PS4 proves that Sony should cut 1st party production

[babybumb]

There was talk years ago inside Sony about closing 1st party. They were however deemed "essential". Playstation 4 is selling because of multiplatform games, brand power over Xbox outside of USA and despite of 1st party. Sony could save a ton of money by closing every internal studio and just doing contracts with outside studios like Bloodborne

Its hard to argue 1st party has contributed even for 10% of hardware purchases. Most of these studios just arent good enough to produce a game in 2014 that is the best there is in that genre.

 

[eastmen]

I can agree that a few first parties can get the axe. But I think the studios behind GT is still worth while to keep. Maybe even killzone. The already stark launch of the ps4 would have been nothing if not for that game.

 

[DJ12]

But when they axe them, everyone morns a great loss. Just like with Studio Liverpool who really hadn't released anything to write home about for years.

Santa monica and Japan Studios are probably the way to go though (Publishing third party games - although this technically makes them second party, but you get the point I hope). But I did used to enjoy some of the more weird releases sony used to release before everyone went AAA crazy.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

It takes years to build a cohesive team of talented individuals. Not every console will stand on its hardware and I'd say the PS3 years would have been much harder for Sony had they not had the likes of Evolution, Guerrilla, Sucker Punch, Polyphony and Sony Santa Monica.

I certainly wouldn't have bought a PS3 and Sony would have lost out on the licensing fees of approx 80 day one full priced retail games that I bought.

Dismantling things because they aren't critical now is short sighted. They may become critical in he future and you can't just throw teams together and expect magic.

 

[orangpelupa]

if PS did not have exclusive from crazy quality 1st party, i wont buy PS. Because playing game in PC is muuuuuuch more fun and cheap and portable (my 4 years old non-gaming-laptop still able to play Watch Dogs and BF4 @ 720p).

true that they can make 3rd party release exclusive games for PS, but its 1st party exclusive that make me in-love with PS. Their game is marvelous and most of them are in accordance with my taste/preference/interest. Although i admit that in PS4, sony did not really have nice exlusive for me. I only wait for Uncharted 4 and FF15 while the others im gravitating to get them on PC. Even my ps4 now basically is Destiny-Machine. It plays no other games, it cant be used to play media files... its exclusively for Destiny bah... (originally i buy ps4 for TLOUR, but i already finished it)

on the other hands, 3rd party exclusive that i like on Xbox are very little. Halo only REACH, Ace Combat 6 is awesome but only that 1 series is exclusive, lost odyssey and eternal sonata also nice exclusive from 3rd party but again... it just 1 series, then nothing follows them from other devs.

 

[Sigfried1977]

Just because they're fumbling at the moment doesn't really mean I wanna see them all go. Even though I never really cared an anwful lot about their first party stuff outside the more eccentric efforts from the Japan Studios. I thought most Sony 1st party games were rather safe and derivative, and almost all of them were ridiculously overrated too.

 

[Shortbread]

There was talk years ago inside Sony about closing 1st party. They were however deemed "essential". Playstation 4 is selling because of multiplatform games, brand power over Xbox outside of USA and despite of 1st party. Sony could save a ton of money by closing every internal studio and just doing contracts with outside studios like Bloodborne

Its hard to argue 1st party has contributed even for 10% of hardware purchases. Most of these studios just arent good enough to produce a game in 2014 that is the best there is in that genre.

Simple answer is - no.

Consoles need some type of distinction... If not hardware, then what? So gamers could be left with the likes of EA, Activision, UBISOFT, etc... No Thank You!!

Internal and 1st party teams push gaming forward IMHO, especially hardware specific aspects that most 3rd party teams tend to overlook or not bother with.

Sony without its internal teams, would be another soulless brand on the market... one (no pun intended) is enough.

 

[DieH@rd]

I don't agree, each console needs to have some unique software. This year PS4 gave me so many hours of fun with Infamous and TLOUR. I can't get those games anywhere else.

Next year, It's gonna be even better I think.

 

[Rangers]

Sony really dont have many (any?) 1st party devs that sell besides Naughty Dog anymore.

You could say Polyphony Digital, but they seem on a downswing of long development times and troubled developments, which hit pretty hard on GT6.

It'll never happen to axe 1st party. It's just an observation.

Sony said a while back a few hits make up for all the non-hits in terms of profitability. Those are pretty much Last of Us, and the Uncharted franchise, by now I guess.

But yeah, PS4 sales is (more) proof what I've been saying forever, it's about hardware not software.

You could go all the way back to Gamecube on that, where all Nintendo's heavy software hitters couldn't propel it above the newbie Xbox.

Anyways again, cannot see this happening though.

 

[rockaman]

Sony really dont have many (any?) 1st party devs that sell besides Naughty Dog anymore.

That is so unbelievably misleading it's amazing lmao.

Please, if you would, back up those claims with some numbers. They won't axe first party because many of their games, in fact, do sell.

The lengths people will go to convince themselves of their own preconceived notions...

But yeah, PS4 sales is (more) proof what I've been saying forever, it's about hardware not software.

You could go all the way back to Gamecube on that, where all Nintendo's heavy software hitters couldn't propel it above the newbie Xbox.

Yea that PS2 never happened I guess...

You know why you can't see it happening? Because you know you are kind of just fabricating here. Same usual suspects, year after year.

 

[Goodtwin]

Its true that multi plat games are the biggest games in the world right now, but that doesn't mean the first party titles have no value. Seeing as how the multi plats are on both the Xbox, Playstation and PC, the exclusives can be the deciding factor in what the consumers decides to buy. If your software isn't profitable, then they need to address that by better controlling the budgets. There is no reason games that sell millions of units shouldn't be turning a profit. Software should be very profitable for Sony. Its not like these titles are selling like crap, so if they aren't making money, its due to poor expense management, and that's something that can be cleaned up. Makes far more sense to do that than just close all their studios.

