The PlayStation Partner Awards 2022 Japan Asia (hereinafter referred to as “PlayStation Partner Awards”) ceremony was held today on December 2 to honor the winners from the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 titles that became a big hit over the past year.
The PlayStation Partner Awards began in 1994, the year after the birth of PlayStation, to celebrate the accomplishments of creators and to honor the wide variety of hit titles that have thrilled the PlayStation community. This year marks the 28th year of these historic awards.
This year’s PlayStation Partner Awards presented the Grand Award to two titles, Partner Award to five titles, Special Award to two titles, and Users’ Choice Award to five titles.
Grand Award
Awarded to the top two titles developed in the Japan / Asia regions with the highest worldwide sales between October 2021 and September 2022*.
● Genshin Impact – HoYoverse
● Elden Ring – FromSoftware, Inc.
Grand Award Winner Response (Genshin Impact):
“We are honored to announce that Genshin Impact has won our second Grand Award at this year’s PlayStation Partner Awards 2022 Japan Asia. PlayStation is our ideal platform for enriching the content and deepening the immersion of open-world action RPG, and a partner we can count on. In 2022, we have implemented the fourth of seven countries – Sumeru – and added many more high-quality features, functions, and language support to the game. We look forward to continuing to delight players from around the world and to attract more and more new players to the world of Genshin Impact. This could not have been accomplished without our team members, the gaming community, and our trusted friends for this achievement. We would like to thank everyone involved.”
– Jim Yang, President, Hoyoverse
More About Genshin Impact:
An open-world action RPG set in the fantasy world of Tayvat, where players take on the role of a “Traveler” on a journey to find the lost sibling, uncovering the secrets of Tayvat in the process. Cross-platform supported on PS5, PS4, mobile and PC.
Grand Award Winner Response (Elden Ring):
“Thank you very much for the Grand Award and Users’ Choice Award. We could not be happier, especially with the Users’ Choice Award, since it is the result of users’ votes. We will continue to create more interesting games in the future, so we would be very happy if everyone could look forward to them. Thank you again for today.”
– Hidetaka Miyazaki, Director, FromSoftware, Inc.
More About Elden Ring:
An action RPG that explores the unknown and the threatening in an authentic dark fantasy world. Players set out on a journey to challenge Demigods and seek the Elden Ring in the Lands Between. The game features a vast field, tense dungeon exploration, a sense of accomplishment overcoming difficulties, adventures with a high degree of freedom, and an ensemble drama woven by the characters. The game won the Grand Award at the Japan Game Awards 2022.
Partner Award
Awarded to titles developed in the Japan / Asia region with top-ranked worldwide sales between October 2021 and September 2022*, with particularly noteworthy accomplishments**.
● Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles – Aniplex Inc.
● Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel – Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
● Final Fantasy XIV – Square Enix Co. Ltd
● Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation 2 – Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
● Resident Evil Village – Capcom Co., Ltd.
Partner Award Winner Response (Demon Slayer-Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles):
“We are truly grateful for this wonderful award. We developed this game through a trial-and-error process, asking ourselves “How can we give fans the anime experience they expect through gaming?”. We are beyond happy to see that many players are enjoying our game. We would like to thank everyone involved in developing the game and everyone who played the game.”
– Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles Committee
More About Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles:
An action game based on the anime Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba). The solo play mode “The Hinokami Chronicles” includes episodes from the TV anime “Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc” to the movie “Mugen Train” allowing players to relive the story themselves. In Versus Mode “Battle”, 24 characters including Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko Kamado appear, and the Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke (Entertainment District) Character Pack is available as paid additional content.
Partner Award Winner Response (Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel):
“It is all thanks to the duelists around the world who have been enjoying Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel that we were able to get this prestigious award. The entire team is very pleased to receive this news. This game has been developed with a focus on dramatic effects and operation based on the concept of “Online Yu-Gi-Oh for both players and spectators” targeted at duelists and those who are interested in the official card game. We will continue to provide new games and experiences to meet the expectations of all Duelists, so please stay tuned.”
– Kenichi Kataoka, Senior Producer, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
More About Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel:
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is a free-to-play, competitive card game featuring over 10,000 cards, including “Dark Magician,” the most popular card in the official card game and trading card game, “Blue-Eyes White Dragon, “Exodia the Forbidden One,” and more. The game has recently surpassed 50 million downloads worldwide***.
