Sony PlayStation cross-platform game strategy

[Nesh]

I see the Platform slowly becoming irrelevant and as that still goes, the userbase will be potentially becoming flat and less from gen to gen and thus less software revenue from third party royalties.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I see the Platform slowly becoming irrelevant and as that still goes, the userbase will be potentially becoming flat and less from gen to gen and thus less software revenue from third party royalties.

Are you sure? Microsoft has all 1st party games day and date on PC and the consoles are still selling just fine.

Heck, it's selling better than the X360 did when launch aligned.

Xbox Series X|S vs Xbox 360 Sales Comparison - January 2022 (vgchartz.com)

While it's not definitive proof it does tend to back up what I've been saying in that there is very little cross-over between console and PC players. IE - what happens on console has little impact on PC buyers and what happens on PC has little impact on console buyers.

Sony also wouldn't be pushing to move all their franchises onto PC if that weren't the case from the data that they've gathered ever since they started experimenting with releasing their titles on PC. Granted they've been very conservative with their approach but so was Microsoft at first. It took a long time before Microsoft allowed all their 1st party titles to appear on PC and even longer before Microsoft finally committed to day and date releases of all their exclusives on PC. And it has had little to no impact on the sales of their consoles.

I'd be really surprised if PlayStation console sales fell off a cliff after all their franchises appear on PC. Heck, Sony isn't even planning to do day and date PC launches. Their titles will still be timed exclusives on PlayStation consoles.

Regards,
SB

 

[DavidGraham]

Sony is hiring a senior director for further PC development with wide executive powers.

Last year, Sony formed "PlayStation PC", a publishing label for the company's future PC efforts. Now, Sony's planning to hire a Senior Director for "PC Planning and Strategy", further proving that PlayStation's plans within the PC market are long-term in nature.

Sony's new Senior Director for "PC Planning and Strategy" will "be responsible for the strategy and commercial activity within Global Channel sales and will deliver a single, optimized PC Sales growth and commercial plan to hub and territory teams to implement." In short, applicants for this job are expected to realise Sony's growth targets within the PC gaming market.

Within their job listing, Sony has mentioned that PlayStation desires "PC growth, strategy, and sales execution though global PC store fronts", referencing PC storefronts like Steam and the Epic Games Store. As it stands, it looks like Sony has no plans to launch their own PC gaming storefront, which is great news for PC gamers who hate installing new launchers.

https://www.overclock3d.net/news/so...enior_director_for_pc_planning_and_strategy/1

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Sony is hiring a senior director for further PC development with wide executive powers.

I wouldn't get over-excited, this is just a marketing role. The job advert is here. Somebody at Sony, probably a few people, are doing the PC stuff as their side gig.

 

[Remij]

I wouldn't get over-excited, this is just a marketing role. The job advert is here. Somebody at Sony, probably a few people, are doing the PC stuff as their side gig.

Huh? No it isn't just a marketing role.. it's literally about directing and expanding PC development...

 

[DieH@rd]

By the end of this generation they could go all in.

Create a new digital store for PC, officially bring PSVR2 hardware and software on PC, infuse PC and VR software with all PlayStation backend services [PSN account login, trophies, messages, parties, shareplay, cross save, crossplay...], invest into new waves of porting of older console hit games to PC, and start releasing new 1st party titles on the same day on consoles and PC. They could also devise a way to expand PS+ to PC.

All of this was unthinkable few years ago, but now they have seen the money that PC platform can bring in. This revenue source could be especially important for their online titles, as they seem to be investing a lot in live-service.

 

[Karamazov]

Maybe they see a more profitable future in PsNow instead of releasing new hardware, and for people still wanting to have local gaming, releasing the games on PC. So either streaming or PC for "next gen".

 

[Deleted member 11852]

By the end of this generation they could go all in.

As they current pace, probably not. They're proceeding fairly cautiously and there are some genres that are already heaving with options. I'd question how successful Gran Turismo could be, and possibly even The Last of Us given survival/horror is utter saturated. Ratchet & Clank feels like it could fill a niche, the same way Uncharted does.

Create a new digital store for PC

Sony making their own store was one of the first things I thought of once I had read the full job advert but I really hope they don't. I don't want another store on PC.

