Reaction: what’s next for PlayStation?

It’s been a strange year for PlayStation, hasn’t it? Objectively, the organization is arguably at the peak of its power at the moment: the revenues are ridiculous, it garners more nominations than the rest of the industry combined, and the PS5 has been such a success that it has forced retailers to implement lottery schemes. and other innovative technologies just to keep up with demand. For the more engaged fans, however – the kind of people who frequent sites like Push the square several times a day – honestly this has been pretty dull for a long time.

In terms of daily traffic, we had record visits last year, but it was certainly not the news cycle that kept us afloat. Sony, as we have noticed, has been getting closer and closer to Nintendo public relations for some time; it operates secretly, in a mysterious way, and gives us very little work. It sounds like old history now, but many of you will remember that the specifics of the PS5 – its core features and user interface – were kept under wraps until they were literal. weeks before exiting the console. Tentpole titles, like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, remain sealed behind closed doors.

To be fair to the organization, earlier this year it opened up a bit: Jim Ryan scheduled a rare interview with GQ and casually made half a dozen key announcements – including the existence of ‘a new generation PSVR headset. The implication, for die-hard fans, is that we probably won’t hear a peek from the executive again until summer is over; a disappointing state of play took place in February, and the PlayStation blog has been somewhat subdued since. It’s just the way things are going with Sony in 2021.

It’s hard not to look over the fence and feel some pangs of jealousy; while PlayStation has a relatively busy roster of software coming up, Microsoft is making great strides that threaten to disrupt the status quo. We’ve seen it complete its acquisition of Bethesda, effectively eclipsing Sony’s first-party operations, while its Game Pass initiative – regardless of its financial viability – makes games like Returnal look like a steal of light from the game. day in comparison. PS More, to Sony’s credit, is exceptional value right now – but over time PlayStation will have to respond.

Frankly, the Bethesda thing was a game-changer, and while we don’t expect Sony to turn around and let its stomach tickle, it’s going to take the investment. The strength of the studios that own the Japanese giant is not up for debate and its pipeline continues to be among the best in the industry, but with the closure of Japan Studio, Media Molecule seems attached to largely unpopular dreams and Sony San Diego making MLB The Show 21 for multiple platforms – the old, once unstoppable PlayStation Studios is starting to feel a bit light.

It’s really hard to fault a platform owner who wins Game of the Year nominees annually, but with the hit games taking longer than ever to develop, Insomniac Games, Guerrilla Games, Sony Santa Monica, Sony Bend Studio, Sucker Punch, and Naughty Dog alone carry the burden of first-party development? Ryan said that PlayStation is committed to organic growth and that we’ve seen its entire studio staff grow dramatically over the past few years, but there will be a math in a few years once Microsoft teams are in. day.

Sony will of course continue to do what it has always done, which is to create revolutionary games. But it looks like some things are going to have to change: The news cycle, at this point, is dominated by a very disruptive competitor, and we can’t help but feel that it needs to make a little more noise. her own. Plus, it’s going to have to work harder than ever to justify the value of its internally developed games, as its competitor will eclipse its production later in the generation for a nominal monthly fee. It is a problem.

The aftermath of Bethesda’s buyout means PlayStation will likely spend more than ever on timed exclusives – we know at one point it was trying to lock down Starfield – but it’ll have to do more than that on its own. Game Pass will likely need a response at some point, and while the platform owner’s first-party pipeline remains as impressive as ever, there’s a point to be made that a stable of studios once beaten by the world now looks tiny to the competition.

More importantly, Sony’s time on the sidelines is likely coming to an end. He’s going to need the energy of the PS3 era to overcome the noise made by the team in green; these long periods of silence on the part of the platform owner cannot last much longer. As PlayStation fans there is still so much to get excited about, but is the platform holder really make the most of everything he has in his arsenal? Competition breeds excellence, of course – and it’s becoming increasingly clear that the PS5 won’t be easy to drive.

The glove has been thrown away in many ways; hope Sony is up to the challenge.

What do you think of the progress of the PS5 now that 2021 is well underway? Do you think Sony’s messaging has been as powerful as it could be? Leave it all in the comments section below.