Sony Predicts Slide in PS5 Sales with No Major Existing IPs Planned Before March 2025

So they are pulling an xbox and not having any major releases for over 17 months. Not a good look tbh and with Microsoft it would have been longer if they not acquired Bethesda. I think Sony should follow suit and pick up an affordable publisher who can output 3-4 games per year to fill in the gaps between the usual Sony hitters.

But, I suppose to compensate Sony are giving us great third party exclusives like Granblue Fantasy Relink, Rise of the Ronin, FF7 ReBirth, Stellar Blade and Silent Hill Remake.

Also as someone mentioned in another article this doesn't mean any new IP can't be released or smaller titles. So Id wager Concord is still coming this year and Sony have just trademarked a new intergalactic IP.

https://www.gematsu.com/2024/02/sony-interactive-entertainment-trademarks-intergalactic-the-heretic-prophet-in-the-united-states

I thought we had been going through the drought, and now the drought is the next year?

This console generation has been absolutely pathetic.

That's fine by me, I have such a backlog and still some great games to look forward to this year.

Which PS5 exclusives are confirmed for this year though? So which entirely new games?

So new first party IP's and third party exclusives are still possible. Just no sequels or prequels.

I’m somewhat surprised that Ghost of Tsushima 2 is not even internally targeting a release in this period as March 2025 will be almost 5 years since the first game released.

Ragnarok took 4.5 years and Forbidden West took 5 years and both of those were delayed by about a year.

If only they didn't shut down their Japan Studios that could've been shipping a slew of mid tier games to fill the gaps between major releases?

Why let so many fun small franchises lay dormant that could be releasing on PSN every few months?

@get2sammyb Stellar Blade is not a first party game and Sony doesn't own that IP tho

ps5 and wii u have the similarity that they started the gen with strong first party support and after that it's 2 first party games a year and wth?? Didn't sony promise 25+ upcoming games like 2 years ago??

@BlaizeV - Don't know if releasing games that don't sell well is a good way to fill the gaps.

Good thing Microsoft is coming to rescue Sony with its 1st party AAA games coming to PlayStation.

@get2sammyb "especially as the PS5 begins to move beyond its peak years and into the latter stages of its lifecycle"

This must be based on experience from previous generations and the belief the current gen will be similar. I would say in no way the PS5 has peaked. My PS5 is still sitting here waiting to be maxed out by som monster games(not released on PS4 also). And this gen was hit hard in the start (pandemic) and now we're on the cusp of starting the articles regarding 'next gen' even before the likes of Naughty Dog have released anything new this gen. I'm almost lost for words how weird it's all become ...

I'm guessing GOT2 in 2025, then something from NG in 2026. Maybe Horizon 3 in 2027? Plus one or two things from Insomniac, too. But after all that live service stuff, I'm guessing 2024 will be a bit barren for 1st party SP games from Sony.

Even if they do that, they have their major 3rd and 2nd party PS5 exclusive/temporary exclusive games to pick up the slack, like Stellar Blade and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Some games also have PS5-exclusive features, that you can only play on that console.

Does anyone read the articles? They are talking about existing franchise, so the only games that won't be coming are sequels or prequels. There are still new IP's coming, what everyone wanted, and the third party exclusives wich Playstation studios helped with

It's being published by Sony so they consider it first-party.

It’s a game published by Sony on a Sony owned platform, that’s literally the definition of a First Party product.

Of course people are obsessed with ownership of the labour that makes products these days. Work with a a studio, that you don’t own, for years to finance and develop a game “That’s not first party”. Buy a studio and put your name on the box of a game that you had no involvement with “Yes, that’s a first party game, absolutely chief”

Bizarrely a ton of Nintendo games wouldn’t count as first party under this definition: Smash Brothers, Pokemon, Kirby, Metroid etc. They’re all made by studios not owned by Nintendo. Also, Microsoft Flight Simulator ironically.

The last first party game I really loved was Astro Bot Rescue Mission on PSVR1, so quite some time ago. Well, GT7 on VR2 I guess, but I’d already finished it flat so it lost much of its impact as a game by then. I’m just not really into Sony’s style of output, although I can admit they are high quality versions of what they are.

In short, this doesn’t bother me, apart from the continued push of live service rubbish. When was the last time Sony made a proper JRPG?

Well, personaly, I have games that I wait for and not neccessarily the AAA mark, but still same will of playing them. For example Banishers (just came in hot in the mail ) and Pacific Drive. I did not even considered Spider man. So, just some games can not define the whole portfolio. I am sure some REALY good games will pop-up during the year.

@Martijn87 People can't be wasting time on such trivial activities like reading articles, when there are outraged posts waiting to made. This is the internet you know, there are rules here.

Funny to think that Microsoft may well be pulling a blinder and filling in the PS Studios gaps here.

Could see titles like Starfield selling over 10 million copies if its really as sparse as it sounds.

@get2sammyb it’s a path Sony has chosen themselves though. They could have had studios working on the likes of ape escape or sly cooper or creative smaller games or even remasters to fill gaps, just as Nintendo is doing.

A Pikmin 4 or even a Metroid Prime Remastered kind of release could have worked wonders. I’m thinking of the Twisted metal, Killzone, Syphon Filter, or RPG remasters or remakes Sony could have been doing.

@ChrisDeku Sucker Punch is a small studio (about 160 people). It's a wonder they produced Ghost of Tsushima at the scale and quaity as they did.
We don't want developers to crush or rush, we want amazing games and that takes time.

@get2sammyb Yes. People forget that "Second Party" is a term that we, the fans, and the gaming press invented ourselves to distinguish between games from Studio's the manufacturer owns and those it doesn't.

The term isn't really used internally, at least not in any formal sense. To Sony, a title is either first or third party.

@get2sammyb

I get the metrics of it, I just think the business plan is deeply flawed. Especially when you consider Sony’s biggest games on the PS5 are never going to sell as well as Animal Crossing or Mario Kart 8 that have a fraction of the budgets. Having bigger, prettier games hasn’t gained more players for those games, it’s just caused Sony to give up on smaller games that could have been a bit more creative.

I feel very foolish buying a PS5 assuming there would be a steady flow of fun experiences to play.

Look I love almost all Sony first party stuff, so no doubt the lack of anything for 2024 is disappointing… but not a massive surprise given the terrible Showcase last year and Sony’s flip-flopping on GaaS.

What I will say though, regardless of a lot of the mental-gymnasts out there claiming third-party exclusives (or second party games) don’t count… well they do in my house. Picked up Granblue Fantasy Relink and Helldivers 2, have pre-ordered Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Stellar Blade… and will almost definitely be picking up Rise of the Ronin and Silent Hill 2 Remake too. My PS5 be eating good rn!

@Friendly The thing is, there are plenty of third party studios filling in those gaps. Not with those existing IPs of course, but still games of similar size and quality. Obviously most of those aren't going to be exclusives, but does that ultimately matter if you've got both those and the big AAA first-party titles available on the same console?

Over the years, it has become clear that Sony's strategy of only producing the highest budget AAA titles to attract players and leave the rest to the third party studios has worked, and it's easy to see why. We sometimes put a heavy focus on first-party output, but in the end, the only thing that matters to the player is the totality of the available library on the platform.

