David Jaffe says Sony needs to change its strategy if it wants to remain sustainable

[John Elden Ring]

In the most recent episode of his podcast, David Jaffe commented on how this may not be sustainable for Sony in the long term, citing games like Days Gone selling in the 10 million mark, but still not enough to receive a sequel.

If all you do are these big launches, which are wonderful but cost $250 to $400 million, it's not sustainable. And you know it.

For Jaffe, Sony should continue with its big releases, but also start betting on smaller games in between. As well as being cheaper to produce, they can achieve great success, citing the titles Bang-On Balls: Chronicles and Lethal Company as examples.

Keep making them, nobody's telling you to stop, keep making them, everyone loves them. But you need to make exclusives like Lethal Company. You need to make exclusives like Bang-On Balls: Chronicles. 15 people made this great game that a lot of people love. It won't be The Last of Us, but that's okay, because it could become your next big franchise because it didn't cost that much.

For Jaffe, with the exception of Nintendo, which has the mentality that gameplay comes first, both PlayStation and Xbox need smaller games to keep surviving.

Source

 

[Yobo]

I don't think Sony need advice from a guy who created 3 financial disasters in a row with Sony betting on his "small games" idea

 

[Box]

I don't think Sony need advice from a guy who created 3 financial disasters in a row with Sony betting on his "small games" idea

And now a failed youtube channel, David Jaffe is washed up

 

[Etifilio]

not a fan of him but i kinda agree, they need more games like Spiderman Miles Morales, Uncharted Lost Legacy and Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, games with budgets in the range of 100 - 150M instead of these big 300M+ games

 

[Yobo]

People just don't go to Sony for the indie experience

They go for the big budget AAA

This is a bit like saying HBO needs to make more cheap reality TV shows.

 

[shrike0fth0rns]

In the most recent episode of his podcast, David Jaffe commented on how this may not be sustainable for Sony in the long term, citing games like Days Gone selling in the 10 million mark, but still not enough to receive a sequel.



For Jaffe, Sony should continue with its big releases, but also start betting on smaller games in between. As well as being cheaper to produce, they can achieve great success, citing the titles Bang-On Balls: Chronicles and Lethal Company as examples.



For Jaffe, with the exception of Nintendo, which has the mentality that gameplay comes first, both PlayStation and Xbox need smaller games to keep surviving.

Jaffe needs to sit down he has no idea what he’s talking about. Every podcast he did early this gen he was screaming gloom and doom for Sony and Xbox gamepass was going to takeover. Whatever dirty he can dig up to make Sony look he is on like a fly on . He is really salty gow lives are better than ever without him, he is jealous of Cory and Neil and kojima that they will be remembered and he has alrdy faded into obscurity. He’s obsessed with trying to gaslight ps fans into think ps is falling apart and need s to reinvent itself. To keep up with whom? Trash ass Nintendo or soon to be multiplat Xbox? He’s still mad made he broke that Connie booth story and 99% of ps community said “who?”. PS will always be fine it doesn’t need Jim or Connie or Shawn or j Cory and Neil will eventually retire from ps and new creatives will take their place. They sure as hell didn’t need jaffe to keep cod going and soon twisted metal as well.

 

[Johnic]

He should stop simping for Xbox now. No more console wars.

 

[Systemshock2023]

But Sony did that in the past and the audience turned their backs. At most, they can continue with spin offs. A small spiderman game focused on japanese spiderman would be great.

 

[laynelane]

It's interesting that he brings up The Last of Us. They took a popular game, made it into a TV series which was highly watched and awarded, and have no doubt been making massive bank on the IP overall due to new fans and old with the remaster. It's a very sound strategy and a great example of how to make a high-budget game "sustainable".

There's been a lot of talk about Sony's financials lately - lots of 'concern'. I wonder where it's all coming from when it's all so easily disproved.

 

[shrike0fth0rns]

not a fan of him but i kinda agree, they need more games like Spiderman Miles Morales, Uncharted Lost Legacy and Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, games with budgets in the range of 100 - 150M instead of these big 300M+ games

They are alrdy doing more games like that. But even small games still take yrs to make even with an existing template.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

If the budgets are not sustainable for Sony then what about EA, Take 2, Ubisoft or Square Enix? Basically the whole industry is going bankrupt?