Partner Award Winner Response (Final Fantasy XIV):
“Thank you very much for awarding us with this prize two years in a row! Next year will finally mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of the new Final Fantasy XIV service, and we intend to make it a blast both inside and outside the game. It is thanks to our players, the Warriors of Light, that we have been able to develop and operate the game at the forefront for so long. Final Fantasy XIV is still in the process of development, and we will continue to strive for even greater heights in the future. Please keep supporting us!”
– Naoki Yoshida, Producer/Director, Square Enix
More About Final Fantasy XIV:
An online RPG that allows players from all over the world to explore together. The story of this chapter has reached its conclusion with the latest Endwalker expansion package and is now entering a new chapter. The world of the game continues to expand with updates for more players to enjoy including a sequel to the story and various contents, as well as adding a new system that allows players to complete dungeons alone. The number of players worldwide has surpassed 27 million ****.
Partner Award Winner Response (Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation 2):
“It is such a pleasure to be receiving the Partner Award. We would like to thank all our pilots around the world for making it possible to receive such a wonderful award for three years in a row. Our entire operations team will continue putting our efforts into providing you with a better pilot experience. In addition, Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation 2 is running a GBO Winter Festival 2022 on December 1, and we hope that you will take this opportunity to play the game.”
– Hiroki Kurachi, Producer, Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
More About Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation 2:
A free-to-play action game featuring more than 350 Mobile Suits with rich graphics, allowing players to enjoy fighting in realistic battlefields. The game reached 4 million downloads in February 2022, and many players are enjoying the 6 vs. 6 team battle action.
Partner Award Winner Response (Resident Evil Village):
“We are truly thankful to everyone who played and supported Resident Evil Village in winning the Partner Award. Thank you all very much! Set in a deserted village, Resident Evil Village follows the story of Ethan Winters and his family (and their love) from Resident Evil 7 to the end of their story. “Theme Park of horror” is the concept of this title, and the frantic survival horror action that unfolds there, combined with the machine power of the PS5, creates a next-generation survival horror experience. We hope you will continue to enjoy the world of Resident Evil Village as you play the additional DLC pack Winters’ Expansion and experience the more immersive Village on PlayStation VR2. Thank you for your continued support of the Resident Evil series and Capcom!”
– Tsuyoshi Kanada, Producer, Capcom
More About Resident Evil Village:
The eighth numbered title in the Resident Evil series. Players take on the role of the protagonist, Ethan Winters, in a deadly survival horror game set in a cold, eerie village. The game has sold 6.6 million units worldwide*****, thanks not only to the photorealistic visual expressions, 3D audio, and other technologies, but also to the appealing characters and a play experience that mixes horror and action, both of which have their origins in traditional horror genre.
Special Award
Awarded to titles developed outside the Japan / Asia region that have amassed the highest sales in the Japan / Asia region between October 2021 and September 2022*.
● Apex Legends – Electronic Arts Inc.
Awarded to titles developed in collaboration with SIE Worldwide Studios that have amassed the highest worldwide sales between October 2021 and September 2022*.
● Gran Turismo 7 – Sony Interactive Entertainment
Special Award Winner Response (Apex Legends):
“Wow! On behalf of the Apex Legends team, I would like to show our gratitude and appreciation for the award. We are honored to be selected for the third year in a row, which is a testament to how passionate and amazing the Apex community in Japan is. The enthusiasm and support from Japanese players continue to inspire us to make Apex Legends the best game it can be. Again, thank you so much.”
– Steven Ferreira, Game Director, Respawn Entertainment
More About Apex Legends:
Legendary warriors gather on the Frontier to fight for wealth and fame in this free-to-play hero shooter. We hope you will enjoy the limited-time mode Winter Express, which will return with the Wintertide event starting on Wednesday, December 7.
Special Award Winner Response (Gran Turismo 7):
“Thank you for selecting Gran Turismo 7 for the Special Award. Gran Turismo is celebrating its 25th anniversary. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the media and retailers who have supported the series, and above all, to the Gran Turismo fans and community who have played the many games in the series. We hope you will continue to enjoy Gran Turismo 7 as it continues to evolve through updates.”
– Kazunori Yamauchi, President, Polyphony Digital
More About Gran Turismo 7:
The 25th anniversary title of Gran Turismo. Includes over 420 cars reproduced in the highest quality ever in the series. Drive more than 90 different courses with realistic weather and scenery. Also included is the long-awaited GT Mode which allows series fans to fully enjoy life with their favorite cars. Players can enjoy a variety of events while purchasing, tuning, and racing cars.
Users’ Choice Award
Awarded to the top 5 titles, selected by user votes in Japan / Asia region, out of the top 30 titles with the longest total game play time.
