Impression: Sony could be playing 4D Chess moves to manoeuvre themselves out of PC publishing

[Eternal_Wings]

The rude awakening has already happened years ago. The rude awakening is seeing all the ports flop one after the other. If that didn't stop them, nothing will. I'm starting to believe there might really be an Xbox inside agent working at Sony like what Mike Ybarra was for ABK. Phil also admitted he had an ex Microsoft friend of his buying up a ton of Nintendo shares.

That's not an rude awakening. A rude awakening is somewhere an entity is driven into a critical situation. The PS3 drove Sony close to Insolvency. That's a rude awakening. Still it's too early too give up on Sony. I have hope left they will wake up.

 

[Fenton]

Can't pick and choose when to believe Sony and when not to.

When they announce PS5 or game sales numbers everyone is happy and cheers....

But lose their minds and curse Totoki when the same Sony says they have to expand PS for growth and PC is also important for them.

 

[Yurinka]

If those countries can't access PSN how do they do it on PS5? Or is this just accessing through Steam?

Unless they have the internet blocked in their country, they obviously can access PSN. What they don't have is a specific PSN store for their country.

Meaning, when creating their PSN account they choose a different country from the list and use the store of that other country to buy.

Example: Andorra is a very tiny country between Spain and France that normally doesn't appear in this kind of things. Since they are next to Spain and understand the language, they normally create Spanish accounts and use the Spanish store.

It's like when creating an account in any other website where sometimes they don't have your country or language.

I get more and more the feeling Sony is actively trying to sabotage themselves. There is no rational way to explain, why they do shoot themselves twice in the foot.
Lately we have seen many weird decision like this.

The rude awakening is seeing all the ports flop one after the other. If that didn't stop them, nothing will.

These countries combined may be 2 or 3% of their global revenue or even less, so maybe isn't worth for them to open a PSN store for them, something understandable in console because it may imply some complex and expensive paperwork/taxes/etc.

Maybe to don't sell their MP PC games to these countries is a temporal thing and in the future they may expand PSN to these countries.

As happened every year next week we'll see a big growth in their PC revenue in their fiscal year report, this time maybe posting over half a billion (their forecast was $450M).

Remember ports only cost them around $2M each, so all of them have been profitable and most of them with a huge ROI. PC is very profitable for them.

 

[JAHGamer]

That's not an rude awakening. A rude awakening is somewhere an entity is driven into a critical situation. The PS3 drove Sony close to Insolvency. That's a rude awakening. Still it's too early too give up on Sony. I have hope left they will wake up.

I hope you're right but I doubt it, feels like it's too late. Console sales declines this year will be brutal

Can't pick and choose when to believe Sony and when not to.

When they announce PS5 or game sales numbers everyone is happy and cheers....

But lose their minds and curse Totoki when the same Sony says they have to expand PS for growth and PC is also important for them.

Yes we absolutely can "pick and choose", it's called being able to think for yourself, you should try it. Do you know what the difference between a fact and an opinion is?

Game and console sales are objective figures aka facts, Totoki saying that PC will help PlayStation grow is an opinion. An incredibly stupid and short sighted opinion that has absolutely no evidence to support it. We know for a fact that PC revenue doesn't even contribute 1% to PlayStation's bottom line, but it accounts for 90% of their problems.

But if you wanna hang on every word of braindead beancounters, then go ahead. Just know you're no different than the Phil Spencer acolytes that believed GamePass was profitable/sustainable just because he said so.

 

[klomzi]

This here. There us something called Google, next time use it.

Sony might be planning their own PC game launcher

Sony might be planning their own PC game launcher with PSN integration, if references within Spider-Man Remastered files are to be believed.

www.rockpapershotgun.com

The rumor came from VGC and there was no mention of a launcher in the files.

 

[Systemshock2023]

One question though: which type is it?

Table
Sea
Himalayan
Kosher

Either way, watch the intake. Rising steadily since this day for some (idiotic) reason.

Hermen Hulst Q&A: Interview with Head of PlayStation’s Worldwide Studios

What's next for Guerrilla, upcoming TV and film projects, and the guiding principles that drive PlayStation’s network of world-class game studios.

blog.playstation.com

 

[Eternal_Wings]

The rumor came from VGC and there was no mention of a launcher in the files.

It is, give it a read again.
"There are references to a "PlayStation PC launcher" within files for Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered's PC release, which launched last week. As spotted by VGC, the mention suggests Sony could launch their own bespoke game launcher on PC and allow players to link PC games to PlayStation Network accounts."

 

[Eternal_Wings]

I hope you're right but I doubt it, feels like it's too late. Console sales declines this year will be brutal


Yes we absolutely can "pick and choose", it's called being able to think for yourself, you should try it. Do you know what the difference between a fact and an opinion is?

Game and console sales are objective figures aka facts, Totoki saying that PC will help PlayStation grow is an opinion. An incredibly stupid and short sighted opinion that has absolutely no evidence to support it. We know for a fact that PC revenue doesn't even contribute 1% to PlayStation's bottom line, but it accounts for 90% of their problems.

