Sony PlayStation is diversifying the types of games it makes, but won’t neglect its core strength of single-player narrative adventures, PlayStation Studios chief Hermen Hulst tells Axios.
Why it matters: Winning generations of gaming hardware by selling the most consoles is no longer enough for PlayStation.
- While it entered a new console cycle with the launch of the PlayStation 5 in 2020, Sony has also begun to expand into PC and mobile development.
What they say: “We have a history and reputation for building these incredible, single-player narrative games like The Last of Us and Horizon and the upcoming God of War Ragnarok,” said Hulst, chatting via video conference from his Amsterdam office.
- The head of PlayStation Studios is centrally located to orchestrate expansion efforts and coordinates the work of some 4,000 developers in 19 studios from Japan to California.
- “We are now also diversifying. And we’ve had a total of 12 projects in the live-ops multiplayer space.”
- Live ops, or live service games, are usually multiplayer and designed for years of post-release content that can generate additional revenue. Live games like Epic’s Fortnite and EA’s Apex Legends are among the biggest hits in the industry, but Sony has had little success in the category.
Most of Sony’s live games have not yet been announced and are in full development.
- They come from newly acquired teams like Haven Studios, partners like Firewalk and even Sony’s internal teams mostly known for single-player games, says Hulst.
- Not all of them will be original intellectual property, says Hulst. “We’re not ruling out bringing some of our beloved existing franchises into live games.”
Traditional PlayStation fans needn’t worry. The blockbuster single-player narrative games that Sony regularly wins awards for aren’t going away.
- Many of Sony’s top developers love making them and will continue to do so, the studio chief says.
- “Some of our biggest titles in the single-player story-driven space are also our most profitable titles.”
Sony also targets PC and mobile markets. The latter is nearly double the global revenue, according to research firm Newzoo.
- On PC, it has released four former PlayStation 4 games with solid sales, with more to come.
- Mobile is slowing down, with no titles announced but clear ambition. Hulst says Sony plans to build its “internal capacity” to make mobile games, will work with outside partners, and refers to the recently acquired Savage Game Studios as Sony’s “first” acquisition for its mobile group.
- Sony may also still be making games for the PS4, despite PS5 exclusive games not being announced until after 2022. “We certainly don’t want to forget the millions of active players on PS4, and we want to make sure there are great games for them right,” said Hulst. “We evaluate it on a case-by-case basis.”
Sony’s moves come as the costs rise for making blockbuster games. “Most of the larger teams have grown in recent years,” Hulst acknowledges.
- Bringing titles to PC for additional sales has helped. “It allows us to keep investing – to invest even more deeply into their projects.”
Control how blockbuster games are made has also been intensified. Numerous industry research reports in recent years described overworked developers “grinding” long hours to an unhealthy degree, including at flagship Sony studio Naughty Dog.
- “I want to see our professionals as people who can have a long-term balanced career with good career development,” says Hulst.
- Hulst says his teams are trying to approach the problem in a nuanced way. He threatened that an experienced art director might decide they want to work on Saturdays to polish something. “Shall I say no? Well, it’s a bit more complex, because then what if his whole team feels obliged to go in too? So what that means is we have to have that conversation with the art director and say, ‘That’s about the game. But there is also your team.’”
- In July, a developer of Naughty Dog’s remake of the critically acclaimed The Last Of Us tweeted that the game will be their first crunch free experience in their career, praising changes in the studio.
What’s next: Hulst’s teams have a dizzying array of priorities ahead of them, including delivering games for the PSVR2 launch in early 2023.
- They also have a formidable job figuring out live games and will benefit from the experience of a top studio in that industry, Bungie, which the company recently acquired.
- In March, Sony’s live-ops attempt with racing game Gran Turismo 7 ran into a problem after it had to correct an unpopular update related to virtual car prices. “We have to listen and learn and react quickly,” says Hulst about the experience. “That’s what we’re learning.”
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