For me, gaming has never been better than the PS360 times.
This gen has been terrible. PS players hoping for Xbox games, Xbox players hoping to just have new hardware to look forward to. Meanwhile, if Nintendo get it right with their new gen machine - and i hope it does, it will clean up

Problem is that Game Pass, Ps Plus and aggressive discounting models convinced people that games are not something you should pay too much for. It's a complete different paradigm to Nintendo where games keep their value for years.

Also, there was a huge Inflation in the last years, price of food increased, price of loan, interests, increased. People is cutting on superfluous expenses, and gaming is one of them.

This seems quite expected I think? We've just had a Spider-Man, horizon, and god of war. We know that Naughty Dog are releasing another game before the last of us part 3. The only slightly sad one is ghost of Tsushima 2, but that's tremendously surprising. This news actually quite excites me, as I'm hoping Sony has a few generation defining IPs up its sleeve - all of their big ps5 games so far have just been "sequel to the big PS4 game"

Is this because they were supposed to be dropping live service games soon like tlou. Will never understand how that got so bad it was cancelled.

Nintendo needs to release their next console soon cause that way at least someone of the Big 3 puts out games

💯🤔 I said it before and I’ll say it again… this is the Generation of 3RD Party Games. Dead Space, RoboCop, Jedi Survivor, Elden Ring, Alan Wake 2, Tekken 8, Armored Core, Light No Fire, Jurassic Park, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade/Rebirth, A Plague Tale Requiem. All way more exciting than anything Sony is putting out. I’m just not interested in any Sony games anymore. Spider-Man 2 is the exception, but that took 5+ years to develop and you could beat in 11 hours. Great game! But not worth full price.

And don’t get me started on Naughty Dog games. 💯 🥱 🤷🏽‍♂️ I mean you would think that somebody at Sony would realize that making only $70 single player games that cost $250 million to produce, where you can only walk in one direction until the next cut scene plays, that takes 7+ years to make and you can beat in 10-15hrs plus 6 hours of cinematics, that half the customers never play again, Then they gonna remaster it a couple times over and over with no multiplayer is a good sustainable business model in the Videogame industry.

Sony is sitting on a gold mine. They keep remastering the same boring games when we could get the Amazing mp titles of the PS3 generation, Killzone 2&3, M.A.G., Resistance 2, Warhawk, Twisted Metal 2012, God of War Online, SOCOM. MotorStorm Pacific Rift. Folklore. I would kill for Killzone 3 at 4K 60 with full multiplayer included.

@Friendly I agree and it’s something Nintendo have done well this gen.

A sly cooper remake or similar would be relatively cheap, appease many fans and would have filled the first party schedule. Herman is doing a decent job but needs to consider what you said. I’m sure these types of jobs could be easily outsourced too just like the recent tomb raiders were.

Ps5 seems to have loads of games. Sony just got none of them.
Sad.

@get2sammyb That is why we need other stuff then triple A alone I miss the smaller titles that made Playstation what it is.

If Sony are expecting nothing groundbreaking to release from their first party studio team over the next year and are worried about a drop off in sales, perhaps it would be a great idea if they were to stop playing their cards so close to their chest and announce which games are in Development as a way to keep interest and expectations high. Officially hearing that things like Ghost of Tsushima 2, a new God of War or the games being developed by Bluepoint and Bend would be great! I also live in the dream that a New Uncharted was in the works! Since the last game was such a huge seller, I definitely find it odd that there hasn’t been anything from that series in this generation. It would be a no brainer for me personally!

@get2sammyb even outside of Nintendo, Capcom have manager to release multiple Resident Evil games in a relatively short time frame and they all look excellent, or RGG with multiple Yakuza games and these have basically carried this generation for me.

We must surely be getting to a point where these long development cycles for AAA games are simple unsustainable

There's sadly a lot of focus on graphics these days which seems to drastically increase development times for many

@get2sammyb surely Sony should take note of Nintendo and start doing the same. We have just seen with Helldivers 2 that a game doesnt have to have the biggest budget to be a success. Quite frankly in this day and age, it feels like the sensible way to go - smaller games, sprinkled with a couple of big games that take long to develop- whereas currently it seems to be the other way around.

Nintendo has a proven model that shows gameplay is king and when all is said and done, the giant open world and flashy graphics actually dont matter all that much.

Shawn Layden was right all those years ago when he said the current model is just not sustainable

@Ryan22sp Killzone 3 put in a prestige mode, Resistance the original one had a fun multiplayer and 3 was a blast as well (not 2 for me that was the most disappointing one for me), Twisted Metal World Tour updated graphics, controls and online mayhem can't wait to blow up windmills or the Eiffel Tower, fighting in skyscrapers. Warhawk, Syphon Filter i would even accept a updated version of Legend of Dragoon and Bloodborne remake or just a cleaned up working gaming at 4K 60FPS🤤

@themightyant Same here I don't seem to able to make a dent in my backlog that is why something like Gamepass or Sony equivalent whatever it's called is useless to me.

@themightyant Exactly. A lot of people here want Sony to release more first-party games and I'm sat here thinking "well, there's only so many hours in a day".

My PS wrap-up told me I played 1400+ hours across 76 single-player games on my PS5 last year, which is basically equivalent to a full-time job (on top of my actual job). All that and I'm still a couple of years behind and haven't even been able to touch any of the big 2023 releases, or even stuff as far back as Elden Ring in early 2022.

I'll never understand how people are running out of games to play.

@Dodoo gosh i really want a sly cooper remake. Try to emulate the ps3 version on my steam deck but running poorly.

Time for Sony to unleash that gritty brutal open-world reimagining of Bubsy

I've provided Sony with slack on another article about this so i wont repeat it here (increasing game budgets, longer timescales etc)

BUT from a consumer perspective this does little to convince me that this generation (both xbox and playstation) has been the worst yet.

Yes we have seen some EXCELLENT games, but we haven't even tapped into the potential of PS5 yet - i completely understand why games are still releasing on last gen systems. The cost of game development means they need to squeeze every penny, dollar, euro they can out of a release - but it does mean we have few examples of titles properly testing the system. So for me, all this talk about a PS5 Pro is gross when we dont even know what the base console can do. I see no reason why consumers should upgrade.

I also dislike the hardware. I've come to the conclusion that the PS5 is a horrible design. Granted the giant vents are there to aid heat loss, but it is an invitation for dust. I have never had consoles shut down on me before, but ive had it happen multiple times with PS5 because of unfortunately located dust entering the system via said vents, which has required me to open the console multiple times to clean it out. Its ridiculous. It really dawned on me last weekend as i was cleaning the system after it repeatedly cut out during the FF7 demo and Like a dragon: Infinite wealth how ludicrous this generation has become.

Personally despite the 'drought' ive had no shortage of things to play, and doubt i will over the course of the next 15 months thanks to 3rd party titles, but i would really like to see Sony invest in smaller studios and start developing some innovative releases (a la gravity rush, concrete genie etc) rather than close any studio that doesnt release a billion dollar product.

