Famitsu] Interview with Jim Ryan: Importance of Japanese market and games, Spider-Man 2 on PS5, PSVR2, PC ports 2-3 years after release

[Cool hand luke]

C'mon, the original Xbox sold only 24.65M consoles. Pretty likely will end selling over twice than that.

Xbone sold twice that. Estimates have the Series tracking below Xbone.

I don't need to cite any sources as I didn't mention a number and I'm not gonna take the bait to console wars with you.

I simply said there's no reality it sells less than OG Xbox.

Isn't it approaching 10 million in the US + 2 million in the UK, around 400k in Japan? that's already half... plus sales else where. [Citation needed]

I don't have figures for the total sales, but that statement was just bordering on delusion.

I'm happy to change my stance if someone can cite sales numbers to the contrary. Mine may not be a probable outcome in your eyes, but it's a reality given the steep YOY declines for Xbox in its largest market, its irrelevance in Europe and its nonexistence in Japan. Achieving half of the OG Xbox's sales in 2.5 years on the market when the original lasted for roughly 4 years before the successor was released is not a positive sign.

My somewhat mean-spirited point is that no one has figures for the total sales because Microsoft refuses to release them. This leads to inflated estimates that constantly have to be revised downwards from the likes of guesstimators on install base and the Xbox centric media.

 

[Yurinka]

Xbone sold twice that. Estimates have the Series tracking below Xbone.

It depends on the time, sometimes MS said it was selling better, sometimes seems its selling worse. But in any case, if it ends selling like Xbox One aprox, it will be more than twice than the original Xbox, which was what I was saying.

We also have to remember that Series will last way more than the original Xbox, unless some higher up from MS gets tired of losing many billions with the gaming division and decides to kill it (something I think won't happen, they made big investments so will wait several years to see if they end working).

 

[Cool hand luke]

It depends on the time, sometimes MS said it was selling better, sometimes seems its selling worse. But in any case, if it ends selling like Xbox One aprox, it will be more than twice than the original Xbox, which was what I was saying.

We also have to remember that Series will last way more than the original Xbox, unless some higher up from MS gets tired of losing many billions with the gaming division and decides to kill it (something I think won't happen, they made big investments so will wait several years to see if they end working).

The time when it was selling better was very early on. You'll note that since Satya stopped highlighting the pace of sales we never heard it was outpacing the Xbone again.

I wouldn't count on the Series lasting much longer than the original Xbox either. The failed ABK acquisition was a last ditch effort to revitalise the brand and with that out of the way there's nothing really on the horizon for Xbox. It doesn't make sense to continue as a console manufacturer, especially when their revenue is increasingly coming from other platforms. They'll be 3rd party before the PS6 is released.

 

[Yurinka]

The time when it was selling better was very early on. You'll note that since Satya stopped highlighting the pace of sales we never heard it was outpacing the Xbone again.

I wouldn't count on the Series lasting much longer than the original Xbox either. The failed ABK acquisition was a last ditch effort to revitalise the brand and with that out of the way there's nothing really on the horizon for Xbox. It doesn't make sense to continue as a console manufacturer, especially when their revenue is increasingly coming from other platforms. They'll be 3rd party before the PS6 is released.

I think the acquisition of ABK, if done, wouldn't change anything for their console specially in the next 10 years, when they should put CoD everywhere. But for the gaming division it would help with extra revenue and profits specially if CoD remains in PS.

I think it should be humilliating for those in MS who thought that making CoD console exclusive would be a good idea after seing that all regulators think it wouldn't have a big impact on consoles, an that in any case it would cause a big harm to MS, to the point that some regulators think that if MS acquires them wouldn't keep it console exclusive (because non-mobile CoD may make the majority of its money on PS and most PS CoD players wouldn't move to Xbox if exclusive).

The acquisition would make sense if MS wouldn't be lying -and they are lying- when saying that instead of removing ABK games from some platofrms they want to put them in more platforms, particularly with CoD. And forever, not only for 10 years. The acquisition would also make sense if they wouldn't put their games on GP day one. That would mean MS would add a shit ton of revenue and profits to their division. But they plan to remove CoD from PS in 10 years -or less if PS doesn't sign the deal- and plan to put ABK day one on GP as soon as their current deals with PS end.

Even if they acquire ABK I don't think that Xbox sales will substantially growth vs what they achieved in XBO. And I don't think GP will grow way beyond where they apparently are stuck, in 25M. I think it could grow to less than 50M, maybe maximum 40M. I think MS will fail with Xbox and with GP. I think Satya will wait to see how this generation evolves, and possibly will release another console more. Which can end abruptly if after a couple years doesn't perform at least at 360 numbers and since it won't, I think it will kill the Xbox hardware and will finally become a full multiplatform 3rd party and will stop adding games to GP day one if didn't decide to stop doing it years before.

