this move may be due to the substantial investment in Japan with limited successful games as a result. It’s been reported that Tencent is reneging on various funding agreements, while NetEase plans to reduce operations at Ouka Studios and potentially close it down soon.
More recently, Ouka Studios has gained recognition for their work on the launch of Visions of Mana, which became available this week on August 29. Established in 2020, the team attracted seasoned developers from Capcom and Bandai Namco, contributing to the creation of Visions of Mana. Our team at Shacknews was captivated by the combat, storyline, and characters in Visions of Mana, earning it a top-notch review. However, it’s been rumored that NetEase has already let go most of Ouka Studios’ staff, keeping only necessary personnel to complete any ongoing projects before undergoing a full shutdown.
It’s a shame that such a good game will now have the stink of video game industry layoffs on it, but this feels like only the beginning of bad news from Tencent and NetEase. As we watch for further consequences of this shift, stay tuned to Shacknews for further updates.
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2024-08-30 18:57