PlayStation's Live-Service Games Will Span Genres and Appeal to Different Audiences
PlayStation has big plans to expand into the world of live-service games over the next few years, with 10 planned to launch by 2026. That's a big shift in direction for a company that has become known for single-player experiences like God of War, The Last of Us, and Marvel's Spider-Man. However, in a new interview with GamesIndustry.biz, PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst stressed that these games will span a number of different genres, with the goal of appealing to varied audiences.
"We understand the competitive environment that is out there, and the time investment from players that live services offer. And we want to deliver the highest quality games," Hulst told GamesIndustry.biz. "There is a risk that we talk about 'live service' in generic terms – as if it is a single genre, or even a single business model. PlayStation Studios are making a variety of games that could be referred to as 'live services', targeting different genres, different release schedules, and at different scales. We are also creating games for different audiences, and I take confidence from our track record in creating worlds and stories that PlayStation fans love."
When PlayStation acquired Bungie last year, the move came as a big surprise, particularly after the company stated its desire to keep Destiny multi-platform. However, the move was less about bringing in new IP, and more about getting Bungie's expertise in live-service games. Since then, PlayStation has made even more moves that show the company is serious about live-service games as an opportunity for growth.
Live-service games can bring in a lot of money for publishers, but there's also a significant amount of risk involved. For every Fortnite, Genshin Impact, or Destiny 2, there's a high-profile failure like Babylon's Fall, or Marvel's Avengers. Players only have so much money to spend and time to invest, but it sounds like Hulst is well aware of that fact. Hopefully PlayStation will be able to offer experiences that are worth both for players.
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