The award-winning PlayStation Studios, which houses renowned developers like Naughty Dog and Guerrilla Games, is getting a contemporary. Alongside its acquisition of Savage Game Studios, platform holder Sony has announced that it’s created a new business unit: PS Studios Mobile Division. This will operate independently, adjacent from the console division, and will “focus on innovative, on-the-go experiences based on new and existing PlayStation IP”.
Sony has been talking about its entry into mobile development for quite some time now, and has been quietly recruiting top talent to lead the initiative. Last year it headhunted Nicola Sebastiani, the executive formerly in charge of the underrated Apple Arcade, to front its efforts. We imagine Savage Game Studios will be the first of many mobile-focused acquisitions the Japanese giant makes, as it seeks to aggressively grow its new division.
It’s worth remembering just how big mobile is these days, with popular titles like Fortnite and Genshin Impact straddling smartphones, PC, and consoles. With PlayStation looking to increase its output of live service titles, it makes sense for it to look to mobile as well. Between this initiative and its PS Productions adaptations, it’s clear that Sony wants to target a much larger audience than ever before, as it seeks to find ways to grow its brand outside of the console.
[source blog.playstation.com, via News: PlayStation Acquires Savage Game Studios, Focusing on Mobile Games]
Comments 31
Before people jump the gun, they will have seperate developers for their mobile games to their console games, so this won't mean less playstation games
It makes sense.
We were talking here before about Sean Layden's comments on how the number of people playing games on consoles hasn't really increased much since the 90s, and how there is a need to grow the potential customer base by other means.
I like this move. Mobile games aren't for me as a hobby, but I work very closely with them and honestly the number of people playing games on mobile and the amount of money they bring in is frightening.
Every month I see the numbers and I do a doubletake.
Sony, MS and Nintendo would have been fools to not make moves towards getting in on this.
Edit: Sony are doing this the right way too - Keeping it in a separate shed from their main first party stable.
Good business move.
Please integrate with ps trophies!
@UltimateOtaku91 Damn. Wish I had read this before I set fire to my PS5.
I think we'll see a lot more mobile developer acquisitions. This division will be much more than just Savage, so I expect a flurry of buyouts over the coming year.
@Mauzuri No they're not.
They have quite a few mobile things in the works. This new studio, forward works in Japan(I think that the name), firesprite is rumored to being working on a mobile title and Bungie.
@get2sammyb they kinda are though, though I’ll admit I’ve been having more fun with mobile games since Apple Arcade, it’s slowly building up quality.
@Rsco6969 Apple Arcade has some good stuff and none of the usual mobile business model
Unfortunately I don't think it's likely that Sony can do something similar anytime soon
As long as it doesn't become their main focus and is just a side hustle then it's fine by me.
PS still has like 10 unannounced live service games, right? What are the odds most of them are gonna be mobile games?
Does that also mean we will get more PlayStation licensed Xbox and Switch controller for mobile gaming. That they license these kind of controller shows they don’t understand PlayStation gamers and they don’t care.
@BadPlayerOne what does this comment mean? You want Sony to make controllers for Xbox and Switch? Why would they do that?
I don't even care with mobile gaming popularity.
I will keep persistent to play dedicated video game consoles or handhelds by Nintendo and Sony as i will not support mobile gaming practice.
I hate when people say stupid sh*t like who plays on mobile or mobile games are terrible. Look at the AAA games on mobile. Look at the hundreds of million daily players of games like Fortnite, PUBG, COD. There is a lot of talent and a huge audience out there, stop being ignorant.
@Milktastrophe no the opposite. They are licensing xBox/Switch controller and by doing so they show they don’t really care about PlayStation gamers. Just look at the PlayStation licensed Backbone One controller.
@get2sammyb I have to agree most mobile games are trash time wasters. Its the disease the gave us most of the horrible gaming practices available now.
@theMEGAniggle Didnt i say i dont like mobile games? You gave me three examples of the games i hate the most.
@theMEGAniggle
Mobile gaming is indeed terrible.
It should never been exist.
And those three games you mentioned are example of really terrible games that I hate most.
This is a no brainer for Sony who have a swathe of PSP titles easily suited to mobile play. If Square Enix can make the premium model work with JRPGs there is no reason we can’t have $10 ports of Locoroco or Patapon.
Unfortunately it probably won’t end this well and we will end up with some sort of hack job that always requires an internet connection.
@Anti-Matter That’s blatently untrue. Whilst the majority of mobile titles are terrible cash grabs the same does actually apply to console and PC titles.
But just as the AAA games rise to the top on console and PC, mobile is also choc full of quality gaming experiences, from well adjusted ports of titles like Final Fantasy Tactics and Disgaea to timeless originals like Tiny Wings, Rolando, SpellTower, Trism, Part Time UFO, Pokémon Go and Horizon Chase.
the quality of console games have reduced to mobile app like games so why not
@Flaming_Kaiser I was giving examples of the AAA games with the highest player count (not the best games), just saying there's a huge audience to tap into. Not sure how that wasn't understood.
Also I didn't reply to you so I'm not sure what you mean by "Didnt i say i dont like mobile games?"
If you did say that, I have no idea, because I wasn't replying to you.
@Anti-Matter
I do not like mobile gaming but that's my own opinion. Doesn't make it right.
Mobile gaming is terrible why? Let me guess, because you don't like it.
They exist because people want them to. The player base doesn't lie.
Those games are AAA games. The devs are talented enough to bring really good visuals and performance onto a small device.
COD - 56 million players last month
Fortnite - can't find
PUBG - 30+ million last month
@theMEGAniggle
I hate those AAA mobile games.
@RadioHedgeFund
I don't even like AAA games.
Also, I don't even like mobile games that played without cartridge and real button controller.
The quality for me just only from consoles and handhelds with physical games. Period.
@Anti-Matter So you dislike the garbage on mobile but happily enjoy playing such games on consoles?
@RadioHedgeFund
Yup.
I have quite a lot underrated / unpopular games on consoles or handhelds such as Cooking Mama, My Universe, Paw Patrol, Imagine series, Petz series, Transformers Battlegrounds, My Sims games, Girl Fashion Shoot, Hello Kitty games, etc in physical media.
Playsation on mobile? It happened before...didn't go well at all.
As I've already said in another recent article, I hope they do well but personally have no interest in mobile gaming.
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