● Elden Ring – FromSoftware, Inc.
● Earth Defense Force 6 – D3PUBLISHER INC.
● Stray – Annapurna Interactive
● Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin – Square Enix
● Ghostwire: Tokyo – Bethesda Softworks
Users’ Choice Award Winner Response (Earth Defense Force 6):
“Thank you, EDF members, for choosing us for the Users’ Choice Award among so many wonderful titles. We did not expect to receive such an outcome but thanks to your enthusiastic support, we were able to experience the pleasure beyond despair in real life. We are honored and grateful. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved, including Sandlot, the developer of the game. And on behalf of everyone involved, I would like to extend the biggest and most enormous thanks to all the users of the series. EDF! EDF!”
– Nobuyuki Okajima, Producer, D3Publisher Inc.
More About Earth Defense Force 6:
Earth Defense Force 6 is an action-shooter that takes place several years after the events of EDF 5. Once again, a gigantic invader attacks humanity living in a devastated world. However, the existence of nameless EDF soldiers gradually leads humanity to joy. The game, which contains the largest number of missions and weapons in its history, supports split-screen and online cooperation, and offers a variety of tactics, while the five levels of difficulty make it fun for anyone to play. The true identity of the invaders will be revealed when humanity is saved from despair.
Users’ Choice Award Winner Response (Stray):
“Hello everyone and from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for choosing Stray to win the Users’ Choice Award. We are so happy and proud to see so many people enjoying the game!
As a Cat Executive Officer, I would like to first thank all the talented members of our team for their dedicated hard work and their profound passion. Stray is a work of love and it is incredible for us all to see people from all around the world connect to it. I also would like to especially thank the people at Annapurna Interactive for their unconditional support and crucial help since the very beginning. Also thank you so much to our friends and families for always being with us on this amazing journey.
And of course I would like to thank all the players that have played and enjoyed Stray and especially the cat owners who are good humans and will be rewarded when we, cats, take control of the planet.
Thank you so much everyone!”
– “Murtaugh” aka KUKU, CEO, BlueTwelve Studio
More About Stray:
Stray is a third-person cat adventure game released on July 19th. Lost, alone and separated from family, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten cybercity and find their way home. In the time since launch, players have meowed over 700 million times, scratched at doors, wallpaper and carpets more than 2 million times and played more than 750 thousand games of “cat basketball”. We are so happy that players seem to be enjoying their time as a cat.
Users’ Choice Award Winner Response (Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin):
“Thank you for this wonderful award. Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is an action game created in collaboration with Koei Tecmo Games’ Team Ninja, and was a great challenge for the Final Fantasy series. The fact that it has borne fruit in the form of this award is due to the enthusiastic support of many users. Thank you all very much. Information on the third additional mission DIFFERENT FUTURE will be released soon, so please look forward to it.”
– Jin Fujiwara, Producer, Square Enix
More About Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin:
The first high difficulty action title of the Final Fantasy series, created by Square Enix and Team Ninja. The main character Jack is Garland from Final Fantasy 1 and the game depicts a different theory from Final Fantasy 1 as to why Jack became the villain, Garland.
Users’ Choice Award Winner Response (Ghostwire: Tokyo):
“I am so grateful for the prestigious Users’ Choice Award. Our goal for Ghostwire: Tokyo was to create a memorable game that is also fun to play, and by receiving this award, I feel that we have come close to that goal. I would like to thank everyone who played this game and everyone who supported us. We at Tango Gameworks will continue to strive to create memorable games in the future.”
– Kenji Kimura, Director, Tango Gameworks
More About Ghostwire: Tokyo:
Highly flexible, three-dimensional, sandbox action adventure game set in the beautiful but eerie city of Tokyo, where everyone has suddenly disappeared due to a large-scale supernatural phenomenon. The main character Akito and his spirit sidekick KK, using the supernatural powers they have gained by becoming one, must confront the mysterious enemies called Visitors based on urban legends and yokai tales, who have appeared with the disappearance of the people, and close in on the mysterious Hannya-masked man who is the mastermind behind the incident.
* Physical and digital sales through PlayStation®Store are counted in the calculation (including additional content and digital currency sales).
** SIE indices, which include player numbers, also factor into the determination of nominees.
*** Cumulative total for all platforms, worldwide
**** Cumulative number of accounts in 5 regions: Japan, North America, Europe, China, and Korea. Including free trial accounts.
***** As of September 30, 2022.
