‘Giant enemy crab’ studio rumoured to have closed

Game Republic, the Japanese studio responsible for a string of PlayStation-exclusive games, is believed to have closed down after eight years in business.

The studio, founded by Japanese industry luminary Yoshiki Okamoto, is thought to have vacated its Tokyo offices. Its website servers are no longer online.

Okamoto’s group built a number of relatively high-profile PlayStation exclusive games since forming in 2003, though in recent years the group has embraced multi-platform production.

However, the studio is perhaps more widely known as a subject of ridicule following a disastrous PlayStation E3 press conference in 2006.

At the event, a Game Republic representative praised the studio’s new Genji project for being “an action game based on Japanese history”, and featuring “famous battles which actually took place in ancient Japan”.

The ensuing demonstration of the game featured a giant enemy crab, which could be vanquished by “hitting its weak point for massive damage”.

[Article sourced via Kotaku]