The Jim Ryan era of PlayStation has seen great success with the PS5 and a lineup of impressive single-player games. However, Sony’s focus is now shifting towards investing in live service games, with 60% of their spending allocated to this genre. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reports that insiders are concerned about this vision, as resources are being spread thin between live service games, PSVR 2, and PlayStation Portal. Sony’s big-budget studios like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, and Guerrilla are all working on multiplayer live service games, but the move away from their strengths in single-player experiences is causing skepticism among industry insiders.
The challenges of transitioning from making great single-player games to successful live service offerings have been seen before in the gaming industry. Developers such as BioWare, Crystal Dynamics, and Gearbox have all experienced failures when trying to venture into the live service space. This pattern raises doubts about the ability of single-player studios to produce quality live service games, even with experienced developers like Bungie onboard. The most popular multiplayer games have either been established for a long time or emerged unexpectedly, making it uncertain whether the upcoming live service offerings from Sony’s studios will achieve the desired success.
Overall, diverting resources from successful single-player projects to pursue a live service dream that may not be sustainable seems like a risky move for Sony. The bubble of live service games may already be on the verge of bursting, considering the failed titles mentioned. The skepticism towards PlayStation’s live service plans is not limited to industry insiders, as many share the same concerns.
