PlayStationis not necessarily seeking to iterate uponFortniteorDestinywhen it comes to the live service titles it has in development. It is only a matter of time beforePlayStationbegins to officially reveal some of the live service projects hidden under its sleeve.
There have been rumors surroundingSony’s interest in a live service portfoliofor years but little has materialized into anything substantive thus far. However, the gaming giant’s aggressive acquisition campaign is certainly compelling evidence of this ambition. Far removed from the turmoil of Microsoft’s bid to acquire Activision Blizzard, PlayStation has welcomed three live service studios into its ranks across the past year and a half. The most significant of these acquisitions wasDestiny 2developer Bungie, which Sony scooped up last year for $3.6 billion. But Sony’s push to expand beyond its reputation for narrative, single-player games has raised questions about what exactly it aims to achieve. After all, not many days can pass without a live service shutting down – this year has seen dozens of titles either lose support outright or have content delivery significantly scaled back.
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GamesIndustry.biz talked toPlayStation and one of its recent acquisitionsabout the strategy and if it is sustainable given the precarious nature of live services. Hermen Hulst, PlayStation Studio chief, explained that though the term live service may be thrown around, the language does not necessarily “mean the company is making tenFortnitesorDestinys.” He acknowledged that live services tend to demand high time investment and that PlayStation is determined to “deliver the highest quality games.”
Hulst also wished to ensure that the term live service was not being employed too narrowly, stating thatPlayStation Studios are creating games that could be considered such, but span different genres and intended audiences. But Hulst’s assurances may do little to quell the fear that PlayStation is spreading itself too thin, with ten live services projects allegedly in the works. Then again, it could be that PlayStation is operating under a modified definition of the moniker.
Firewalk Studios, one of the three aforementioned acquisitions by Sony, was asked by GamesIndustry.biz what exactly PlayStation can offer it. Tony Hsu, the studio head, said that there were no plans to expand the workforce, but PlayStation Studios is a “global network.” The ability to collaborate with these teams will allegedly be an incredible boon to the development of its first game. Firewalk was asubsidiary of ProbablyMonsters before Sony purchased itfrom the triple-A collective. The studio is yet to release a title, its joint venture with PlayStation due to be the first.
