Sony PlayStation cross-platform game strategy

Seems clear to me that the main purpose of launching H:ZD on PC is to promote Sony's first party games and bring new clients to the playstation platform.

https://blog.us.playstation.com/202...-with-head-of-playstations-worldwide-studios/
PSB: PlayStation is no stranger to publishing titles on the PC, but Horizon: Zero Dawn is one of the largest games to make that leap. Is there anything you would say to PlayStation fans? What does it mean for the future?

HH: I think it’s important that we stay open to new ideas of how to introduce more people to PlayStation, and show people maybe what they’ve been missing out on.

I don't know how this could be interpreted as anything else. The answer is clear.
 
There is no single indication it will never happen again. Let the developers have their freedom to let more people buy and get a taste of their games. Sony isn't going to attact all pc gamers to their platform.

So being open to new ideas of how to introduce more people to Playstation means not putting games on PC for sure?

The text he quoted doesn't even come from Sony, it is from the studio in the netherlands. No idea why some panic out by the slightest idea of a sony game appearing on another platform. If HZD2 was being developed simultaneously for PC and PS5, i would understand the negative reactions, but that's not the case (yet).
 
Seems clear to me that the main purpose of launching H:ZD on PC is to promote Sony's first party games and bring new clients to the playstation platform.

https://blog.us.playstation.com/202...-with-head-of-playstations-worldwide-studios/


I don't know how this could be interpreted as anything else. The answer is clear.
It makes business sense. And the studio head made it clear.

The contrary arguments have become convoluted explanations that defy logic.

It's an experiment. It might happen more, or less. The focus is to get people on the playstation platform. It's not that complicated.
 
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I think it is, what Hulst suggests it is; an experiment. There is no evidence that every major exclusive is coming to PC. Who the heck is doing all this porting? Uncharted, The Last of Us, Ratchet & Clank, Bloodborne, God of War, Spider-Man, inFamous, Days Gone, Gran Turismo, Ghost of Tsushima?

Knack? :runaway:
I want other people to experience knack! I don't want to be alone!
 
I think it is, what Hulst suggests it is; an experiment. There is no evidence that every major exclusive is coming to PC.
Hard no, they are constantly hinting at releasing more games to PC, they even specifically stated first party games, and gone as far as stating games will not release on the same date as PS, so they are planning ahead already, they also stated they are opening the platform to more players.

But forget all of that, actions speak louder than words, and Sony's actions give every indication of them going the Microsoft route, albeit very slowly.
 
I'm kind of between the extremes of this being a sea-change and just a one-off attempt to woo PC gamers over to Sony's console platform (good luck with that). I think Sony has ambitions of growing their platform beyond the limitations of the console market and this is a first step towards that end. I expect they will remain very focused on console, though, as their foundational piece and aren't going to do anything to marginalize that platform along the way.
 
rejoice, now PC master race fans won't piss on first party games, they'll buy and like them, no stupid jealousy anymore :D
and just think about all the great mods, can't wait to see Aloy in bikini suit :mrgreen:
 
So being open to new ideas of how to introduce more people to Playstation means not putting games on PC for sure?
Are you sure it was my post you wanted to reply to?
I didn't comment on whether or not Sony would be releasing more of their 1st party games for PC in the future.

H:ZD is coming to the PC because by the time it releases they'll probably be promoting Horizon 2, as an attempt to hook the PC gamers on the franchise to make them buy a PS5 for the follow-up.
In the future I guess they could make the same with e.g. Spiderman by launching it on the PC some months before releasing Spiderman 2 on the PS5.


It's just a very different strategy from what Microsoft will be doing. There will be no simultaneous PS5+PC releases as that would defeat the purpose of bringing more people to Sony's hardware. Microsoft stands to gain in having more PC gamers that use Windows, Sony does not.

It is also easier since they already ported Death Stranding to Windows.
It's technically easier since the engine has been ported to DX12, yes. As long as Kojima is willing to share the code with Guerrilla.
Though in hindsight, maybe the port already had a hand from Guerrilla from the start.

However, let's not forget that Kojima Productions is an independent studio, so their motive to release Death Stranding on the PC might be different from Sony releasing Horizon. Of course, all the ports have probably been discussed at length between the two studios and Sony, years ago.
 
I think it is, what Hulst suggests it is; an experiment. There is no evidence that every major exclusive is coming to PC. Who the heck is doing all this porting? Uncharted, The Last of Us, Ratchet & Clank, Bloodborne, God of War, Spider-Man, inFamous, Days Gone, Gran Turismo, Ghost of Tsushima?

Knack? :runaway:

Pretty much. As of now, Sony is just aiming for all the tail-end dollars (sales) that they can possibly capture from the PC market once their 1st party software sales starts to tail-off on their console(s). Pretty much keeping their console fanbase pleased with certain timed 1st party exclusives, then releasing them a year or so later on PC. In the end, Sony gains more revenue off PC software sales and grows their gaming division into more areas benefiting their ecosystem and fanbase. Sounds like a win for all PS and PC users.
 
Hard no, they are constantly hinting at releasing more games to PC, they even specifically stated first party games, and gone as far as stating games will not release on the same date as PS, so they are planning ahead already, they also stated they are opening the platform to more players.

I'm not seeing "constant" hints!?!. They's made a couple of overt statements and you can read into their recruitment that they want to keep their options open, which makes sense. Sony will do what is most profitable for Sony but it's quite a leap of faith to Sony releasing every major game on PC. They've started with a game which, presumably because of the engine, is a lower investment in the resources needed to port. How it sells relative to the cost of porting will like impact some decisions.

I'm also not convinced this is not to sly ruse to get people hooked on a Sony exclusive franchise only to make PS5 more appealing down the line.
 
Maybe, but times are changing, this isn't the 2000s anymore.

Moore's law is dying, making chips and contracting them is expensive, building the console requires hard work. Also making quality exclusive games is expensive.

Sony realized that their limit is 120 million install base max, and with heavy discounts too, even when they are the dominant player, this is simply not enough to maintain a viable business long term.
If that were true, Sony's income wouldn't be way better than 3rd party developers, would it? When PS starts to make less money than Ubisoft and EA, then Sony need to worry about branching out. Until then, the most they really need do is try to drive up PS adoption and probably get some filthy mobile GaaS going to milk that audience.
 
The money is in selling software anyway, and Sony software would sell on PC.
The money is selling software from their own ecosystem, that means 1st and third party.

But even saying that, it makes sense to put it on pc, make additional money from it.
Been out long enough that if pc gamers get a taste/really like it may pick up a console even, instead of having to wait so long or play on psnow.
Remember there's lots of different types of pc gamers out there.
 
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