But if you wanna hang on every word of braindead beancounters, then go ahead. Just know you're no different than the Phil Spencer acolytes that believed GamePass was profitable/sustainable just because he said so.

Bro not everyone one wants a PC. It's never too late to correct your path. People give on Sony at PS3 era and they managed to do the turn-around. Big reminder Totoki is only for a year the president.

 

[JAHGamer]

Bro not everyone one wants a PC. It's never too late to correct your path. People give on Sony at PS3 era and they managed to do the turn-around. Big reminder Totoki is only for a year the president.

PS3 only issue was that it was too expensive, that's literally it. Modern Sony has countless issues.

 

[Eternal_Wings]

PS3 only issue was that it was too expensive, that's literally it. Modern Sony has countless issues.

PS3 was weak. Microsoft had more western and Asian exclusives than PS3. It's actually a wonder Sony surpassed Xbox 360.

 

[Yurinka]

Game and console sales are objective figures aka facts, Totoki saying that PC will help PlayStation grow is an opinion. An incredibly stupid and short sighted opinion that has absolutely no evidence to support it. We know for a fact that PC revenue doesn't even contribute 1% to PlayStation's bottom line, but it accounts for 90% of their problems.

Facts say that in the most recent reported quarter their consoles had 123M MAU, meaning they have the biggest active console userbase ever (with many users still in PS4, to upgrade to next later).

Facts also say they make more money than ever selling games, game subs and accesories in console than ever did, as seen in their fiscal reports. They also show there record revenue from 1st party sales on console.

And their recent big games TLOU2, GoWR, Spider-Man 2 and apparently Helldivers 2 broke records of their fastest selling console exclusive ever. Other 1st party games that didn't achieve such records were the fastest selling game ever for their IP or (Rift Apart, GT7, Death Stranding, Days Gone, Returnal...) or were in par with it HFW (until they did the text of including it early in PS+).

These are all facts, evidence that their console business isn't negatively affected by PC. If something the opposite: helps it grow and achieve new records.

Regarding console sales, even with the shortages and with the components price rise & inflation (which blocked/reduced changes of price cuts) and finantial crisis PS5 is pretty close launch aligned to become their fastest selling console ever.

Its hardware sales peak year was the fiscal year that just ended, and as happened with all consoles in gaming history from that its years sales will decrease every year. Because of the natural the cycle of any console, not because of PC. The console active userbase, software sales etc will continue on record numbers and growing.

Their PC revenue has a huge growth every year as they keep adding new games to their PC catalog and as they keep discounting old releases. Next week they forecasted to post $450M, and I assume due to unexpected huge success of Helldivers 2 will be bigger. If they make $26/27B and $450M from it from PC, that would be a 1.7%. Every year they have a huge growth in PC revenue, and thanks to Helldivers 2, Destiny 2 The Final Shape, Until Dawn remake and Concord the current fiscal year that just started may see the biggest jump ever.

 

[klomzi]

It is, give it a read again.
"There are references to a "PlayStation PC launcher" within files for Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered's PC release, which launched last week. As spotted by VGC, the mention suggests Sony could launch their own bespoke game launcher on PC and allow players to link PC games to PlayStation Network accounts."

Yes, there was no mention of it any files, it was clickbait from VGC, only PC account linking was mentioned.

 

[Systemshock2023]

PS3 only issue was that it was too expensive, that's literally it. Modern Sony has countless issues.

PS3 was inefficient over engineered crap. They should thank Nvidia when they provided a hand me down GPU on the nick of time to save the ps3 from being the worst console ever.
Dumbasses thought the CELL processor was enough to render high end graphics.

PlayStation 3 Was Delayed, Originally Planned For 2005 - IGN

In a conversation with multiple sources associated with Naughty Dog, IGN can today confirm that the PlayStation 3 was supposed to launch in 2005 and was delayed by a year.

www.ign.com

 

[Muddasar]

I hope you're right but I doubt it, feels like it's too late. Console sales declines this year will be brutal


Yes we absolutely can "pick and choose", it's called being able to think for yourself, you should try it. Do you know what the difference between a fact and an opinion is?

Game and console sales are objective figures aka facts, Totoki saying that PC will help PlayStation grow is an opinion. An incredibly stupid and short sighted opinion that has absolutely no evidence to support it. We know for a fact that PC revenue doesn't even contribute 1% to PlayStation's bottom line, but it accounts for 90% of their problems.

But if you wanna hang on every word of braindead beancounters, then go ahead. Just know you're no different than the Phil Spencer acolytes that believed GamePass was profitable/sustainable just because he said so.

Console sales declining have nothing to do with the PC market.

It has everything to do with the price of the PS5 and the cost of living crisis.

Stop reading Tweets as gospel. Dring lives in the UK and knows very well what the situation is here. It’s not much different in mainland Europe.

To make things worse the PS5 is more expensive now than launch.

Usually in the 4th year of a PlayStations lifecycles the console has dropped price to atleast 299.

 

[Fenton]

I hope you're right but I doubt it, feels like it's too late. Console sales declines this year will be brutal


Yes we absolutely can "pick and choose", it's called being able to think for yourself, you should try it. Do you know what the difference between a fact and an opinion is?

