Gravity Rush creator Keiichiro Toyama recently left Sony’s Japan Studio in order to form his own independent developer, Bokeh Game Studio. And in a nine-minute YouTube video, the industry veteran has discussed his new team’s first project, which will be “dark” and “far from” his more recent efforts. “It’s like I’m coming back to my roots, for example towards horror,” said the Silent Hill maker.
He elaborated: “The view I have of horror is the everyday life being shaken. Rather than showing scary things, it should question our position, make us challenge the fact that we’re living peacefully. I like bringing these type of thoughts in my concepts. I would like that to be the theme of my next game.”
Toyama continued that his settings have been a huge theme of his past works, and it’s something he’s been thinking about a lot when it comes to his latest project: “One trigger was a trip I took in my private time. My family and I went to visit this city in Asia. It had this dynamism [specific to] Asian cities, keeping an exotic touch mixed with a feeling of modernity.”
He added that he left Sony in order to “keep making games in my own style”. He explained: “Games have become bigger and bigger these past few years. The audience has become wider, especially for companies like Sony, where I was. However, rather than reaching to the widest audience possible, my games choose their audience in a way.”
Toyama concluded that he wants to make games that fans will enjoy long after they’ve released, and “to keep achieving this under the right conditions, I thought that it was a necessity to have my own studio”. The video includes a lot of concept art throughout, which should give you a rough idea of where the studio’s mind-set is at right now. Interesting stuff, for sure.
[source youtube.com, via gematsu.com]
Comments 23
@OrigamiCrane So what's Dreams, Sackboy, Destruction AllStars, Astro's Playroom and Concrete Genie then?
@OrigamiCrane That's not true: Dreams, MediEvil, Ratchet & Clank, Returnal, MLB The Show, Destruction AllStars... These are all "different" to name just a few.
I like Toyama's vision on horror. I always felt Silent Hill tried to get in your mind and really chill your core instead of just relying on "Ahhh spooky thing jump at screen with loud noise".
GR2's final two bosses, in my opinion, kinda lean into Toyama's more horror side with their designs.
After watching that video, I have to say, I really like this guy. Humble, down to earth, introspective and thoughtful. A far cry from Cliffy B. for example. Look forward to playing whatever Bokeh comes up with. Loved that concept art.
What a Legend.
That concept art is pretty wild. It does make me wonder about Japan Studio's corporate management style, though, if a legendary talent like this feels he needs to leave the studio to "keep making games in [his] own style." I guess Team Silent probably had a hard time getting their projects greenlit for development after Gravity Rush 2 flopped? Really curious to see if this new project bears fruit.
@Bliquid I can sympathize with that feeling too. I think it comes down to Sony's cinematic third-person action adventure games sucking up all the press and attention each year. Like Nintendo, Sony leans VERY heavily into advertising a few gigantic exclusive first-party games throughout the year, and those all tend to be the same sort of thing.
@alexgs If you say so
@OrigamiCrane far from it. Those games get more attention because they are much more successful. You can't blame Sony, if the interest for different experiences simply isn't there.
@alexgs If Sony keeps installing Astro's Playroom (a great game, by all accounts) on every PS5 throughout its lifecycle and the console goes on to sell 80M+, I'd call that one of the best-selling games ever, not a commercial failure.
I'm really liking what I'm seeing with these concept sketches, I hope I'll have a PS5 by the time this game comes out. If not, I would happily get it for PC or PS4.
@AdamNovice why would you mention Destruction AllStars? That's not worth bringing up to any discussion 😅
I do agree a bit with OrigamiCrane about Sony's focus on third person cinematic games. They do change it up a bit from time but where they pour the most money is the Naughty Dog like games.
Definitely excited to see where this goes! I love the way in which he expresses what horror is, and what he himself finds the most unnerving. I've often found myself having similar thoughts about horror games, in that its much scarier when your environments and characters are more down to earth, realistic and comparable to real life, making the terror SO MUCH more relatable and thus more scary.
After playing PT I was terrified to walk down my hallway at night. Similarly, back in the ps1 days, silent hill had me completely nerve wracked walking my foggy streets at night.
Horror games that take place in a more fantasy like setting instantly sap the horror out of my experience. Obviously this is just my experience but I'm sure many could relate.