Also, im bored of saying it, but i want Sony communicating with the fans. They used to be great at this, but the ps5 generation has been awful. The State of Play a couple of weeks ago was a good start, but hopefully with JR leaving, we'll hear more from Sony this year to set up the future slate for playstation.

Rant over. I still love Playstation - and the dualsense is ace. So there's that!

K so people not understanding that this means current franchise won't see new games for at least 2 years but that doesn't mean there won't be any 1st party titles there will be they'll just be new ip

Look at the timeframe. Any Sony games are in the pipeline to release and sell PS5 Pro models. They aren't being made to target the PS5 at higher frame rates because the PS5 only hits 30fps.

It's actually laughable that any Xbox crossovers will be filling in Sony's deficit.

By the time any real quality first party games that come out from Sony to justify this gen (instead of traversal trick upgrades on Spiderman2) they will run the best on the PS5 Pro to sell the new console at a higher price point and the current 50 mil PS5 consoles will be the new Series S.

Found the article about the PS5 Pro date, and as Pushsquare is owned by a Sony subsidiary then it should be accurate:

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/12/rumour-ps5-pro-targeting-september-2024-will-have-proprietary-upscaling-tech

So does existing titles mean no games? How can you compare this to Xbox? I’ve seen Xbox go year over year with only 1 or 2 titles releasing. It doesn’t conclude to no games but simply nothing that was already released for ps5 coming out before March 2025.

Existing titles like Spider-Man, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon, Gran Turismo.. these are existing titles.

As mentioned Concord is supposed to be releasing this year. And from what I’ve read it I can’t wait to play. Fairgames also new title looking to play. Helldivers 2 has been a lot of fun. Still have 3-4 third party games that are coming out in the next few months.

The issue is with the time it takes to make these exclusives - the average AAA turnaround is now 5 years, especially if new IP or using new engines etc. Appreciate some devs like Insomniac have turned around releases quicker but I would guess that a lot of the work of Miles Morales and Spiderman 2 was built on the original release.

Its kind of the problem that MS has with its acquisitions. They have bought Bethesda and Activision etc. but practically, they are still releasing games that were commissioned before the acquisitions. Ninja Theory was bought in 2018 and is only now releasing it's first major title not already underway (Grounded was already in production before MS acquisition if I recall). Starfield existed before the acquisition.

It's also why we see AAA games falling over with mechanics that are no longer popular. Suicide Squad started dev at a point when live service games and models were considered the future. Now they are not very popular but far too late to change direction.

These lead times are really stifling generations. Not sure of the solution but it means that we need to expect only 1 major exclusive every year from a lot of publishers with small or third party titles in between.

If there was a new 1st party IP dropping in the next 12 months we should have heard something about it as it would be a new IP you would have to build hype a bit more then an established IP. You cant drop a trailer 2 months before release and hope that carries it.

This is basically a repeat of 2015. Where no Sony first party owned studio released a (big) game, but Sony had first party published games for PS4 by studios they didn't own aka 2nd party games (The Order: 1886, Bloodborne, and Until Dawn).

This year those 3 games will be Rise of the Ronin, Stellar Blade, and ironically Until Dawn again lol.

I just can't even fathom being so enslaved into brand allegiance, that said brand can do no wrong. such twisted thinking. Month after month, year after year, it's just more of this hive mind of parrots defending the process of basically getting 'F' Ed for an entire generation thus far for all that loyalty. Even going as far as cheering high corporate profits month after month. Just insanity.

Still cooking up those live service games too! Brilliant.....(spoiler warning for all the greedy shareholders out there: it's a mirage in the desert).

I play game exclusively on PS5 and have for decades, since the first console. That being so doesn't mean I can't criticisize a pretty garbage business and pr model from Sony for years now.
I'd much rather have less dev time and money needed projects filling in the gaps between these small handful of developers pigeon holed into bloated budget sequel mills rather than the current reality of the padding coming from cash grab remasterakes (double dipping), and future live service nonsense.

It's OK to be a fan and be pissed at what corporate greed has done to that platform, talented developers, and the Fandom at large.

@BlaizeV So many smaller titles could've come along - not forgetting some of the bigger hitters like Everybody's Golf.
This somewhat comedy generation is the first one to not have an EG game.

My PS5 is still gathering dust (might change once Dragon's Dogma 2 arrives) but other than that, the PS4 is still getting all the love (and quite a lot of new releases)

This whole gen has been kinda lacklustre. PS5 past it’s peak? It doesn’t even feel like it’s got started yet.

I'm sorry but this is inexcusable. That's why you keep around developers like Pixelopus that can deliver smaller scale games to fill in the gaps. But no... It's all about AAA games and making bank on every single game now. Very disappointing to see.

@themightyant

But TOTK is maybe one of 2 or 3 first part big budget games on the Switch. Everything else is comparably much cheaper. Even by your own example, TOTK is around 60m cheaper than TLOU2, which I bet could be 2 more budgets for some of Nintendo’s less costly games. Plus a Zelda or Mario game is pretty much guaranteed to succeed. There are lots of big budget AAA games that get released that are still broken, or dull, or cynically propped up with extra charges. Nintendo tend to avoid those issues.

Gamers are weird. It's as if games literally don't exist if it's not made by Sony.

So I guess stellar blade, silent hill 2, death stranding 2, Ronin , FF7r , and Pacific drive don't count because it wasn't made in house .

What a drought....Weird

So with the new trend of releasing exclusive 1-2 years after their debut on the PS5, it means that by the time the PS5 get its next installment of a major franchise, PC will be pretty much on par in term of titles…. Pretty sure it’s will be the time when they start to release titles on PC and PS5 at about the same moment…

It's disappointing, but I pretty much predicted this lull as we approached the end of the PS4 lifecycle, because all their "big" first party studios had released our were about to release their latest games. That's why I wasn't that fussed when I couldn't get one at launch and waited almost a year before bothering.

That being said, it seems strange to hear you referring to the PS5 entering "the latter stages of its lifecycle", because it doesn't really feel like the PS5 had achieved much so far. It's a great piece of hardware, certainly, but as far as games are concerned, it's been quite a disappointment for me personally. It seems to me that there's been precious little that's made it break a sweat, and generationally speaking, I've found it all pretty underwhelming so far.

This was echoed in my gaming stats for last year; in 2022, I had 900+ hours on PS5, and several more on PC/Steam... for 2023, that was down to just 140-something on PS5. Last year was very disappointing for me on PlayStation.

@Anthony_Daniels Well said.
All that really matters is if the games are good. 👍

Whatever comes next from Sony, it better be a new IP's. I'm so damn burned out on anything Spider-Man, Horizon, God of War, The Last of Us, etc.

Or bring back Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper, Resistance, Killzone and Astrobot, if you can't come up with a brand new platformer or FPS IP.

Wow even I predict one for the end of 2024
Well I got that wrong.
Perhaps Xbox can help them out 😂😂😂
It’s a joke people.

@Rob_230 I worry about the reverse happening, that the power of the PS4 (Switch successor would likely be around the same power as PS4) convinces Nintendo to use the Sony's more recent approach to software with the Switch's successor.

It doesn’t matter, general public will still buy the console in massive amounts, no matter what.

Well that's what happens when an ill-advised all-in venture into GaaS goes up in flames.