Game and console sales are objective figures aka facts, Totoki saying that PC will help PlayStation grow is an opinion. An incredibly stupid and short sighted opinion that has absolutely no evidence to support it. We know for a fact that PC revenue doesn't even contribute 1% to PlayStation's bottom line, but it accounts for 90% of their problems.

But if you wanna hang on every word of braindead beancounters, then go ahead. Just know you're no different than the Phil Spencer acolytes that believed GamePass was profitable/sustainable just because he said so.

They cannot lie in front of their shareholders.

Announcing PS5 sales numbers and revenue in meetings and also admitting PS needs to grow beyond console in the same meeting. Both are true.

They are not morons to make this shift... they wouldn't put games on PC if everything was fine like in the PS4 era. The gaming industry doesn't remain the same.

This is not the same as that Game Pass sustainable comment.. it was in some gaming outlet interview, not shareholder meeting. Two different situations.... you cannot lie in meetings. Phil Spencer can run his mouth and bluff during random interviews. And investors don't grill them about gaming as it's not vital for the company so Spencer doesn't care if he lies.

Sony doesn't have this luxury as PS is important and investors demand growth.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

But what if they don't see any other way to justify their exit for PC business, to please both customers and shareholders?

Customers: They can literally just point to the low sales of recent ports and games not Helldivers 2.

Shareholders: They can literally just point to the low sales of recent ports and games not Helldivers 2.

Personally I've never even said Sony should completely step away from PC; a few GAAS titles here and there wouldn't be a bad thing. The problem is:

1: PC gamers can get the GAAS titles cheaper and with free online, with no perks for console buyers to offset it.​

​

2: They've been porting a ton of non-GAAS titles to PC in a short span of time with nowhere near enough new exclusives for their console to offset it.​

​

3: Their stagger windows for ports to PC is too small and risks getting smaller, negatively impacting the console even more over time.​

​

4: They have a shrinking number of internal 1P titles because they refuse to do more expansion-like approaches (Lost Legacy, Miles Morales etc.) or AA games​

If SIE could fix those four points, they'd be golden. They could still support PC, and mobile etc. but it should never give the impression that's coming at the expense of your bread-and-butter console, when the console market is still otherwise healthy (provided platform holders are competent enough to support it properly, so that leaves out Microsoft).

They don't need to do some stunt dragging their brand image through the mud just to scale back and change their PC porting strategy.

They cannot lie in front of their shareholders.

Announcing PS5 sales numbers and revenue in meetings and also admitting PS needs to grow beyond console in the same meeting. Both are true.

They are not morons to make this shift... they wouldn't put games on PC if everything was fine like in the PS4 era. The gaming industry doesn't remain the same.

This is not the same as that Game Pass sustainable comment.. it was in some gaming outlet interview, not shareholder meeting. Two different situations.... you cannot lie in meetings. Phil Spencer can run his mouth and bluff during random interviews. And investors don't grill them about gaming as it's not vital for the company so Spencer doesn't care if he lies.

Sony doesn't have this luxury as PS is important and investors demand growth.

Which investors? Let's be honest here: not all investors are asking for this type of growth. It's the ones who have the most shares, and they're the same ones who typically own shares in competing brands. Remember the ValueAct stuff from the Microsoft leaked emails, how that investor was, in Microsoft's words, doing their bidding to "soften up Nintendo" for an M&A by buying shares in Nintendo?

So imagine if Nintendo had to suddenly pursue this "growth" to please "investors"...why should the investor be trusted if they are ValueAct? I also knows gamers who have shares in Sony who DON'T like this PC strategy...is Sony listening to those investors? Or are they not "the right voices that need to be heard"?

 

[BroodCorp]

It will not hurt their reputation to flop in this one area. The consensus is still that the PS system is the best way to play those games. I don’t think anyone takes it that seriously that these releases are jacked up on PC. At least not in a way that hurts Sony’s image.

 

[Killer_Sakoman]

Console sales declining have nothing to do with the PC market.

It has everything to do with the price of the PS5 and the cost of living crisis.

Stop reading Tweets as gospel. Dring lives in the UK and knows very well what the situation is here. It’s not much different in mainland Europe.

To make things worse the PS5 is more expensive now than launch.

Usually in the 4th year of a PlayStations lifecycles the console has dropped price to atleast 299.

Cost of living when everyone is buying $1000s PCs , iphones and ipads.

 

[rofif]

Console sales declining have nothing to do with the PC market.

It has everything to do with the price of the PS5 and the cost of living crisis.

Stop reading Tweets as gospel. Dring lives in the UK and knows very well what the situation is here. It’s not much different in mainland Europe.

To make things worse the PS5 is more expensive now than launch.

Usually in the 4th year of a PlayStations lifecycles the console has dropped price to atleast 299.

Consoles are cheaper than ever. 400-500$ is nothing compared to gpu alone being 500-1500$.

 

[Eternal_Wings]

Holy sh*t
Guys looks at the Twitter page of this thread. Quotes and comments full of PCMR crying.