 

[Banana]

You guys are so shook by PC it's hilarious.

 

[KiryuRealty]

The time when it was selling better was very early on. You'll note that since Satya stopped highlighting the pace of sales we never heard it was outpacing the Xbone again.

I wouldn't count on the Series lasting much longer than the original Xbox either. The failed ABK acquisition was a last ditch effort to revitalise the brand and with that out of the way there's nothing really on the horizon for Xbox. It doesn't make sense to continue as a console manufacturer, especially when their revenue is increasingly coming from other platforms. They'll be 3rd party before the PS6 is released.

They have been getting their asses handed to them on console sales since 2015, they’ve missed all their growth targets for GamePass, and the division has pretty much only lost money for over 20 years.

Anyone who thinks Microsoft is going to keep things going after the Activision deal has been blocked is not being logical. The buyout was the last ditch effort to make Game Pass a success and possibly keep XBox going, as Game Pass was what approval for the Series consoles was predicated upon.

Game Pass is failing, so they tried to buy publishers to force gamers into it. That has failed. Why would they keep losing money on their half-assed PC console any longer? If Nadella doesn’t put the bullet in the head of XBox at this point, the board will put one in his, metaphorically speaking.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

If Nadella doesn’t put the bullet in the head of XBox at this point, the board will put one in his, metaphorically speaking.

Hey Nadella

 

[rofif]

I just hope they won’t be bothered with pc ports during initial development. Just make the game and the. Someone else should worry about pc version if it’s coming at all.
Ok now where that bloodborne at

 

[ethomaz]

did street fighter v day and date on pc hurt ps4?

O don’t remember Sony owning Street Fighter… what are your point exactly?

 

[Lord Mittens]

 

[FatKaz]

Will be interesting if they do a pc version right out the gate for a boodborne remaster. Assuming if they ever do one, big if here lol.

It's an old game so i'd bet on it coming on PS5 + PC day one. But jimbo probably knows the lure that game will have if the release on ps5 first.

 

[SLB1904]

C'mon, the original Xbox sold only 24.65M consoles. Pretty likely will end selling over twice than that.

Series sx ain't reaching 50 mil.

 

[nongkris]

Will be interesting if they do a pc version right out the gate for a boodborne remaster. Assuming if they ever do one, big if here lol.

It's an old game so i'd bet on it coming on PS5 + PC day one. But jimbo probably knows the lure that game will have if the release on ps5 first.

the last of us part 1 will probably be how they handle a possible bloodborne remaster. ps5 first then pc later. though i wish it would be like demon souls remake, ps5 first and PC never.

 

[Yurinka]

Recap after reviewing it with DeepL Translation:

• Covid caused supply chain issues that now have been fixed and since H2 2022 shipments are finally stable
• PS5 had the best launch ever for a PS console
• Mentions they'll continue developing games with a high affinity for the Japanese market
• Says Japan is one of their most important markets, the 2nd largest country as market but more important than statistic it's important for them because it's the birthplace of PS and many of its best known titles in its almost 30 years, and a large number of employees they have in Japan
• Japan is an integral part of the PS culture and one of the core countries, it is very special and important for SIE/PS also for their long relationship they have with many publishers and devs from there
• His main strategy for future growth PS5s in Japan and the rest of the world is to release excellent and attractive games
• Highlights Elden Ring, RE4R, Monster Hunter Rise or Wild Hearts as recent as recent examples of games that performed particularly well in Japan, and thinks Final Fantasy XVI and Street Fighter 6 will be the next big hits both worldwide and in Japan. He also highlights HFW Burning Showres, Stellar Blade (a game he calls 2nd party), Rise of the Ronin or Death Stranding 2
• Says that depending on the characteristics of each country, the games that perform best there are different. When asked why they release their games worldwide instead of only releasing in each market the games that sell well on each market as they did in the past, says that the reason is that the Japanese market is still very important. There are a lot of experienced game fans and a lot of game creators in Japan. It may never be a big hit compared to other regions, but it is very important to reach the Japanese community, and that is more important than simple statistics
• He thinks Japan changed a lot and now there are also western games that perform very well there, mentioning Ghost of Tsushima as an example, which sold (including its Director's Cut) over a million in Japan
• Regarding western games that performed particularly well in Japan mentions Hogwarts Legacy. He also says that he played it, and that his daughter also oves it to the point he told her that she also needed to study and not only play the game. He didn't expect the game being such a big hit in Japan
• He highlights again the Japanese market, mentioning it's important and interesting because of the history of its game culture and the importance of the assets produced there in the past and now
• Mentions that they globalized their marketing campaigns but still make some country specific ones, like some Japanese specific example highlighted and says they'll continue doing it
• Spider-Man 2 is a PS5 only game and there are no compromises for the devs: they are focused on taking full advantage of the hardware and will achive really beautiful visuals and a great experience
• He's happy with the PSVR2 reception from the fans. Highlights Gran Turismo 7, Horizon CoM and in the future RE4 and the one he looks forward the most: Beat Saber
• Mentions that it's too early to judge PSVR2 popularity but that they're happy with the response from users and media
• Says that with the movies/TV adaptations and PC ports they want to bring the IPs they created during over 25 years to more people through more channels, helping to grow the popuarity of their IPs and sell more games, as happened with TLOU (he mentions that TLOU game sales had spikes after each episode and that "the synergy of producing a tv show is like 2 + 2 = 5"
• He says that PlayStation Studios will continue to focus on developing games for the PS platform. However, when they deem it appropriate, they will also work on games that can be expanded beyond the boundaries of consoles like in PC ports or movie/tv show adaptations
• He's curious about how the Twisted Metal show is going to perform, being reborn outside games after so many years absent from PS, he looks forward to it
• Says they'll continue to actively release PC ports of their games, thinks PCs are indispensable to allow more people to enjoy games in various ways, and that the more hardware options there are, the better
• Mentions that they fully understand the importance of PS5 exclusive titles, says twice in the interview that their main focus at PlayStation Studios is to ensure that people enjoy their gaming experience on the latest PS, so they are working to increase the number of PS5-exclusive titles and stagger the timing of our PC releases.　
• Mentions that they frequently hear from game fans and when asked about the time lag between PS5 releases and PC ports, many of them favorably accepted the idea of selling PC ports two or three years after the release of the PS version.
• Says that regularly listen the opinions of the fans because this is the community that we should value the most, and that will continue to listen to game fans and develop various titles from various angles.