@get2sammyb Stella blade isn't first party

@themightyant We do.

Miyanoto said in an interview that BOTW needed to sell 2m units to start being profitable after 6 years of development. That puts it around $120m.

Plus also consider, Mario Kart 8 has sold 60m units. Plus DLC. All that money isn't being funneled exclusively into the next one. It's being spread around for smaller titles, more niche games, library fillers. That's how they work the business.

Big hits fund smaller titles for variety and bulk out the library.

Sony's problem, and the industry at large, is the budgets are so damn high they only have the option of profits going exclusively into the next game because they can't sell enough to have enough funds to spread around.

A timeline and summary of everything Sony first party has released on PS5:

Astro's Playroom (2020) - Tech demo
Demon's Souls (2020) - Remake of a PS3 game, still fully exclusive
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020) - Cross-gen, released on PC
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered (2020) - Port of a PS4 game, released on PC
Sackboy: A Big Adventure (2020) - Cross-gen, released on PC
Destruction AllStars (2021) - Dead live service game, fully exclusive
MLB The Show 21 (2021) - Cross-gen, day one on Xbox Game Pass
Returnal (2021) - Released on PC
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021) - Released on PC
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut (2021) - Port of a PS4 game
Death Stranding Director's Cut (2021) - Port of a PS4 game, released on PC
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (2022) - Ports of PS4 games, released on PC
Horizon Forbidden West (2022) - Cross-gen, scheduled to release on PC soon
Gran Turismo 7 (2022) - Cross-gen
MLB The Show 22 (2022) - Cross-gen, day one on Xbox Game Pass, also on Switch
The Last of Us Part I (2022) - Remake of a PS3 game, released on PC
God of War Ragnarök (2022) - Cross-gen
Horizon Call of the Mountain (2023) - PS VR2 exclusive
MLB The Show 23 (2023) Cross-gen, day one on Xbox Game Pass, also on Switch
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (2023) - Currently exclusive; leak revealed PC port is in development
The Last of Us Part II Remastered (2024) - Port of a PS4 game
Helldivers 2 (2024) - Live service game, released day and date on PC with no PS+ requirement for PC

You can judge for yourself if this output makes a compelling case to own a PS5, which is already at the halfway stage of its lifespan.

Its no surprise.but come on sony.wow those PlayStation exclusives takes a long time doesn't it.word up son

I sure as hell miss how PlayStation was during the previous generations.

There is still a big part of me that thinks much of the PS5’s success is hugely due to the loyalty built with the previous generations. Hell, that’s why I bought 1 day 1.

The PS3 generation was something else.
Uncharted 1-3
Infamous 1-2&DLC
Resistance 1-3
2or3 Ratchet and Clanks
Motorstorm 1-3
Gran T
The Last of Us
Killzone
God of War 3
Little Big Planet 1-3

And more, The Puppeteer, etc.

This generation has be so disappointing in comparison.

I don't much care for Sony's 1st party titles, but I AM wondering what the studios are all doing. Some of them have released nothing for considerably more than 5 years.

Just put out the 60fps Bloodborne patch and consoles will sell

My backlog is entirely sufficient to fill my leisure time for several years at this point. I'm still a bit surprised that AAA is falling off a cliff this harshly, but after 2023 and the dearth of big releases, it seems rather foreseeable. Microsoft probably sees the same thing, thus the new multi-plat strategy.

I'm going to quote something from Reggie Fils-Aimé's autobiography that I feel is particularly relevant here. This was Nintendo's line of thought as they were researching business literature when designing the Wii:

"The first book we agreed to use was The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen. Christensen wrote that businesses need to constantly reevaluate whether to continue along their existing path that caters to current consumer needs or adopt new approaches that meet future and maybe unarticulated needs. This fit well with the gaming industry as both PlayStation and Xbox were pushing on traditional vectors: more realistic visuals supported by increased processing power. Nintendo believed this was a dead end. More realistic visuals by themselves did not result in a better game. And more processing power would lead to higher costs and higher consumer prices, which would limit the potential market, versus expanding it."

I'm of course not saying Sony and Microsoft have brought nothing of value to gaming; that would be complete and utter rubbish. However, Nintendo were right about the general trajectory of gaming, all those years ago. Big games now take too long to make. They cost too much to make. Apart from shinier graphics, most games aren't innovative. They aren't new. They aren't fun. And they're becoming more and more about squeezing extra cash out of consumers, rather than delighting customers. We've essentially gone full circle back to arcade games, which were designed to harvest as much money as possible. The number of remakes coming out just seems to emphasise how out of ideas modern big games are. What happened to Sony's incredible, totally off the wall library of varied franchises? Big and small? The studios that made them are closed down. Sony seem capable of only making huge expensive games now, in the same franchises, because if they don't, people complain that the graphics suck, or they won't take the risk on new IP that costs $70. And it's a corner they (and the gaming industry) have backed themselves into. But it just isn't sustainable, or else we get mass layoffs and huge droughts, like we're experiencing now.

Just my genuine, honest thoughts as someone who's owned and loved every previous PlayStation, but sees no reason to buy a PS5.

@Martijn87 I don't think most folks read the body of the article. I'm sure there will be plenty of games throughout the year. My only concern is they're still mentioning live service games, which is a guaranteed fail.

@get2sammyb Thanks! Really looking forward to SB. Didn’t know it was an exclusive.

The slow and gradual decline of Playstation was easy to see a couple of years ago but a lot of people had their head buried in the sand.

Kept making last gen games
Focusing on PC
Focusing on GAAS
Keep releasing remasters/remakes
Completely dropping the ball with PSVR2
Stopped releasing smaller games/closing studios
Terrible showcases/State of Plays
No roadmap
Little to no communication

@ChrisDeku That's 2nd party, 1st party is when it's a Sony owned studio.

There would be no point in Sony owning any studios if letting 3rd party devs make games for them would still be classed as 1st party games.

So, this is why xbox wants to put their games on PS5, since Sony has none for the foreseeable future

It’s alright: Microsoft are here to fill in the gaps!

@naruball 'This is inexcusable' says the person who has been making excuses for quite a while.

“…begins to move beyond its peak years…”?! When were those?!

@MrGawain I was surprised by the idea of Ps5 having peak years, as it only has a few actual ps5 exclusive titles due to cross gen. Honestly, it's been a weird generation. Thankfully, and I say this with a little bit of surprise, indie devs and third parties are delivered better offerings than first parties.

From a business point of view this would be a perfect window of opportunity for Nintendo to release their Switch successor. I say this as someone who enjoys both PlayStation and Nintendo consoles pretty equally.

No new game in existing franchises also implies remakes could launch in the interim.
Could we at least hope for a Bloodborne Remake or Remaster to launch with the PS5 Pro?

I get it that people will be unpleased with this, but it is okay. The PS5 is essentially the PS2-era all over again, and that’s a positive. We don’t constantly need an influx of first party games even though they are system sellers. There isn’t anything wrong with having a plethora of second party exclusives. Look back at 2023 — there were amazing games all across the board. Sony knows that it doesn’t need high quality AAA games to reel people in as long as you have games for the console.

