Shuhei Yoshida: Japan Struggles to Match China's Breakneck Game Development Pace

According to Shuhei Yoshida, former head of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, Japan's game development sector is having trouble keeping up with the rapid pace of Chinese studios. In an interview with 4Gamer, Yoshida expressed his admiration for the speed at which Chinese studios, such as MiHoYo, develop games, often with staff working extended hours. Yoshida pointed out that this approach would be challenging for Japanese developers to replicate due to differences in work culture and legal considerations. The success of Chinese studios like MiHoYo, with titles such as Genshin Impact generating over $5 billion in revenue, underscores the disparity. Yoshida attributes this success to the ability of Chinese studios to hire large numbers of personnel who can work long hours, a practice that has sparked controversy and led to the 996.ICU movement, which advocates for better working conditions in China.