PlayStation Boss Says "Narrative-Rich Games" Will Remain Sony's Focus

When it comes to PlayStation's first-party games, the vast majority focus on single-player experiences driven by a strong narrative. Games like The Last of Us, Marvel's Spider-Man, and Ghost of Tsushima all fit that description, and PlayStation has no intention of changing directions, even as the company has been making a bigger investment in live-service games. In a leaked 2022 Q&A with investors from Fidelity (obtained by Reddit through the recent Microsoft leaks), PlayStation boss Jim Ryan discussed the 10 or more live-service games Sony is planning to release by 2026, and what impact they'll have on the company's focus.

"It would be naive for us to assume that all 10 will be massive successes so that is not a necessary condition for us to double first party revenues. That is certainly not what we're assuming. Clearly, the distinction between a hit and not a hit is not a binary one. And don't forget that as we do this, we will continue to publish the games that have served us so well over the years. These first person, graphically beautiful narrative rich games will continue to be the bedrock of our first party publishing business," said Ryan. 

As noted by Reddit user PBOats121, Ryan presumably meant to say "single-player" and not "first-person." For those that have been happy with PlayStation's first-party offerings over the last few years, this should be welcome news! Sony has found a lot of success with this model, and it's also one that has served them well in other media; The Last of Us has been a huge hit on HBO, and the adaptation of Uncharted overperformed expectations at the box office last year. 

PlayStation's Live-Service Games

Sony's interest in live-service games has been an interesting development over the last few years. When the company purchased Bungie in 2022, the move was made not to make Destiny 2 a PlayStation exclusive; instead PlayStation wanted to get the developer's expertise in making live-service games. Earlier this year, PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst told GamesIndustry.biz that these games will be "targeting different genres, different release schedules, and at different scales." It will be interesting to see how these games figure into Sony's overall strategy, and if they can find success.

The Future of PlayStation

Given the sheer amount of money that some live-service games have generated, it's not surprising that PlayStation is trying to make them a big part of the company's model. Plenty of live-service games have flopped over the years, but success stories like Fortnite and Genshin Impact have generated billions in revenue. PlayStation clearly wants a piece of the pie, but the company would be foolish to completely move away from a model that has proven so successful.

Are you happy that PlayStation will continue to focus on "narrative-rich" games? Do you think the company's live-service games will be successful? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!