Nier: Automata Revived the Japanese Video Game Industry and Gave Freedom to Developers

Shuhei Yoshida, former head of PlayStation, has praised Nier: Automata for its massive impact, stating that the game’s influence is so strong that it marks a clear distinction between “before Nier and after Nier” in the gaming industry.

In an interview with the Japanese outlet AV Watch, Yoshida reflected on his long career and discussed a time when Japanese creators were struggling to chase global trends without success. He also shared his thoughts on the period when Japanese developers started making games aimed at foreign markets, often trying to imitate successful trends from outside Japan.

Yoshida’s Thoughts on Nier: Automata

Yoshida explained that when overseas games began to imitate big Hollywood films and become more realistic—such as GTA or The Last of Us on the PS3/360—some Japanese developers also started to create games meant for “slightly foreign tastes.”

“I believe [Nier Automata’s director] Yoko Taro did it without worrying if it would sell abroad,” Yoshida said. “It became clear that Japanese creators were making ‘Japanese things’ and those things sold internationally. Everyone realized that with Nier.”

As a result, Yoshida observed a change in Japanese developers, who began to feel free to stop imitating global trends. “I believe the Japanese video game industry was revitalized after Nier, to the point where I would say it was before Nier and after Nier,” Yoshida added.