Sony's future and possible studio/publisher acquisitions

[anonpuffs]

Ok I didn’t know that but it still does kind of prove my point that Sony should work with partners that create the type of games that makes sense, and that will be true exclusive to draw in more gamers like you that weren’t PlayStation fans before. Acquiring Ember Labs does that, acquiring Pearl Abyss doesn’t.

I don't think ember labs has the huge audience draw that pearl abyss does. Think about all the asian cellphone players that are doing mobile+switch that will have something to think about getting a ps5 for. That said,

 

[JAHGamer]

I don't think ember labs has the huge audience draw that pearl abyss does. Think about all the asian cellphone players that are doing mobile+switch that will have something to think about getting a ps5 for. That said,

This is what I mean, I want Sony to move AWAY from that style of game, not closer to it

I couldn’t care less if they buy Pearl Abyss and their live service pc/mobile games rake in a ton of money. How does it help grow the PlayStation brand and console strength? It doesn't. What does that do for me as a PlayStation gamer? Nothing. This is literally no different than Xbox fanboys celebrating the ABK acquisition even though it does absolutely nothing for them or for Xbox. Millions of gamers enjoying cod mobile and Xbox making bank from it doesn't improve the Xbox console fans experience.....It just speeds up the death of their console and is a big step closer to a reality of Xbox becoming a 3rd party publisher.

Acquiring Ember Labs gets us more amazing single player games, adds a new iconic IP to the PlayStation family, grows the brand, and makes the console more desirable. Fans have been asking for the return of games like Sly Cooper and Jak and Daxter for years, and as much as I love those games, Kena now fills that gap better than either of those games could.

 

[anonpuffs]

This is what I mean, I want Sony to move AWAY from that style of game, not closer to it

I couldn’t care less if they buy Pearl Abyss and their live service pc/mobile games rake in a ton of money. How does it help grow the PlayStation brand and console strength? It doesn't. What does that do for me as a PlayStation gamer? Nothing. This is literally no different than Xbox fanboys celebrating the ABK acquisition even though it does absolutely nothing for them or for Xbox. Millions of gamers enjoying cod mobile and Xbox making bank from it doesn't improve the Xbox console fans experience.....It just speeds up the death of their console and is a big step closer to a reality of Xbox becoming a 3rd party publisher.

Acquiring Ember Labs gets us more amazing single player games, adds a new iconic IP to the PlayStation family, grows the brand, and makes the console more desirable. Fans have been asking for the return of games like Sly Cooper and Jak and Daxter for years, and as much as I love those games, Kena now fills that gap better than either of those games could.

Well Pearl Abyss's next 2 games are single player IPs and not mmo so...

 

[JAHGamer]

Well Pearl Abyss's next 2 games are single player IPs and not mmo so...

No, dokev is multiplayer as well. Only Crimson Desert is single player, and there’s rumors it might become a multiplayer game as well

 

[anonpuffs]

No, dokev is multiplayer as well. Only Crimson Desert is single player, and there’s rumors it might become a multiplayer game as well

Multiplayer optional. It's an open world pokemon game

 

[Yurinka]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/pl...-left-except-spider-man.773426/post-115261443

New Acquisitions hire

Her work isn't to make new M&A. It's to integrate and acceleraate acquired studios, something that also applies for acquisitions made in recent years.

 

[JAHGamer]

Multiplayer optional. It's an open world pokemon game

u know majority of the focus will be on the multiplayer aspect....

 

[anonpuffs]

u know majority of the focus will be on the multiplayer aspect....

No i don't know that. It's possible, but from what we've seen so far it doesn't look like it.

 

[Remember_Spinal]

Pearl abyss haven’t released any of those games, and im honestly also weary of any of them being anything like what they’ve previewed so far. I’m weary of a lot of these chinese and Korean games that look too good to be true in trailers.

Wu Kong looked like some next level PS6 shit in its first couple of trailers and now it looks more along the lines of Lies of P with slightly better graphics.

I’ll take the tried and true smaller studio that managed to make their first game comparable to Sony’s first party exclusives already. Sonys best at growing smaller studios, makes no sense to buy some big bloated mmo developer because you liked a couple of their trailers for games with no actual dates or playable builds

 

[Eternal_Wings]

Pearl abyss haven’t released any of those games, and im honestly also weary of any of them being anything like what they’ve previewed so far. I’m wearing of a lot of these chinese and Korean games that look too good to be true in trailers.

Wu Kong looked like some next level PS6 shit in its first couple of trailers and now it looks more along the lines of Lies of P with slightly better graphics.

I’ll take the tried and true smaller studio that managed to make their first game comparable to Sony’s first party exclusives already.

So Lies of P doesn’t exist for you?
Korean proved themselves they are capable of more than just MMOs and Mobile games. Korea is full of undiscovered talents which is waiting to be harvested. Korea will become the next big gaming market within 10 years. Just wait and see.

 

[Remember_Spinal]

So Lies of P doesn’t exist for you?
Korean proved themselves they are capable of more than just MMOs and Mobile games. Korea is full of undiscovered talents which is waiting to be harvested. Korea will become the next big gaming market within 10 years. Just wait and see.

Lies of P as good as it is will always be ‘bloodborne at home’ its a game that apes the entire identity of another more popular game.

 

[anonpuffs]

Lies of P as good as it is will always be ‘bloodborne at home’ its a game that apes the entire identity of another more popular game.

Only in art design and combat design. In technical chops that studio exceeds fromsoft

 

[JAHGamer]

Pearl abyss haven’t released any of those games, and im honestly also weary of any of them being anything like what they’ve previewed so far. I’m weary of a lot of these chinese and Korean games that look too good to be true in trailers.