Look at the current state of releases just between January - April. We have Helldivers 2 which is blowing up in fantastic ways. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is releasing soon and it’s going to be a massive hit. There is also Rise of the Ronin, and Team Ninja rarely falters. And lastly Stellar Blade. These games are essentially “exclusive”, and by that I mean not on Xbox or Nintendo since PlayStation is getting more acquainted with PC.

Those games aren’t first-party, but that doesn’t detract from the output of quality releases from
Sony. I personally believe we have an embarrassment of riches right now. I’m okay if I don’t see another God of War, Spider-Man, TLoU, or even Ghost of Tsushima right now.

With all of that said, I will posit a theory. Sony knows it doesn’t have to release any first-party AAA games right now because of Microsoft. They have been aware of Microsoft’s change in course for a while because contracts and legal formalities have to be put forth in order to send out PS5 development kits for Microsoft to test their games on.

Perhaps Sony knows they are going to get Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Starfield, and possibly Gears of War and Halo. If that does turn out to be the case, Sony can rely on that to keep the demand high for PS5s. They won’t necessarily need first-party exclusives if they can get some of the most beloved games from the Xbox ecosystem on PlayStation. Sure, those games - if the rumors are true - may not be on the PS5 this year, but I think most of them will be drip fed monthly. Perhaps Sony knows this and it allows them some leeway. That’s just my theory.

All in all, I don’t think people need to be upset. To reiterate, the PS2-era had an incredible library, and it wasn’t due to exclusives. And it’s the best selling console of all time for a reason. Let’s just embrace the idea that we are living spoiled with so many games right now that it’s not even funny.

Disappointing, for sure, especially so late in the generation, and considering their first-party game on PS5 has already been fairly weak (lots of remasters and cross-gen releases, but only a few next-gen releases). Thank goodness for the strong slate of third-party titles hitting the system in 2024, huh? If they were gonna remain exclusive, it'd honestly be reminiscent of the PS1/PS2 era (because, let's be honest: those systems aren't primarily remembered or loved for their exclusive first-party titles lol)

@get2sammyb

"Nintendo by comparison is able to put out pretty low-budget software by contrast (not a criticism) and sell double the number of units."

I really, really wish Sony would trend more toward the Nintendo model of doing business. You have a few really expensive games that take 5+ years to make, but the majority of their output is, honestly, probably AA in terms of budget, but it allows them to have a sometimes astonishing level of output. As you mention, it doesn't hurt game sales at all, and many of these games are also extremely well-received. And even the ones that aren't are still usually good enough to satisfy the player base, since a lot of them hit game genres that don't fit into the 'third person-cinematic-action adventure-with crafting' model that Sony is so fond of.

I also love how Nintendo has contracted third-parties over the years to make good use of their IPs. Titles like Advance Wars 1 + 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Metroid Dread, Pokemon Snap 2, the various Nintendo-themed Warriors games, etc. are all primarily or totally designed by third-parties, but include Nintendo IP and can be marketed like first-party titles as well.

Sony definitely can have its big budget blockbusters, of course. Especially if it controls budgets better going forward. Hopefully at least some of these are original titles like in the PS4 era, and not simply modern franchise sequels.

Reading through this thread, there's has only been 2 first party PS5 exclusives since launch. One of those was Spiderman 2, which is not my type of game. Everything else is 3rd party and most of which I played on gamepass or bought on Xbox. If Sony is relying on Xbox titles, I won't buy those for the PS5 only. Remasters don't cut it either. If you want to attract Xbox users to PS, you have to actually make a game or two.

"1st party can be grown with multiplatform" - Hiroki Totoki

The industry is changing fast. Is this another case of Sony letting Xbox take the heat for future plans (like supporting previous gen for years)? Are they considering day 1 PC? Putting select games on rival platforms? Time will tell.

this makes it sound like no ps5 pro this year

@truerbluer 100% agreed. nice summary. this console generation has been quite underwhelming due to a lack of current gen content designed to take full advantage of the hardware. a similar trend also applies to most 3rd party releases so it is a problem across the board. i still don't own a ps5 for the reasons you outlined above.

I wonder if they consider ports/remasters/remakes as "new major existing franchise titles". So like would TLoU 2 Remastered count as one?

If not, it could be that the big PS5 Fall 2024 release is something like a PS5 remaster for Horizon Zero Dawn or GoW (2018).

Yea Sonys output this gen is pathetic, and I dont want to hear about 3rd party exclusives that will come to other platforms. They are riding on nothing but credit this gen. It's crazy how the PS5 is selling so well. Because theirs no reason for it to be.

@Ken_Kaniff To be fair, the PS4 sold well for years with barely any decent exclusives. As I recall, even Sony execs were confused by how well it was doing.

People are going to want to play "next-gen" games, and Sony is still doing better delivering high-quality exclusives for its system than Microsoft is. What's that saying? "You don't need to be faster than the bear that's chasing you. You just need to be faster than the guy next to you."

@Ralizah I hear you, but dont sleep on MS. Have you had a look at what they have coming over the next two years? It dwarfs what Sony has on offer.

They didn’t say no first party stuff at all. So probably no huge reason to freak out. Plus I have so much stuff to play that’ll help me play catch up. XD

Called it. Jim Ryan had the game pipeline a complete mess with that live service focus garbage. Helldivers is a nice Cinderella story but it changes nothing and we're about to feel the pain while Sony recovers and lets PS Studios get back on track. Still expecting some out of nowhere remasters + exclusives like Stellar Blade but the gap between Spidey 2 & whatever big exclusive blockbuster story game is next will be huge.
Shame on Microsoft for giving up right as they were going to get a chance to strike. Congrats to Nintendo for a wide open window to push Switch past PS2 & launch new hardware.

@WanderWhere So we are gonna forget about R&C and Returnal. We also have Helldivers, Stellar, and Concord.

Good thing Microsoft is helping out!

@XboxistheBestBox
Cool!

I appreciate that Sony knows how to do games. Enjoy your business!

@pharos_haven

I said 2 first party, Ratchet & Clank was the other, but it is on ps+ so who is going to buy it now. Returnal also is on ps+, so won't sell any new. And both are on PC. Helldivers is multiplatform and the ps player base is dwarfed by the pc players. Stellarblade is ps only but not first party, just a paid for exclusivity. And Concord, no info that I've seen and also not first party. Sorry, but no ps cigar.

@Ralizah PS2 isn’t primarily loved for its first party? It’s very fondly remembered by fans for its output of internally developed content, not to mention franchises began there that we still play today. I’d much rather play Up Your Arsenal or Sly than Mario Sunshine, and I don’t think that’s controversial to say. The games on PS2 were amazing.

PS1 no doubt was a 3rd party machine with sprinkles of their own IP, but PS2 provided everything, including loads of great first party content.

@Ken_Kaniff @XboxistheBestBox Sony at least has the sense to keep their games off rival console platforms. Both companies are weakening the long-term value of their console brands relative to Nintendo, for sure, but Microsoft is speedrunning the process, and Sony also has a better reputation for high-quality releases (versus tentpoles like Halo Infinite and Starfield eventually becoming disliked/disappointed).

