Ryosuke Yoshida, Visions of Mana Director, Moves from NetEase to Square Enix
This surprising news broke on December 2nd via Yoshida's Twitter (X) announcement: the director of Visions of Mana and former Capcom game designer is leaving NetEase to join Square Enix. Details surrounding his departure from Ouka Studios remain scarce.
Yoshida's prominent role in the development of Visions of Mana, a successful title featuring upgraded graphics developed collaboratively with teams from Capcom and Bandai Namco (released August 30, 2024), makes this move particularly noteworthy. While his new role at Square Enix has been confirmed, specific projects or game assignments haven't been disclosed.
NetEase's Shifting Focus: A Broader Context
Yoshida's departure aligns with NetEase's reported scaling back of investments in Japanese studios. A Bloomberg article (August 30th) highlighted NetEase and Tencent's decisions to curtail losses following several successful game releases through Japanese partnerships. Ouka Studios, Yoshida's former employer, is directly affected, with NetEase significantly reducing its Tokyo workforce.
This strategic shift is driven by the resurgence of the Chinese gaming market, exemplified by the success of Black Myth: Wukong (winner of Best Visual Design and Ultimate Game of the Year at the 2024 Golden Joystick Awards). Both NetEase and Tencent are reallocating resources to capitalize on this market rebound.
The move contrasts with the companies' 2020 strategy of significant investment in the Japanese market amidst a period of stagnation in China. However, apparent friction between these large entertainment companies and smaller Japanese developers – differing priorities regarding global market expansion versus IP control – may have contributed to this adjustment.
While NetEase and Tencent aren't entirely withdrawing from Japan, their strong relationships with Capcom and Bandai Namco notwithstanding, a more conservative approach, aimed at minimizing losses and focusing on the revitalized Chinese market, is clearly underway.