Wu Kong looked like some next level PS6 shit in its first couple of trailers and now it looks more along the lines of Lies of P with slightly better graphics.

I’ll take the tried and true smaller studio that managed to make their first game comparable to Sony’s first party exclusives already. Sonys best at growing smaller studios, makes no sense to buy some big bloated mmo developer because you liked a couple of their trailers for games with no actual dates or playable builds

Spot on, they’re unproven when it comes to the type of games Sonys known for. Crimson Desert could be great and even if it is, that studio still has a ton of mmo baggage that doesn’t align with PlayStation at all.

If Stellar Blade ends up being good, that could be another target, but as of right now only Ember Labs really makes sense. I’m not a souls fan but Lies of P has been getting a lot of praise, so I wouldn’t be opposed to Neowiz either.

 

[Remember_Spinal]

Only in art design and combat design. In technical chops that studio exceeds fromsoft

Two things Fromsoft are most known and praised for

 

[Remember_Spinal]

Spot on, they’re unproven when it comes to the type of games Sonys known for. Crimson Desert could be great and even if it is, that studio still has a ton of mmo baggage that doesn’t align with PlayStation at all.

If Stellar Blade ends up being good, that could be another target, but as of right now only Ember Labs really makes sense. I’m not a souls fan but Lies of P has been getting a lot of praise, so I wouldn’t be opposed to Neowiz either.

I’m pretty sure tencent recently acquired Shift Up!

Edit—-

Nvm it’s a 20% investment stake so the potential to buy them would still be there. Although i doubt sony would be interested unless they clean up their company culture

 

[Eternal_Wings]

I’m pretty sure tencent recently acquired Shift Up!

Edit—-

Nvm it’s a 20% investment stake so the potential to buy them would still be there. Although i doubt sony would be interested unless they clean up their company culture

That’s not entirely correct. ShiftUp is the parent company. Eve Studio is the actual developer. Sony needs only to buyout Eve Studio. It is possible, they proved it with Firewalk Studios.

 

[anonpuffs]

Two things Fromsoft are most known and praised for

Yet imo Demons Souls Remake is the most enjoyable souls game to play because the technical performance is flawless and even if the art direction took a step back it's close enough. Lies of P is close enough.

 

[Yurinka]

Chinese giant ByteDance (Tik Tok, Pico, Marvel Snap) is almost totally stepping away from gaming. Seems they cancelled most unannounced games and apparently will sell released games and related studios:

TikTok parent confirms games biz restructuring, ‘hundreds of employees’ potentially affected | VGC

ByteDance owns Marvel Snap publisher Nuverse…

www.videogameschronicle.com

It would be a great opportunity for Sony to acquire the highly successful, award winning Marvel Snap (developed by Second Dinner with ex-Heartstone devs) and their team, who would be a good fit to make a similar Heartstone/Magic type game using SIE/PS IPs for mobile, PC and pretty likely this case PS too.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Chinese giant ByteDance (Tik Tok, Pico, Marvel Snap) is almost totally stepping away from gaming. Seems they cancelled most unannounced games and apparently will sell released games and related studios:

TikTok parent confirms games biz restructuring, ‘hundreds of employees’ potentially affected | VGC

ByteDance owns Marvel Snap publisher Nuverse…

www.videogameschronicle.com

It would be a great opportunity for Sony to acquire the highly successful, award winning Marvel Snap (developed by Second Dinner with ex-Heartstone devs) and their team, who would be a good fit to make a similar Heartstone/Magic type game using SIE/PS IPs for mobile, PC and pretty likely this case PS too.

It's a bit contradictory to claim some of these are highly successful if the company themselves are stepping away from the studios and even the industry.

However, I do think Sony need some type of truly transmedia IP that could also be, among other things, adopted for the TCG space (digitally and physically). Maybe even integrate that with what they had going with Eye of Judgement, for (optional) expanded play capabilities.

Though hopefully something with more substance than Marvel Snap (from what I've seen of it). Maybe closer to a MTG or Yugioh, but (hopefully) with mainstream, transmedia appeal closer to a Pokemon. It'd take effort, but it can be done.

 

[Yurinka]

It's a bit contradictory to claim some of these are highly successful if the company themselves are stepping away from the studios and even the industry.

However, I do think Sony need some type of truly transmedia IP that could also be, among other things, adopted for the TCG space (digitally and physically). Maybe even integrate that with what they had going with Eye of Judgement, for (optional) expanded play capabilities.

Though hopefully something with more substance than Marvel Snap (from what I've seen of it). Maybe closer to a MTG or Yugioh, but (hopefully) with mainstream, transmedia appeal closer to a Pokemon. It'd take effort, but it can be done.

It's a company who made $85.2B of revenue and $2B of operating income last year. And has 150.000 employees. Maybe gaming gives them some hundreds of millions -maybe a few billions- per year, but may not be enough for them.

In terms of game design, I'd say Marvel Snap is the best card game since Heartstone (designed by the same guys). This game needed only a very small team to be made, but generated over $100M and it's the top grossing cards game right now:

https://gameworldobserver.com/2023/08/30/marvel-snap-revenue-100-million-mobile-downloads-appmagic#:~:text=According to AppMagic, Marvel Snap is the highest-grossing collectible,by Yu-Gi-Oh!

So at least using top IPs like Warcraft and Marvel these guys know how to make great and very successful cards games. I think Sony could do something like a "PlayStation Snap" or something like that, basically Marvel Snap/Heartstone but using there characters from the SIE IPs. It would be cool to add an optional AR mode in the mobile version, it's a good idea.

But I'd continue with the Marvel Snap approach of making its mechanics very simple to understand and fast to learn to -in addition to using massively popular IPs- to be able to reach a massive audience.