 

[Swolf712]

I peeked in on the ERA thread for this and... man.

There really are people just dead-set on Jim Ryan being "soulless" and "an objectively bad person". It's kind of crazy.

It's also rather funny, IMO, that they're so mad about him citing fan reactions to PC ports as an influence in their strategy for PC. I thought they WANTED the man to listen to the fans, that their biggest complaint about him was how impersonal and out-of-touch with the fanbase he was; now suddenly he's wrong for listening to them while making company policy?

It's fun watching them try to spin that as "listening to fanboys" too as if anyone not in favor of Day and Date is just some rabid console warrior. Most of the hardcore fanboys are anti-PC releases at ALL, so this is disingenuous at best.

 

[AshHunter216]

I peeked in on the ERA thread for this and... man.

There really are people just dead-set on Jim Ryan being "soulless" and "an objectively bad person". It's kind of crazy.

It's also rather funny, IMO, that they're so mad about him citing fan reactions to PC ports as an influence in their strategy for PC. I thought they WANTED the man to listen to the fans, that their biggest complaint about him was how impersonal and out-of-touch with the fanbase he was; now suddenly he's wrong for listening to them while making company policy?

It's fun watching them try to spin that as "listening to fanboys" too as if anyone not in favor of Day and Date is just some rabid console warrior. Most of the hardcore fanboys are anti-PC releases at ALL, so this is disingenuous at best.

Accusing Jim of listening to fanboys is pretty funny coming from fans of the company that literally invites fanboys to dinner and has execs following them on twitter.

 

[flaccidsnake]

I peeked in on the ERA thread for this and... man.

There really are people just dead-set on Jim Ryan being "soulless" and "an objectively bad person". It's kind of crazy.

.

They prefer good public apologies to good games.

 

[anonpuffs]

I peeked in on the ERA thread for this and... man.

There really are people just dead-set on Jim Ryan being "soulless" and "an objectively bad person". It's kind of crazy.

It's also rather funny, IMO, that they're so mad about him citing fan reactions to PC ports as an influence in their strategy for PC. I thought they WANTED the man to listen to the fans, that their biggest complaint about him was how impersonal and out-of-touch with the fanbase he was; now suddenly he's wrong for listening to them while making company policy?

It's fun watching them try to spin that as "listening to fanboys" too as if anyone not in favor of Day and Date is just some rabid console warrior. Most of the hardcore fanboys are anti-PC releases at ALL, so this is disingenuous at best.

Why the hell is ResetEra so dead set on making the stereotypes of that place look dead on? "Omg the CEO of a company listening to its core customer base, how horrible" is prime cuck energy, and I fucking hate that word.

 

[SSfox]

If you want to play PlayStation games, buy a damned PlayStation already.

What is hard to understand here?

 

[SSfox]

I have every playstation. it would be nice if some of these games weren't trapped in a janky state for eternity while PC games from 2004 are getting ray tracing and AI-upscaled assets. if you don't want to play bloodborne with these kinds of enhancements, are you sure you really like playstation?

Fuck PC ports, but Sony should make PS5 full BC