This mostly depresses me further in that the things I liked most about Sony's games seem to be truly forever gone. Granted, Gravity Rush was a bit of a black sheep for him, and I don't do horror at all, so I'm not really interested in his new outing. But currently playing through Gravity Rush 2 (great use of a PS5, I know...) after having absolutely adored GR1 (that game alone justified owning a Vita, finally cemented by P4G....and pretty much only those two games if you exclude the PS3 Sly 4 port) - and I forgot the sheer joy of the series. It's different from anything else, tons of fun, the world is such a living place, and the characters are so well written. That's the game I want to see more of. Seems like Sony has no interest in anything that sells less than 10M in a week, and Toyama's heart lies with the horror genre primarily. It's crushing to to realize not only is one of your favorite of all time IPs is likely dead, but games like it probably won't be made by the studio/publisher again, either. If there's one game I want Sony to make, it's Gravity Rush 3. Though without Toyama, it wouldn't really be the same, I'm sure.
Some can say GR2 was a failure, but it suffered from basically zero advertising and a stealth drop before being declared dead, and the moving goal posts of what counts as success being a failure if it's anything less than a global obsession.
@Juanalf Because it's a Sony exclusive that's not the "cinematic third person" game that some think is all Sony ever do. You may not like it but not to bring it up at all is just stupid. Also Sony put the most money into so called "Naughty Dog like games" because they make the most money, it's basic economics.
He's a creative genius so I'll be watching! Is concerning about Japan Studio though.
Concept art is very interesting. Insects are so bizarre and otherworldly; very underutilized in horror games. Getting Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” vibes from those images. Love this dude. SIGN.ME.UP!
@Juanalf That's unfortunately a new direction. The best thing about Sony before now was how experimental they were with smaller projects. Including things like Gravity Rush. it seems like after they almost derailed with PS3, when they found successful footing with PS4, and into the new management, they just doubled down on "keep doing what works until it doesn't anymore" and settled in on just maximizing market reach with the same type of mass appeal products. Since the second half of PS4 that's been the story. Financially that makes sense, but it really shakes up what Playstation games are from being a niche of classic, unique experiences into being yet another mass media, mass appeal outlet. I keep hoping we'll find out they're going to come back to some more niche products, but I don't think that's where they want to go. It's "blockbuster or bust" mentality like most big publishers.
You'd think success would yield expansion and risk taking, but no, both Sony and Nintendo, now in a very successful phase, seem to have retreated to their safe spaces/money bins and want to take no risk, just hoarding the cash as it comes in.
Loving the concept art, right up my alley.
I do feel PlayStation has lost a lot of its Japanese uniqueness to a global Western output. So I'm very happy for projects like this and glad he left Sony to persue what he wants to make.
@NEStalgia If Gravity Rush 3 is ever made, I remain optimistic only if it's developed by Sony Japan, even without Toyama. They do have a pretty good groundwork to work with from the first two outings.
If a potential third game is made by an entirely different developer, then I would be a little more nervous.
But this is all entirely my opinion on the matter. I'd be ecstatic just to get a third game in the series.
@Deadlyblack Maybe. It's probably wishful thinking. It doesn't seem like this type of game interests them anymore, and Toyama more or less confirmed it in a round about way, in talking about the wider audience and being able to find the audience with the game etc. It's what seemed obvious from Ryan's statements about really just wanting big blockbuster releases. It makes sense. Sony's now the big budget movie game company that speaks to the masses with big blockbusters. It's certainly profitable business and it's synergistic with their other entertainment divisive.
But for fans from pre 2013, it means leaving behind a lot of things we liked. Personally I'd take a new Gravity Rush, Sly, Knack, ico/sotc/tlg, tearaway, etc before more hzd, gow etc. Those games are good, but they feel like they could have come from any western studio. Games like this really could have only come from Sony. I'm hoping they start unveiling more unique games after the launch year or so. But i think the formula of big budget game, big budget advertising, drop it on Twitter, and let the name market it is too reliable for them to take risks. They're copying the Nintendo strategy, but with bigger budgets. Normally, big publishers play safe, and Sony threw random stuff at the wall to see what sticks. With them now playing safe, I'm wondering where the fix of risky experiments come from. Indie, as we know it doesn't have the budget to do something as ambitious as gravity rush 2. Then again, hitman 3 is technically speaking an "indie" game...
Great to see him returning to the horror genre. Not great that this probably means if there is a Silent Hill remake it won't be by the development team I wanted to see handle it.
We. Want. Gravity Rush 3.
@Deadlyblack Didn't Toyama say he'd be happy to come back to work on the next GR title or something like that?
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