They also mentioned that even if they will increase their investment in/release more GaaS or MP, PC ports of old games and mobile games they will also increase their investment in/release more new PS exclusive games and traditional (SP) non GaaS games. Plus since every year there will be more new PS only games than PC ports of old games, every year the amount of PS only games not ported to PC will increase, not decrease over time.
Again, I know what they've said. The issue is, what have they been
showing so far this year, aside from releasing HFW and GT7? Like right now, we're getting these (IMO) odd one-minute snippets of GOW Ragnarok gameplay through Game Informer instead of a proper showcase for the game like HFW got (which was magnificent). Heck, we still don't have a Showcase announcement at all...
...but hey, camouflage PS5 console skins!
To increase their bet on GaaS, MP, PC, new IP and mobile won't make them reduce their bet on console only, sequels or traditional PS games: the opposite, will generate more money for Sony that they'll use to make more console only games than before and more sequels and more more traditional SP games than before. Games that are becoming more expensive to make each new gen so they need new revenue sources as these ones (or movies etc).
Look I agree with all of this. These are all true points and their long-term strategy looks great. However my comment is squarely focused on what new 1P & 3P exclusives, for future release, that we have not already seen revealed in 2020 or 2021, did they announce this year in 2022?
The answer is none, aside of FF VII Rebirth (technically SE reveal, but still) and Valkyrie Elysium. And I understand the reason for that for the first half of the year; PS5 supply was very low and new big games usually aren't announced in the Jan-May time frame. The June Showcase was very good for giving a first look at SFVI, but that is a multiplat release. The new FF XVI footage was amazing, but we've known of that game since 2020.
You can hopefully see where I'm getting at here. And again, it at least kind of seems like there is no big end-of-year Showcase planned. Maybe there is an announcement near the end of this week, but if rumors like SH2 Remake (which is a new 3P timed exclusive that hasn't been revealed prior) being shown off at TGS are true, then it just lessens the chance of a PlayStation Showcase this month IMO. Maybe it still leaves the door open for a PlayStation Experience in December, but by that point they're probably in conflict with the TGAs and would feel obligated to throw a bone or two to that show, taking away from the potential impact of an Experience.
They even shown to their investors graphs explaining their investment of game type or amount of planned releases for this FY and the one that ends in 2026 per platforms. They also said that PS Studios working in over 25 games, around half of them new IPs, plus that Bungie is working on multiple new IPs and plan to release at least one of them by 2025, and that will also release a Destiny mobile game. And they will increase their investment on developing games of all kinds, meaning
I know about the stuff to investors, but the thing I'm talking about is purely new gaming software announcements from a
gamer's POV that drive a reason to further invest in PlayStation ecosystem, usually by those games being exclusives.
And the fact that there has been very little if any new game announcements/reveals in that regard for PS this year. Valkyrie Elysium and FF VII Rebirth being the only two major ones (thanks for mentioning them below BTW, I did forget about them for a moment). OTOH, we've gotten a lot of news on their live-service ambitions, a couple of big PC port releases, Sony possibly stealth-revealing Returnal's PC port just the other day, new peripherals and hardware announcements, mobile games & services acquisitions...
...the only move in that regard as something more to the interest of the core fanbase WRT possibly meaning new big exclusives, is the 14% investment into From Software.
This year they also shown the rest of PSVR2 details (except pricing and specific release, the announced one is early 2023) and some PSVR2 games like Horizon Call of the Mountain or that RE Village, RE4R, Among Us, No Man's Sky or or the Walkind Dead Saints & Sinners sequel and more.
I will give them props for the PSVR2 stuff, and there are new games there at least some of which are exclusive. But I'm having trouble remembering if we already had the PSVR2's reveal back in 2021 and the stuff this year was clarifying details on headset specifications or not. All that said though, PSVR2 is still a peripheral; a peripheral that somewhat has its own standing as a platform with a shared ecosystem, but it very much still has a dependency to the PS5.
And, as it's a peripheral, that also means it's optional. Someone with a PS5 who wants to enjoy PSVR2 content the way it's intended will still have to pay an additional upwards $500 (potentially) for the headset. So when I'm talking about new 1P/3P exclusive reveals for PS5 this year (or lack thereof), I'm focusing mainly on the PS5, not PSVR2.
I don't think you can make the PS5's case in this instance stand well if it has to rely on PSVR2 to do so.
They also announced and released the revamped PS Plus. They added PS1 and PSP emulation (crossbuy with the PS3 and PSP/Vita, free if you bought them there) and are working to improve emulation and add more emulators. They made their first EVO. They added more stuff to the PS5 OS like VRR. They released the first steps of Discord integration and are working to release soon a full Discord integration. Made their first EVO.
Again, all good stuff, but this is about the core constituency (hardcore/core PS console owners), and the one thing they ultimately care about: new games. And usually, new games that add value proposition to the PlayStation console over other options, usually through means of exclusivity.
Sony've had two strong releases this year in that regard with HFW and GT7, and a good amount of additional smaller releases from 3P of that sort (at least in terms of console exclusivity) like Sifu, Stray, etc. But I'm talking about NEW such games announced this year, that have not been announced or revealed previously.
It's on that note where I think it's been extremely light because there actually hasn't been anything and, again, PSVR2 is excused from this.
