Shuhei Yoshida: China Develops Games Much Faster Than Japan

More

09 December 2025 13:54

Shuhei Yoshida, the former head of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, believes Japanese game developers are falling behind Chinese studios when it comes to development speed.

In an interview with 4Gamer that was translated by Automaton, Yoshida said companies like MiHoYo, the creator of Genshin Impact, move far faster than most teams in Japan. He noted that many Chinese developers work long hours and often shift staff quickly to meet production goals.

"The development speed in China is amazing [and] they’re also quick at changing personnel, and all of the game development work itself unfolds rapidly," Yoshida explained.

He added that MiHoYo’s work style would be hard to copy in Japan. "Back when I talked to representatives of MiHoYo, we discussed how it would be quite difficult for Japanese developers to make games in the same way MiHoYo does. Not to mention the legal problems that would come with it.

"I wonder if there are some aspects [of the development process] that Japanese game developers just can't replicate. One reason why games in China are so strong is because they are made in an environment which allows for hiring a large number of personnel who can work long hours.

"Of course, you never know what might happen in the near future, but looking at the current state of things, I think that's the biggest factor."

MiHoYo continues to find major success. Genshin Impact has earned more than five billion dollars on mobile, reaching that figure faster than any other game. The studio’s newer free to play action RPG, Zenless Zone Zero, saw fifty million downloads in its first few days.

More:Russia Blocks Roblox

Tags: Sony

Share:

Sources:

Report mistake Submit news

Related news

View All

Sony Executive Says Chinese and Korean Studios Are Moving at a Pace "Not Necessarily Seen" From Western or Japanese Teams

TL;DR * Sony Interactive Entertainment VP Christian Svensson described the scale and responsiveness of Chinese and South Korean studios as...

Business

May 12, 2026

Sony Takes $765M Bungie Impairment Loss as Marathon Struggles to Retain Players Two Months After Launch

TL;DR * Sony's latest earnings report reveals a $765 million impairment loss tied to Bungie, with $565 million of that...

More

May 08, 2026

Sony Clarifies PlayStation DRM Concerns: It's a One-Time Online Check, Not Recurring 30-Day Requirement

TL;DR * Sony Interactive Entertainment has confirmed to GameSpot that PlayStation's new license check for digital purchases is a one-time...

Drama

Apr 30, 2026

Sony Acquires Cinemersive Labs to Bolster PlayStation's Visual Computing and Machine Learning Capabilities

TL;DR * Sony Interactive Entertainment has entered an agreement to acquire UK-based Cinemersive Labs, a machine learning and computer vision...

More

Apr 08, 2026

Sony Raises PS5 Prices Globally From April 2: Base Console Up $100, PS5 Pro Hits $899.99

TL;DR * Sony is raising PS5 prices globally from April 2, 2026, with the base PS5 increasing $100 to $649.99,...

Business

Mar 30, 2026

Shuhei Yoshida: China Develops Games Much Faster Than Japan

More

09 December 2025 13:54

Tags: Sony

Shuhei Yoshida, the former head of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, believes Japanese game developers are falling behind Chinese studios when it comes to development speed.

In an interview with 4Gamer that was translated by Automaton, Yoshida said companies like MiHoYo, the creator of Genshin Impact, move far faster than most teams in Japan. He noted that many Chinese developers work long hours and often shift staff quickly to meet production goals.

"The development speed in China is amazing [and] they’re also quick at changing personnel, and all of the game development work itself unfolds rapidly," Yoshida explained.

He added that MiHoYo’s work style would be hard to copy in Japan. "Back when I talked to representatives of MiHoYo, we discussed how it would be quite difficult for Japanese developers to make games in the same way MiHoYo does. Not to mention the legal problems that would come with it.

"I wonder if there are some aspects [of the development process] that Japanese game developers just can't replicate. One reason why games in China are so strong is because they are made in an environment which allows for hiring a large number of personnel who can work long hours.

"Of course, you never know what might happen in the near future, but looking at the current state of things, I think that's the biggest factor."

MiHoYo continues to find major success. Genshin Impact has earned more than five billion dollars on mobile, reaching that figure faster than any other game. The studio’s newer free to play action RPG, Zenless Zone Zero, saw fifty million downloads in its first few days.

More:Russia Blocks Roblox

Share:

Sources:

Report mistake Submit news