As gamers we have never had it so good. I'm currently playing Tekken 8 and Elden Ring. Still have to buy Baldurs Gate 3 too.Blows my mind that this generation is apparently awful according to everyone else.

I would rather we had massive blockbusters rarely, even if they take 5-6 years. No ones asking you to rush through these games in the first weekend of release. HZD, GoW, Spiderman, Gran Turismo are all memorable. You can't say that about the deluge of dross in the bargain bucket 3rd party space. Capcom and Bandai Namco are doing great things too. Love those publishers.

@MrGawain next year is 2025

@Ryan22sp with assassins creed japan coming out either late 2024 or early 2025 as well.

@Enriesto Correct. I'm not saying the first-party games were all bad (God of War and especially Gran Turismo performed well), but the games most remember that console for were its mostly exclusive third-party stuff: Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, GTA, Kingdom Hearts, Silent Hill, etc.

@themcnoisy console BG3 is ofc an achievement but the Steam PC version excels with mods and Id recommend over console versions. Brilliant game wherever you play it. Massive replay ability that left 007 Spiderman 2 spitting out dust. Or was that sand?

@Ralizah also naughty dog and insomniac were 3rd party on ps1, i can't remember when sony bought naughty dog i'm guessing it was jax and daxter days.

@Ryan22sp lmao I don't think I disagree with a single thing you said. I just straight up dont care about Sony's major 1st party stuff with maybe an exception here and there like returnal and astro. Until their major studios can show me anything that isn't some Hyper realistic, grounded and basic game then I remain fast asleep on them. Still plenty out there to eat anyway

Further to my earlier post about the delays in first party games lining up with a possible release of PS5 Pro, just saw this:

https://wccftech.com/ps5-pro-price/amp/

Like I said, soon playstation will mirror the series x/s capability divide should make for interesting comparisons

@Kraven agreed. People aren't looking. They're just complaining

@Ralizah Well MS is doing that because they have to. Imo they got overly ambitious with buying Activision, and didn't see the turnaround they were expecting with only 3% console growth and GP at a stand still. I believe MS could eventually pull the audience from Sony. Because to me Sony is falling off from an output standpoint, but it would take MS years of just clobbering Sony in the exclusive department to maybe make that happen. So the hard decision was to go ahead and start putting first party games out on rival platforms to start and make money back on there investments.

No s**t. We could all see well in advance what the nonsensical push towards live service was gonna do.

Before this what I was expecting for the rest of the year after Stellar Blade was Destiny 2 last expansion, GOW remake and Concord. This takes the possibility of GOW, still not the biggest news lol.

@themightyant It's entirely possible there are new IP or other games releasing that don't fit those criteria.

I can't remember the last time sony shown a new IP and released it within 12 months. I agree Concord will probably release this year but that was revealed last year and will most likely not release until the end of this year, maybe even early 2025 so more than 12 months after being shown. We will have to wait and see but I can't see them putting much out apart from Concord and the Until Dawn Remake.

@Ralizah I would still dispute this, respectfully of course. GTA indeed is remembered for its ground breaking open world mechanics and pushed out many consoles with Sony's tied in marketing. If we approached a random on the street who played a PS2 in those days, yes, good chance they'd mention San Andreas or Vice City as a fond memory of the console. There's also a good chance they'd add GT as you mentioned, maybe GoW or Jak 2.

What seems to be implicit in your argument (and feel free to correct) is that it's only a platform like Nintendo that's sought after for its first-party content, and that it's the only platform capable of innovating in various genre spaces. While I would agree that is the case today with the Switch vs PS5, I don't think it was so with the PS2. Jak and Daxter innovated in action-adventure scales and animation, and Shadow Of The Colossus basically pioneered spectacle fights that awe us in current projects like Nier or a FromSoft title. This is what I mean by being remembered, PS first party games were in the ring moving the industry forward just like Nintendo and to some degree, Xbox. It's these experiences that fans remember and carry with them today, myself included.

The reason I'm standing firm in this is because, in light of the article, it's clear Sony is capable of doing what Nintendo is now doing with Switch. Excellent, innovative first party titles, and a seemingly never-ending third party roster of games to enjoy alongside them. I've actually said in the past that the Switch IS the PS2 of this era - it provides anything you could want for a gaming experience with its astounding library.

I don't want to rant too much, and I don't want to speak past you as we may ultimately be in agreement, but I just don't understand why people think PS2 is basically a 3rd party machine in essence - and don't even get me started on the 'DVD Player' shtick people throw around - when just about any content creator you can find online that is passionate about video games remarks on the titles I mentioned, not just GTA or FF. And that's what I want from Sony... get the best of both worlds like they once did. It's too late for this gen it seems given these games are somewhat far along in development, but hopefully they get their act together in PS6 and completely stomp us with quality like the good old days.

I think they would have teased Ghost of 2shima by now if it wouldn't awkwardly undercut the Rise of the Ronin release

Of the Xbox exclusives released this gen, Hi Fi (87) and Pertinent (86) Metacritic rank 3 (tied with Halo Infinite at 87) and 5. Forza Horizon 5 is a 92 and Flight Simulator is 90. Next in line (outside of more Forza) is Starfield at 83.

I’d say getting two of the best exclusives available for Xbox would be a solid win.

@XboxistheBestBox You're dreaming. There is no future where Sony helps to strengthen Microsofts position. Same day launch on PC is realistic, especially if they're paying attention to how well Helldivers is performing. Select titles ported to the switch 2 is also something I could see happening, but there is no chance they bring their titles to Xbox.

I think part of this is the fact every game has to be this massive open world/sandbox hitter. Linear games aren't bad. Sometimes I want a decently created on the rails story that allows me to backtrack areas/chapters.
Bioshock
Resistance
Earlier Uncharted
Last of Us 1
the list goes on

@Shepherd_Tallon next level games, who had worked on Luigi's Mansion for years - they started exploring a sale so Nintendo bought them in 2021.

In fairness Sony has been doing the same, in that Insomniac, Bluepoint, Firewalk, Housemarque were all long time partners prior to acquisition. That's why i reckon Arrowhead games will soon be acquired following the success of Helldivers 2.

I also think Sony will buy Ballistic Moon if Until Dawn Remake is successful (and Lucid Games would have been, had Destruction Allstars not performed poorly)

@Intr1n5ic unless required by the licensing agreement (MLB The Show).

I understand the desire to not announce games too far from the actual release date, but when you have such a massive drought of first party games for this long, you have to give us something. This utter silence is really bad. I love my PS5 and I am a Sony fanboy, but if I was to grade this generation as it is now, it is by far the most disappointing in relation to SIE exclusives.

@XboxistheBestBox Well, no, even if that did happen (which would go against Sony's aggressive console exclusivity tactics that have kept them the kings of the home console space since the mid-90s, so I don't think it's even a possibility barring seismic changes in management), it would just degrade the value of Sony's hardware and services even more. Dramatically more, frankly.

Microsoft will do this because they're banking on the long-term value proposition being an investment in services and software over simply cornering the home console market, whereas cornering the home console market, frankly, is the only thing between the Playstation brand and extinction.

