Sony Bets on Multiplatform and Improved Business at PlayStation Studios

Source: Team Asobi / Sony Interactive Entertainment.

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PS5 might have won against Xbox Series X/S, but the giant is still not satisfied with the sales of their console. The new CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment has concerns about the business practices of PlayStation game developers.

PlayStation Studies: motivated and creative, but lacking in business organization

Hiroki Totoki, who took over as head of SIE in October, responded to investors' questions following the disclosure of Sony's financial results for the third fiscal quarter (i.e., October to December; via Video Games Chronicle).

1. For four months, the new CEO had the chance to get to know the activities of the company's affiliated studios and praised their high motivation and "creative intellects."
2. However, Totoki believes that Sony developers could be a bit better in terms of business decisions. He was focused on matters related to study expenses, work schedule, and meeting production responsibilities, which are crucial for the company's overall growth and stable profitability.
3. According to him, not everyone understands these matters, which is due to "organizational problems." Therefore, Totoki will keep having conversations to find the "right way to proceed."

Sony bets on multiplatform

Besides these somewhat unclear statements, the new SIE boss mentioned a way to "actively improve profits." This would take the form of releasing Sony games on multiple platforms, including PCs.

1. This declaration isn't surprising, especially given the success of Helldivers 2, which is Sony's top hit on PC and enjoys significant popularity on Steam. This is just one of the company's successes when it comes to personal computers. Older SIE games released on PCs also sold quite well.
2. Totoki acknowledges that Sony previously used exclusive titles to promote their consoles. However, it's worth noting that "multiplatform capability" contributes to the game's growth and presents an opportunity to optimize the company's performance. That's why the company is "proactively" dealing with this problem.

The company may be trying to compensate for the absence of new games from the flagship SIE series, as indicated in the report. The company is facing difficulties in cutting costs on the production of the consoles compared to previous generations (which also means that there won't be "drastic" price reductions for PS5).

Rise of the Ronin and Astro Bot to the rescue of PS5 in 2024?

However, it doesn't imply that Sony won't release any big games in the near future, even if Rise of the Ronin is overlooked. Jeff Grubb from the Giant Bomb channel reports that the release of a new title from the devs of Astro Bot may be planned for 2024. In fact, as VGC notes, as early as 2022, the Team Asobi studio was talking about the "biggest game" in its history (via GamesIndustry.biz).

Classifying the series with an adorable robot mascot as one of Sony's "main" brands is really difficult. Nevertheless, the first game in the series was quite successful, and its sequel also gained recognition from players and critics. The sequel was also included with each PlayStation 5. As a result, the title reached numerous players, many of whom have praised the game and would be eager to see its next installment.

So, it's possible that we will receive a big game from Sony, but it will be from a relatively new franchise that doesn't reach the popularity of God of War or Marvel's Spider Man. At least for now.