 

[see colon]

I'd question how successful Gran Turismo could be, and possibly even The Last of Us given survival/horror is utter saturated. Ratchet & Clank feels like it could fill a niche, the same way Uncharted does.

Is The Last of Us considered survival horror? I'd call it a narrative action game.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Is The Last of Us considered survival horror? I'd call it a narrative action game.

It's definitely genre-spanning. But you're right, Sony classify it as an "action adventure".

Just one where you have to survive and where it's occasionally horrific!

But you know what I mean, third person, collecting-crafting-post-apocalyptic games are everywhere..

 

[PSman1700]

I wouldn't get over-excited, this is just a marketing role. The job advert is here. Somebody at Sony, probably a few people, are doing the PC stuff as their side gig.

https://www.eurogamer.net/sonys-loo...Q3rr8uh30hJs8Wq1EBZZA5AYYptixvnGj3xdXJq4PSWjg

''Sony is on the hunt for a senior director of PC planning and strategy.''

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Sony making their own store was one of the first things I thought of once I had read the full job advert but I really hope they don't. I don't want another store on PC.

Seems inevitable. Not only that, but alternative storefronts on all 'open' platforms potentially. With the EU considering planning Apple having to open up iOS to other stores (maybe Apple should just say, "okay, we won't sell to the EU then," and halt all support for Apple things here...? ), I can see every platform getting covered with specialist stores for access to certain IPs. Same as the High Street/Mall having lots of clothes stores. So yeah, Sony store on PC, iOS, Android, PS consoles. MS store on PC, iOS, Android, XB consoles. EA store, Ubi store, Steam having a mobile presence, Epic Store here, there and everywhere. Nintendo store on...Nintendo; they don't give a shit!

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Seems inevitable.

Unless Sony intend to compete with Steam, Epic and GOG, i.e open up their store to others then they simply won't have enough content to fill a PC store.

It's difficult to grow a user base without a lot of content. I don't know what Sony could possible be better/faster/cheaper than their competitors. I mean just look at the absurd amounts of money that Epic have thrown at the Epic Games Store (in terms of free games) to grow it and it's still in Steam's shadow in terms of popularity and functionality. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[see colon]

They have more content than Rockstar does, don't they? Yet the RSC exists.

 

[BRiT]

They have more content than Rockstar does, don't they? Yet the RSC exists.

Depends how you measure. Number of unique players of your games and microtransactions or number of titles?

 

[Deleted member 11852]

They have more content than Rockstar does, don't they? Yet the RSC exists.

I don't beieve Sony do have more context than Rockstar on PC. Not even close. I think the bigger reason for Rockstar's store to exist is to minimise how much revenue on micro transactions is lost when sold on other stores. Rockstar's revenues speak for themselves so unto 30% is a massive chunk of change.

 

[orangpelupa]

I don't beieve Sony do have more context than Rockstar on PC. Not even close. I think the bigger reason for Rockstar's store to exist is to minimise how much revenue on micro transactions is lost when sold on other stores. Rockstar's revenues speak for themselves so unto 30% is a massive chunk of change.

IAP is lower than the standard 30% cut AFAIK. but yeah, even at 10%, thats a lot of money. as rockstar IAP volume is huge.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

IAP is lower than the standard 30% cut AFAIK. but yeah, even at 10%, thats a lot of money. as rockstar IAP volume is huge.

Are you sure? I'm fairly sure that during the epic Apple-Epic court case, it was disclosed that both Microsoft and Sony took a 30% cut of all transactions on console.

 

[orangpelupa]

Are you sure? I'm fairly sure that during the epic Apple-Epic court case, it was disclosed that both Microsoft and Sony took a 30% cut of all transactions on console.

My memory is pretty spotty. But yes, that's what I reemmeberd. 30% for the purchase of the game. Less than 30% for IAP.

I can't remember at all from where I got that tho. Could be from some random websites, could be from when I was making games (uh.... I need to start to finish the things I'm making rofl)

 

[Deleted member 11852]

My memory is pretty spotty. But yes, that's what I reemmeberd. 30% for the purchase of the game. Less than 30% for IAP.

Some googling found Push Square reported in 2020 that Sony take a flat 30%, specifically citing GTA currency. That wasn't were I remember reading it, I'm sure I read that in one of the many thousands of disclosed emails in the Epic-Apple case.

Of course, it may have changed.