In the 1990s and 2000s,Japan Studio, formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, was a core pillar of the PlayStation brand. It was the first video game development company that Sony ever owned, and as a result, it played a significant role in the success of the PS1. Initially,Japan Studioserved as a co-development team tasked with helping other companies get their games to market exclusively for PlayStation; most of the titles the firm worked on in its early years were primarily created by third-party studios. Under the guidance of PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida, Sony eventually started establishing dedicated development teams within Japan Studio during the PS1 generation.

The internal divisions at Japan Studio developed dozens of great games over the years, includingGran Turismo,Shadow of the Colossus, andApe Escape. Later divisions established under Japan Studio, such as Team Gravity and Team Asobi, created other series likeGravity RushandAstro Bot, respectively. Many of the iconic franchises from Japan Studio probably won’t receive new installments for the foreseeable future, though, asSony shut its storied first-party developer down in 2021. Japan Studio’s only remnant that still exists to this day is Team Asobi, which was spun off into a standalone PlayStation developer. Although its expertise lies primarily in making 3D platformers, Team Asobi can pay homage to its legacy by bringing back one of its predecessor’s classic video game properties,The Legend of Dragoon.

JapanStudio

Even Though Japan Studio is Gone, Team Asobi Could Still Bring Back The Legend of Dragoon

The Legend of Dragoon Was a Charming JRPG Inspired By Final Fantasy

Developed by Japan Studio,The Legend of Dragoonwas aJapanese role-playing game that came out on the original PlayStationin 1999. It took a lot of inspiration from the popular RPG franchises of its era, in particularFinal Fantasy. The game was set in the Endiness, a high fantasy world where humans, dragons, and hostile, angel-like beings referred to as Winglies co-existed together. Players were placed in the shoes of a warrior named Dart who, with his team of allies, had to save the world from the forces of evil. The general premise ofThe Legend of Dragoonadmittedly wasn’t all that unique, but in many fans' eyes, it was the compelling characters and the execution of its plot that set the game apart.

Thecombat system inThe Legend of Dragoonwas a bit more multi-faceted than the ones in other PS1-era RPGs. Though it was primarily turn-based, it featured real-time elements, like quick-time events, as well. This gameplay was accompanied by extensive CGI cutscenes, which were very realistic for their time. In large part because of these cutscenes,The Legend of Dragoonbecame one of the most expensive projects that Japan Studio had ever worked on and cost around $16 million to produce. These days, $16 million dollars is nothing compared to the game development budgets of the modern era, but back in 1999, it was a lot of money.

The Legend of Dragoonwasn’t well-received by critics when it first made its debut and was labeled as an underwhelmingFinal Fantasyknock-off by some. But, as time went on, the game garnered a cult following among diehard JRPG fans. Even though it was a commercial success and is beloved by many these days, Sony has shown little interest inmaking a sequel toThe Legend of Dragoonor, frankly, any other role-playing game from its portfolio of dormant IPs.

PlayStation Lacks First-Party JRPGs, and a Legend of Dragoon Sequel Made By Team Asobi Could Fix That

At the moment, there aren’t really any PlayStation first-party studios that are experienced in the JRPG genre, and there are even fewer that are located in Japan.The Tokyo-based Team Asobiis probably the most qualified studio under Sony to take on the development of a newThe Legend of Dragoongame, especially since it’s made up of former Japan Studio employees. If theAstro Botdeveloper does bring this IP back in some form, it will fill the JRPG-shaped gap in PlayStation’s current first-party lineup.