@Enriesto I actually have mentioned, as a partially lapsed Sony fan, that Nintendo Switch feels like a PS1/PS2-tier system for me: full of diverse, high-quality releases that hit pretty much all genres, and with a predominant focus on Japanese-developed games. You don't get that with Sony anymore, IMO.

I don't disagree that Sony's output used to be significantly more diverse than it is now, or that there was value in that. It's actually a big part of why PS5 doesn't appeal to me. Just, for the most part, my understanding has been that the 'legendary' games on Sony's older systems tended to be exclusive third-party ones, with a variety of decent-to-good first-party releases adding some flavor to the lineup. Whereas, yes, people traditionally bought Nintendo home consoles for first-party games.

@Ken_Kaniff Playstation's brand awareness is powerful, and even Microsoft's most aggressive push to dislodge them from the top of the home console industry with the 360 ultimately failed to shift the tides in any sort of permanent way. If anything, they keep falling off harder over the years with successive consoles. And it's not like they're Nintendo, which managed to make up for dwindling home console sales with explosive handheld console sales.

I'm not terribly worried about Sony's output long-term: I think the current lack of first-party titles we're seeing is the result of their partially aborted push into the live service sector. Bad for headlines this gen, but I think Sony will bounce back from it.

And anyway, if Microsoft's games all start going to Playstation, there's still no incentive to buy an Xbox outside of having access to GamePass, which itself, as you admit, has sort of stalled in terms of subs.

@truerbluer Just for MLB the show 23, it's worth it. The Negro leagues was both awesome and a history lesson all at once. And the Franchise mode will last me years because I play offline only.

These games are just so large and deep now, one or two a year is plenty. Maybe Sony, other than their sports division, should focus on shorter experiences. And do what Nintendo's been doing the last 2 decades and keep recycling assets from the gamecube era. Seems to make them lots of profit, though the Nintendo experience has been heavily diluted this gen.

A bit disappointing regarding the rest of this year but I'm not that fussed. I don't know where people find the time to play what's already available. In the first 6 or 7 weeks of this year I've spent roughly £300 on Like a Dragon, Granblue Fantasy, Helldivers, Dragons Dogma 2 and FF7 Rebirth. Stellar Blade I'll grab closer to its launch, as well as many smaller indie titles I like the look of like Dave the Diver and Harold Halibut. Then there's, Rise of the Ronin, Black Myth Wukong, The Plucky Squire, Concord? etc, to consider later on.

With a full time job there's enough there to keep me busy for the entire year. Not to mention my backlog which is just stupid at this point.

@lacerz Yeah, any exception will likely be a situation where their hand is forced.

I remember the embarrassment of riches that came alongside my new Playstation 2 on launch day: TimeSplitters, Killzone, SSX, and then a plethora of new games in the months and years that followed, all at a brisk and steady pace. My PS3 likewise saw a rapid and consistent pattern of high-quality titles (and by high-quality I mean more than just eye candy and non-interactive cinematics). But the current console generation? What's there is very few and far between, and all too often so-called "AAA" games are releasing to the public as glorified betas still riddled with glitches, bugs, and features missing from installments on previous iterations. We're paying more ($59.99 to $79.99 now on average) for less overall quality and content, and subscription models (something I personally will NEVER support as I prefer to OWN and CONTROL my legal purchases) have created a throwaway culture where online-centric titles are constantly getting shut down and swept aside for "the next big thing", and both Sony and Microsoft are trying to train the masses into supporting "1.5" or "Pro" hardware halfway through each console generation...all to play fewer and fewer games that they don't even own anymore. And as an avid hobbyist since the Atari 2600, I feel the current generation is returning by far the least amount of quality and quantity for my investment.

Want to know why my Switch library is several times larger than my PS5 and XBox Series X ones combined? Simple, it releases games (including genuinely high-quality first-party Nintendo titles) at a brisk and consistent pace. So many folks like to harp on Nintendo having less powerful hardware, but let me ask, how powerful does it really have to be? Bleeding-edge, photorealistic visuals require enormous time and personnel commitments (ergo the constant news about layoffs), and too many developers, even the "AAA" ones, have struggled to produce even finished games, let alone games whose overall quality in gameplay, mechanics, and content are able to match those graphics. System power has outstripped the ability of developers to continue producing steady releases, and the pressure to do so has burned out many of them and led others to jump ship; as for the games themselves, it's led to a sharp drop-off in overall quality, content, and features.

In short, perhaps the biggest reason Nintendo is so successful despite supposedly inferior hardware is that their games still look and play "like videogames"; simpler, more animated aesthetics and rock-solid gameplay and mechanics, and yet they take a fraction of the time your typical PS5 or XBox release does to develop. And ultimately it always, ALWAYS comes down to THE GAMES.

Microsoft isn't the only console maker who's facing a reckoning with regard to the emphasis on system power over everything else; Sony needs to look hard in the mirror at that 18-month gap and ask, through the lens of their consumers, what that $500 piece of hardware is actually for.

@Ralizah I suppose we just agree to disagree, no problem. I would throw in the games I mentioned and a number of other PS titles to the legendary tier you mention apart from the GTAs and MGSs that are discussed. It definitely was not a case of adding 'not bad to good' titles but some seriously high quality content that rivaled competitor output, including a few of the greatest ever. I just think a lot of people forget how enjoyable and ahead of their time 1st party games were on the PS2. They're some of the best you can play, even today. I'm actually in a phase at the moment where I'm replaying the Jak and Ratchet games (it's why they keep getting mentioned) and I'm astounded at what they accomplished in the early 2000s. Not to mention, they're still a blast even now, a breath of fresh air away from modern gaming. Perhaps it's that Xbox did wonders with backwards compat and that Nintendo actually treats old properties with care as we've seen in the Switch gen that overshadows Sony's old content in how they've left their gems in the shadows. My view of course... wish Sony wouldn't sleep on what they have.

A partially lapsed Sony fan? I like that. If Sony doesn't recover from this strange spell they're in for this generation, I'm going to steal that label from you lol.

@WanderWhere Firewalk Studios is owned by Sony my guy.

For 20+ years Sony Studios launches new interesting games every year. 2023 was the first year, they launched almost nothing. Now 2024 looks similar... I don't care about exclusivity or established IP; I want to see something new and interesting from Sony. 2024 has just started, but nothing major is announced. Helldivers 2 looks promising; I haven't played it yet. That counts as a Sony game; it isn't exclusive, but it's Sony.

@XboxistheBestBox and the answer will be still be no. Xbox is dead buddy

@Enriesto I feel you. I know a lot of the older Sony properties have their fans, and many of them sold decently enough back in the day. Just, as someone who was huge into PS1 and PS2 back in the day, Sony's own releases were very much of occasional interest and not much else outside of the ones I mentioned, and that attitude was reflected in everyone I spoke to who owned a PS2. Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, etc. were good enough, but just one among many on their respective platforms.

Granted, this is all anecdotal. I'm only speaking from my perspective in that regard.

Yeah, partially lapsed. Lapsing more as we head further into the PS5 generation, frankly. I feel like they sacrificed a substantial fraction of their identity as a brand over the last several years, symbolized most potently by the dissolution of their Japan Studio and the transformation of their first-party output into an endless conga of samey action-adventure-cinematic titles.

