In the 1990s and 2000s, Japan Studio, formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, was a core pillar of the PlayStation brand. It was the first video game development company that Sony ever owned, and as a result, it played a significant role in the success of the PS1. Initially, Japan Studio served as a co-development team tasked with helping other companies get their games to market exclusively for PlayStation; most of the titles the firm worked on in its early years were primarily created by third-party studios. Under the guidance of PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida, Sony eventually started establishing dedicated development teams within Japan Studio during the PS1 generation.