 

[flaccidsnake]

This has been Jaffe's line since God of War 2. It's why he transitioned to the (underrated) Calling All Cars, and probably it's why he's floundered as a game director since. I empathize with him even as a worker that game development is insane. But Sony has succeeded at this for 15 years since Jaffe decided it was unsustainable. The rest of the industry shows signs of life. Unreal Engine 5 is just starting to bear fruit. I don't think this is a great time to say AAA development is unsustainable.

 

[KiryuRealty]

In the most recent episode of his podcast, David Jaffe commented on how this may not be sustainable for Sony in the long term, citing games like Days Gone selling in the 10 million mark, but still not enough to receive a sequel.



For Jaffe, Sony should continue with its big releases, but also start betting on smaller games in between. As well as being cheaper to produce, they can achieve great success, citing the titles Bang-On Balls: Chronicles and Lethal Company as examples.



For Jaffe, with the exception of Nintendo, which has the mentality that gameplay comes first, both PlayStation and Xbox need smaller games to keep surviving.

Jaffe needs to fuck someone else already. He’s not over the ex that dumped his ass after all this time, and it’s getting pathetic.

 

[laynelane]

If the budgets are not sustainable for Sony then what about EA, Take 2, Ubisoft or Square Enix? Basically the whole industry is going bankrupt?

Good point. I highly doubt Jaffe has the data to determine what is or isn't sustainable for Xbox and PS. It's interesting that he ignores the companies you mention too.

 

[KiryuRealty]

But Sony did that in the past and the audience turned their backs. At most, they can continue with spin offs. A small spiderman game focused on japanese spiderman would be great.

Only if they include Starfish Hitler!

 

[JAHGamer]

If the budgets are not sustainable for Sony then what about EA, Take 2, Ubisoft or Square Enix? Basically the whole industry is going bankrupt?

Exactly, and Sonys games sell better than all of theirs.... (except take 2). But the "unsustainable budgets" commentary is only ever reserved for Sony

 

[Shadow2027]

Sony has been doing this 2nd party relationships, and they are doing it to some extent with miles morales and venom to come. Sony did smaller games in the past and they didnt work as they wanted. While i would like some of them from 1st party, the big games sell the console, shore up power with 3rd party bu drawing customers and ultimately more money.

Jaffe just simps for xbox. Hes also the guy who made failure after failure in games and hates Sony at this point. If he has not noticed, gamepass not looking all that sustainable for xbox if they need to bring their games everywhere, even if they cost 1/5 the amount PS cost to make.

 

[JAHGamer]

If Sony wants to fill the gaps in between their AAA releases...they should focus on remastering/remaking their classic games. They're sitting on a goldmine of IP.

A lot of people would pay $30-$50 for a Sly Cooper collection, Infamous collection, Ratchet and Clank collection. And $70 for a Legend of the Dragoon Remake, Wild Arm remake, etc. They can contract these all out to 3rd party studios like Nintendo does. It's literally free money.

 

[Nhomnhom]

They all are easily making their money back, Sony focus on them preciselly because they are the safer bet (it clearly became their strategy last gen). The average AA and indie games are the ones that have a hard time making their money back.

With that said, I would still want Sony to focus on smaller games because games like Journey, ICO, SoTC, Gravity Rush, Everybody's Golf, etc, add up and complement big AAA titles pretty well. I think Sony just need to find clever ways to do it, like allowing smaller/indie devs to use dormant IPs, invest on some day one PS+ releases like Stray/Fall Guys/Rocket League, etc.

 

[laynelane]

If Sony wants to fill the gaps in between their AAA releases...they should focus on remastering/remaking their classic games. They're sitting on a goldmine of IP.

A lot of people would pay $30-$50 for a Sly Cooper collection, Infamous collection, Ratchet and Clank collection. And $70 for a Legend of the Dragoon Remake, Wild Arm remake, etc. They can contract these all out to 3rd party studios like Nintendo does. It's literally free money.

I'd buy an Infamous collection. No questions asked, day one.