They released more exclusives like TLOUP1, Ghostwire Tokyo or Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, or third party ones like exclusive indies, many of them supported by PlayStation indies like Sifu, Stray (included in PS Plus) or Rollerdrome, plus announced some other than the already released ones. They also included more upcoming exclusives like FFVII Rebirth (Ep2), Valkyrie Elysium or that XBO won't get Street Fighter 6. For next year -some of them delayed from the current one they'll have exclusives like FFXVI, Forspoken or Tchia to name a few.
I think it's a bit of a reach to say SFVI not going to XBO works in a way to the game being a PS exclusive in any capacity, considering the vast majority of XBO owners (at least the hardcore/core ones) have upgraded to Series S and X units, so it's not like Capcom's leaving behind a particularly large active fighting game community on XBO to begin with. It's a much different scenario to PS4 where there is still a significant number of the hardcore/core audience there that have yet to upgrade to PS5, mainly due to shortages that are just now starting to subside.
But beyond that, yes they have TLOUP1 now but for starters it's a remake and secondly they announced the PC port at exactly the same time they revealed the PS5 edition. I doubt it'll take even a year for the PC version to show up, and someone who's willing to wait for that one will be able to get the game at a cheaper price, with more graphical settings and resolution options, KB&M support, and the secret advantage of PC: mod support. All at a cheaper price than the PS5 version's launching at and with any technical issues present (which I've seen some clips of) patched out by the time it reaches PC.
In that scenario, I think even some diehards would choose to wait until the PC version drops, when you know it's a year or less out of the way. That's what kind of came as a surprise in them announcing the PC version immediately, even though I know they kind of would've needed to since this remake is meant to drive interest to (or feed off interest from) the upcoming HBO series. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is kind of a similar deal.
They also announced the 'biggest project Naughty Dog ever did': the TLOU MP game which also will feature a story told in a unique way.
Guess that would count as a new game announcement, tho it technically falls under live service so it's not the type of 1P AAA fare Sony are really known for, or what large swathes may be eagerly anticipating. Though there are a lot of people looking forward to it, out of both excitement and curiosity.
They announced and released a lot of stuff in barely half a year of 2022. But obviously since they release this year a ton of big exclusives like Sifu, Horizon 2, Ghostwire Tokyo, GT7, MLB, Stray, Rollerdrom, TLOP1 and GoWR their marketing has been busy focused in promoting them, which is they had to do. Not to overshadow them with announcements of distant games to build hype when they don't have consoles in the stores. Once they are out and once they keep solving the supply issue they keep announcing stuff.
MLB is multiplatform now, FWIW. I can see your point about them not wanting to overshadow the games released this year with new game announcements and not wanting to reveal too much new stuff with lack of consoles around but...
...the thing is, the shortages problem has been getting notably better with every passing week. The games they released this year in HFW, GT7 etc. were already shown off and marketed the prior year, if not earlier in a sense, so the hardcore/core fanbase of those games would've known of them plenty before they released. Marketing would just need to focus on the more traditional advertising routes for the mainstream and casual folks to know of those games, but I don't think that suddenly creates a conflict where new 1P/3P exclusives can't be revealed, particularly in H2 of this year.
I mean, is that potentially a reason they haven't announced a new Showcase yet? They don't want to reveal anything to take away from GOW Ragnarok? I don't see how any new game reveal COULD take away interest or attention from GOW Ragnarok, there's enough space for both IMO. But Sony seem to be taking their sweet time before doing an in-depth gameplay showing for Ragnarok. I get they want it closer to launch than what ended up being the case with HFW (because that game got delayed), but is there such a thing as
too close?
I think that pretty likely that late this year, maybe around GoWR release, and weeks after they started to increase consistently their consoles shipments it's when they'll have a big showcase or something to show future stuff, particularly the 2023 and early 2024 one: more PSVR2 launch window games plus its price and release date. Showing gameplay of Forspoken, FFXVI, Korean Bayonetta, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Helldivers 2, the next Team Asobi game and maybe teasers of the next Guerrilla game and maybe new IPs from Bungie or Firewalk. Who knows, they could even tease the next London Studio, Bluepoint, Firesprite or Pixel Opus games. Plus they could show some 3rd party key stuff with marketing deal like SF6, RE4R, Pragmata or Dragon's Dogma 2.
So basically you're thinking they'll do something for either late November or December. I guess that is possible, and if there's nothing for this month then that time frame would be the last possible time to do something big in terms of a new show. The thing is though, the TGAs are happening in December, and there is always the chance Sony just decides to hold off a lot of what you're suggesting and just throw a couple big announcements for that show instead.
Though that may not necessarily be likely either, if say Microsoft have a couple of big reveals planned themselves, and they have some agreement with Sony to where Sony decides not to show off their games at the TGAs so that Microsoft doesn't have to risk getting outshined. As crazy as that sounds, it
IS a possibility given what some of these acquisitions of the past few years, even the MOU Sony signed with Microsoft a few years ago (tho I don't think PlayStation division is actually using Azure yet. I'll have to check on that), have created in terms of this "weird" dance between MS and Sony.
Something I can't really put into words, but basically where it feels like one might be holding back to not step on the other's toes and potentially lose out on some stuff as consequence. The one holding back in this case of course being Sony, and the one with things to hold against them at some later date in case they feel "wronged" by natural competition actually taking hold, being Microsoft.
It's kind of why I've been a bit weary about some of the announcements and points of interest addressed by both companies the past couple of years but, that is taking this into a very different topic probably better served as its own discussion at a future date.