 

[Cjail]

But yeah, PS4 sales is (more) proof what I've been saying forever, it's about hardware not software.

Price, software library, specs, service, they all matter.
If PS4 was overpriced , let's say $500, less people would have bought it no doubt.
If PS4 had terrible online service it wold be a lot less appealing.
If PS4 had no exclusives it would also have been less appealing to many.

 

[Rangers]

That is so unbelievably misleading it's amazing lmao.

Please, if you would, back up those claims with some numbers. They won't axe first party because many of their games, in fact, do sell.

The lengths people will go to convince themselves of their own preconceived notions...Yea that PS2 never happened I guess...

You know why you can't see it happening? Because you know you are kind of just fabricating here. Same usual suspects, year after year.

We can start getting into some ground war about whether Beyond Two Souls or God of War Ascension or Infamous Second Son or the latest Killzone sold 1 or 1.5 million, or whether they turned a tidy little profit or didn't, but I fail to see any inarguable smash hits besides: Uncharted series, The Last of Us, and the GT series. But, GT6 did not perform as well as previous entries, which I noted.

I also fail to see how PS2 has anything to do with my observation about the current state of things.

Not sure why you're so defensive. I'm sure one could do a similar analyzes to Microsoft first parties. And say something like "well they just have Halo".

You know why you can't see it happening? Because you know you are kind of just fabricating here.

No, because people propose lots of things on forums that I dont think have a realistic chance of occurring, but may still be fun to discuss hypothetically. In this case, Sony getting rid of first party development.

 

[rockaman]

It's much more complicated than that:
Price, software library, specs, service, they all matter.
If PS4 was overpriced , let's say $500, less people would have bought it no doubt.
If PS4 had terrible online service it wold be a lot less appealing.
If PS4 had no exclusives it would also have been less appealing to many.

The funny thing is the same people will argue that the PS4 is not worth buying because they don't like the exclusives.

If PS4 did not have Bloodborne coming exclusive next year, how could one say that is not a drawback for the system?

We can start getting into some ground war about whether Beyond Two Souls or God of War Ascension or Infamous Second Son or the latest Killzone sold 1 or 1.5 million, or whether they turned a tidy little profit or didn't, but I fail to see any inarguable smash hits besides: Uncharted series, The Last of Us, and the GT series. But, GT6 did not perform as well as previous entries, which I noted.

I also fail to see how PS2 has anything to do with my observation about the current state of things.

Not sure why you're so defensive. I'm sure one could do a similar analyzes to Microsoft first parties. And say something like "well they just have Halo".

Because you are making an emotional argument and basically straight out lying, without putting anything behind it.

You are saying that almost every Sony first-party title has not made a profit. When in fact, the opposite is true. Almost all of them have made a profit. How else do you think the same studios are allowed to continue publishing games?

You are trying to put everything Sony has at parity with Microsoft, to suggest that there is nothing Sony has as an advantage in this race of the consoles. You do it in the technical threads, and you are doing it here in the subjective "what if" threads as well.

The strategy is painfully obvious. Only people are sparing you by not pointing it out.

Same people, year after year.

I also fail to see how PS2 has anything to do with my observation about the current state of things.

You make a comment about the Gamecube versus Xbox and then ask this question... really?

No, because people propose lots of things on forums that I dont think have a realistic chance of occurring, but may still be fun to discuss hypothetically. In this case, Sony getting rid of first party development.

That's interesting given the thread title.

"PS4 proves that Sony should cut first party production"

Inane.

 

[mrcorbo]

MS went this route last gen. I think this hurt them at the end of the last generation and I think it is hurting them now. Sony seemed to benefit from lessons learned from the last generation and I think looking at the results of MS's decision to follow this strategy they might think twice about pursuing it.

 

[MrFox]

This thread feels like flame bait.

 

[rockaman]

This thread feels like flame bait.

That's because it is.

There is one reason to entertain it, which could be valid. Maybe. It is not wrong to entertain the possibility of Sony without first parties.

But most in here are not doing it for genuine interest in the possibility. More rather as a lame attempt in having some influence on the forum in reducing the achievements of PlayStation in the past several years.

It's sad, but it's true, that people still do that on this forum. And it's generally the same users. For example:

Its hard to argue 1st party has contributed even for 10% of hardware purchases.

If that is not reductionist, I do not know what is. There may be a morsel of truth in the statement, despite it's brevity and lack of explanation, and lack of a true tool of measure. But I'll give it the benefit of the doubt: in some circumstance, maybe it is true.

However, in isolation as an argument for some major action like the abandoning of first party entirely.... not a good support in the slightest.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

This thread feels like flame bait.

Come on, little fishy. Bite

 

[MrFox]

"I don't want them grapes anyway, for sure they must be sour." said the Fox.

The bit that could be interesting is the first party impact on sales, which could be better resolved by a poll I guess. I know I bought most of my consoles over the years primarily because of their first party offering or expectations about them appearing in the future, and a general sense of trust about these studios, but it's only anecdotal evidence.

How about a poll "How much did Sony's first party studios offering (present and future) influenced your decision to buy a PS4?"
- Not at all
- One of many factors
- Everything is Awesome
- I love Knack! Oh yisss, Uncharted!

 

[fbomber]

Axing God of War, Uncharted and The Last of Us? Lol...

I had more fun with these games last gen than with all Halos launched for my 360.