During his 31-year career at PlayStation, Shuhei Yoshida was responsible for the company’s internal studios. And while he enjoyed plenty of successes, he also witnessed and decided on the cancellation of several games.
He discussed this topic on the Spotify podcast My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin. Yoshida mainly talked about two canceled titles: a new science fiction license designed by Santa Monica Studio and a project developed by a European studio. The game from the God of War teams was provisionally named Internal-7 (see image at the bottom of the article) before its cancellation in early 2014.
“One was actually one of the internal games developed by Santa Monica Studios. Not [a] God of War game, a new IP. And it had a really amazing concept and very interesting gameplay ideas. And of course, Santa Monica Studios people are very, very capable of creating high quality art.
“So we supported [it for] many years, but after $25 million, they came to me and said that ‘we have to stop’. I do not exactly remember the reason – probably the team was not able to find the game. It was a great concept, great idea, but you know, the gameplay didn’t really come to be.*
I cancelled so many games [in their early stage],” he said. “No one knows most of the games, because we cancelled early enough. We tried a new idea, did the prototype. And if it’s good, continue. If it’s not good, rework or stop. So early cancellation doesn’t cost us much […]
Another game of the same size cancellation was from one of the European studios, after I became responsible for Worldwide Studios. I looked at all the games in development, and there were many, many great projects from European studios, like London Studios, EyeToy and eventually PSVR and Media Molecule, you know? Guerrilla Games.
There are many, many good games from Europe. But one game, [which] was a big budget project, didn’t in a similar way have the core game. So these are the two large cancellations. But these days, $25 million cancellation is nothing special. [There are] much bigger cancellations.”
It’s fascinating to hear about Shuhei Yoshida’s experiences at PlayStation and the insights he shares about canceled games. His long career certainly offers a unique perspective on the gaming industry. Thanks for shedding light on this topic!
I completely agree! His perspective on the canceled games really highlights the challenges of game development. It’s interesting to think about how those decisions can shape the future of gaming, both for developers and players.
Absolutely! It’s fascinating how those canceled projects can offer valuable lessons for future game development. Each setback likely influenced the success of other titles that eventually made it to market.
I completely agree! It’s interesting to think about how some of those canceled games may have influenced the direction of successful titles we see today. Each project, even if it doesn’t make it to release, contributes to the evolution of game design and storytelling.
Absolutely, it’s fascinating to consider the potential impact those canceled games could have had on the gaming landscape. They might have introduced new genres or gameplay mechanics that we haven’t seen yet. It’s a reminder of how creative ideas can sometimes fall by the wayside in the industry.