Visions of Mana Developer Ouka Studios Reportedly Facing Possible Closure

As a longtime fan of Visions of Mana and Ouka Studios, I find it disheartening to hear about potential shutdowns at the studio that just released such a well-received game. It seems like the gaming industry’s investment in Japan is yielding fewer hits than expected, but let’s hope this doesn’t mean the end of innovative and exciting games from talented Japanese developers.

As per a recent report from Bloomberg, there’s a possibility that the game developer Ouka Studios – known for creating “Visions of Mana” – might be closed down by NetEase.

The report says that NetEase possibly “intends to shut the Shibuya outfit.” It adds that NetEase “has cut all but a handful of jobs at its Ouka studio in Tokyo.”

Later on, Bloomberg clarified through X that NetEase started reducing its workforce “at least since the beginning of spring.”

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve been hearing rumors that both Tencent and NetEase are re-evaluating their investments in several Japanese game studios. It seems like the reason might be that they haven’t seen a significant return on their investments after pouring resources into these studios for quite some time. In other words, despite years of investment, they haven’t found many blockbuster games as a result.

In light of the fact that Japanese game developers have been unable to create successful games, both Tencent and NetEase are reconsidering their investment plans in Japan. NetEase has taken drastic measures such as reducing staff at Ouka Studio and considering its closure, while Tencent has stepped back from financial commitments on several projects.
— Takashi Mochizuki (@6d6f636869) August 30, 2024

As of now, neither Tencent nor NetEase has publicly confirmed any intention to close down Ouka Studios. Yet, recent reports contain statements attributed to both companies.

1. Tencent continues to stand by its collaborative partners and is focused on expanding its operations in Japan.

As a dedicated gamer, I’m all about delivering top-tier gaming experiences, whether you’re a local player or part of the global gaming community. And to make sure we keep delivering on that promise, I’m constantly tweaking our strategies based on real-time market conditions. After all, it’s all about keeping the game fresh and exciting for everyone!

Yesterday saw the launch of Visions of Mana by Ouka Studios, and it’s already garnering positive critical reception on Metacritic. Currently, you can play this game on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. However, unlike what was previously announced, the game is not yet accessible via Xbox Game Pass at this time.

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