Nintendo has slowly been filling the hole that Sony has been leaving in the last decade or so.

@XboxistheBestBox Sony's walled-off gardens, fashioned by strong marketing and aggressive exclusivity pushes, have made them the kings of the home console industry for decades now. They have a particular business specialty, and they do it well.

Sony is pushing into the PC space slowly because the expectation is that it won't hurt sales on the home console front to a significant enough degree that it isn't offset by the additional revenue gained from the venture.

They've made some very questionable moves with the brand this generation, but they're not braindead enough to totally devalue their own hardware (and new game sales, for that matter) and resultant space in the massive home console market like Microsoft has.

Microsoft's apparent push into total multiplatform support is both because they've utterly failed to maintain momentum in the home console market, and also because the company itself is gigantic and can afford to float a more nebulous 10-year-plan that'll be a loser in the short run.

The Xbox brand itself is very much of secondary importance to Microsoft now, so yes, they're not worth investing in.

@Ralizah It may very well be the case here that Nintendo takes care of my wants in game direction that Sony is seemingly shifting away from as well. I'm not ready to jump ship yet, as Astro's Playroom, Returnal, And Demon's Souls show to me as a fan that there's some good life yet remaining. But in a few years we may be having a different conversation. I already have warmed up to a number of JRPG titles I never touched years ago because I passed on certain systems, notably the 3DS. Incredible games, many of which rest in the spirit that Nintendo is permeating its library with... a recent development for me! As I picked one up during covid and have slowly built a catalog of must-haves. So I'm keeping a close eye on their ventures in addition to hoping that Sony can retrieve their ways as a game company.

Regardless, seems we have different tastes as we've shared regarding older system gens, and that's great. For the record, I did have a Gamecube and loved it. Was primarily a multiplayer machine for me, but it did also have both my favorite Zelda (WW) and Metroid (Prime) games in their respective series. RE4 was also a marvel. So I can totally see how this would have been someone's preferred platform back in the 2000s, mine just was the PS2 because their games spoke to me in a way that was special. And so for the final time, to stress, this is what I want Sony to recognize as their benchmark for when "Greatness Awaits" was a mantra that they lived by, not just marketed.

@Enriesto PS2 was my preferred platform as well. Mostly because everything that wasn't Resident Evil seemed to be hitting it first, or exclusively. The console had the biggest games, and also an endless library of somewhat less high-end games that were nevertheless fantastic. As a horror and JRPG gamer, PS2 was the place to be.

Although GameCube was necessary for me because of stuff like REmake, Eternal Darkness, etc. I bought it late into the gen used for a fraction of the MSRP because, as nostalgic as people are for it, it wasn't a particularly successful platform. A big reason why they shifted directions so completely with the Wii!

My favorite consoles have always been Japanese-focused in terms of their libraries. I don't think it's a coincidence that I've fallen out of love with Sony as they've shifted gears toward focusing almost entirely on AAA Western output internally and de-prioritizing connections with Japanese IPs outside of ones that are increasingly becoming Westernized in their design.

@Czar_Khastik

all two of them...lol...

From a pure numbers perspective, PS5 has 161 games on Metacritic ranked 100-80. Xbox Series has 114 ranked 100-80. I think the PS5 is doing alright. 😂🤣💀

Oh…Nintendo? Switch (launched 2016) has 501 games within 100-80.

@pharos_heaven I honestly hadn't seen that mentioned in the press thanks for the correction.

Why not at least tell people what the studio's are actually doing? GoT came out near on 4 years ago which if there is a sequel (I hope so) and nothing is due out this year then it's been in development for what? 6 years? Best be a damn good game and not Ghost of Live Service.

I mean they don't always need major IPs DLC/new games they take time but if they can fill it in with something else sure. Customer can't wait yet want bigger. Their expectations are too high. But studios also set expectations in trailers, in their reputation in many things (new or old staff and training or scale of the projects they have made).

I'd take a smaller game/a returning IP. Live services were supposed to fill in the gap I guess? Or always were in-between big titles even though not all of us are interested in them only certain audiences.

Third parties fill gaps but only so much.

PC releases will too.

If they can balance them out then sure but for the first 3 years it's been pretty fair I'd say.

Projects getting cancelled does change things and it does happen nothing can be perfect, management changes, a lot of things happen they can't always fill in our entertainment time and many of us find other things to do gaming or outside gaming.

If people are picky about what titles they play that's on them as well. I have 100s of old retro consoles or PS4/Xbox One/Switch games to play. Many researched, many got for cheap, many new titles. I am picky but also broad in certain appeal too. I don't limit myself to one genre or one IP I love/themes.

PS4 had 2013-2015 of PS3 IP leftovers, remasters before the major changes of 2015-2020 IP direction. Order 1886 being the first I can think of of the Last of Us/Cinematic direction. Infamous First Light had some of it in it's ending and it annoyed me finishing it a few weeks ago. It felt like a different game.

Xbox One had a fair few releases just not ones people noticed or cared about impact wise but still there. Xbox Series has still released many just not the major ones people care about of impact but still do care enough, just the major ones are taking their time, a little too long though.

Their major ones will go eventually just taking yes 'way too long' and the 'flexibility but we have the money' has it's limits.

It says a lot that Insomniac/Obsidian just are unique cases of managing their time and studios well. Not all can do that and it takes longer to make the games but some studios like them are exceptions and can get games out in less than 5 years or do take 5 years but have others fill in the space.

Sony has their studios still fit periods and if it takes longer to make games sure but sprinkle in a small title or something.

Xbox just offers flexibility but they take way too long. Cut the cutscenes, or actors and make an effort to focus on the size of the world, story, what you playthrough, how you play with the character's moveset and more. Focus, make the scale to a certain degree and make sure the staff are trained well or 'can do it'.

I know I suck at programming but you can't have staff that take too long to code something when it should be basic stuff not taking weeks to do it.

Tim Cain's videos make that clear between old Fallout and later games he has worked on, whether his methods and veterans staff to yell but still come to a conclusion on the direction of the game or asking why it takes some lower level staff too long to do basic things in games (maybe hard probably programming, art or whatever but for games is probably fairly low level stuff especially as it was some certain attacks of enemy AI I think).

I think that lack of training can be a problem and why games can take too many years. Sure each staff member is totally different in skills/roles let alone the scale of the project, the animations, the code, achieving some scenes, rewrites, whatever the case.

This isn't Vita where they wanted to avoid it due to cost to scale the games down or make new ones and stop the studios working on projects for it and leave it up to Japanese third parties/Indies (almost Sega Saturn levels sometimes of games not releasing to the west when they could but thankful for Asian English releases at least) because western third parties gave up for family only titles like Wii U or gave up entirely.

But just taking time to make games for PS5, get used to the hardware or make sequels or new titles. What scale they want to go to this time.

Customer can't wait yet want bigger. Their expectations are too high.

I feel like, despite it being reiterated in the article, a lot of comments are misreading “we do not plan to release any new major existing franchise titles” as “we do not plan to release any first-party titles.” Comprehension and distinction are important.

@KidRyan Thanks, forgot about RotR. FF7 is only a timed exclusive though for a few months.