‘It’s Incredibly Well-Made, But…’ — Former PlayStation Boss Warned Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Devs It Would Be ‘Overlooked’ if They Called It a Turn-Based RPG
Former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida has warned the developers of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that marketing the game as a “turn-based RPG” risks causing players to overlook it. Yoshida, who stepped down from his role as PlayStation’s head of indies and president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios in January 2024, shared this marketing guidance during a recent lecture to indie game developers. The remarks were subsequently reported by 4Gamer and translated by Automaton.
Despite praising the game as “incredibly well-made,” Yoshida cautioned that the turn-based RPG label alone could negatively impact player perception and discoverability. His concern highlights a broader challenge in game marketing: how traditional genre classifications can inadvertently limit audience reach and market potential, particularly for games that may not fit neatly into established categories or offer unconventional gameplay experiences.
The advice underscores the importance of strategic positioning and presentation in the gaming industry, suggesting that how games are marketed to consumers matters as much as the quality of the product itself.