Nicolas Doucet, the director and producer of Astro Bot Rescue Mission, has been promoted to the position of creative director for SIE Japan Studio (via Twinfinite).
Allan Becker held the role previously, as company president, though it is unclear whether he stepped down or moved to another position within Sony. Doucet’s career development may infer that Sony is prioritising PSVR into the next generation, which echoes what former SIE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshdia said last year. “I think that the hardware experience will improve the VR experience,” he explained at the time. “VR has a lot to learn even at companies that have been making games for a long time.”
As Sony Interactive Entertainment’s most established first-party studio, its portfolio is filled with titles that pushed the envelope when it came to gaming experiences. Ape Escape, Everybody’s Golf, Gravity Rush, Ico, Knack, LocoRoco, and Shadow of the Colossus are among them as well as Astro Bot Rescue Mission. Doucet was also integral to the development of The Playroom, a collection of mini-games to help players get to grips with PSVR. Evidently, his promotion makes a lot of sense, but Sony is yet to give an official press release about the changes.
