One of the largest on-going changes in the video game industry is accessibility to titles. Compared to merely a decade ago, titles and platforms are far more connected, with cross-play and cross-progression becoming a regular part of the conversation. We’ve seen this become a focal point in the upcoming launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X with Microsoft taking a far more “progressive” approach to delivering their content than Sony who have been drawing more defined lines.
Often times however, the lines between companies are not as hard as they may seem as, at the end of the day, they all share the same focus on growth and revenue. Sony shared their annual Corporate Report on Saturday and within that, is insight into the PlayStation Division’s goals for the future.
First and foremost, PlayStation continues to place a strong focus on first party. With the acquisition of Insomniac, Sony Interactive Entertainment now has 14 studios as part of their Worldwide Studios (which they refer to as WWS) and they speak openly about continuing to look at opportunities to expand that footprint.
Next is how they want to continue to explore placing those titles on PC as a platform to expand their growth and revenue. As we’ve seen over the past couple of years in titles like Death Stranding and Horizon Zero Dawn (as well as PC support for PS Now), PlayStation has warmed to the idea of publishing first-party titles on PC.
Our Take
None of this should really be surprising. PlayStation is a very powerful global brand and riding the success of the PS4, it makes sense for Sony to focus on first-party growth while expanding availability of those titles as their development accelerates. As we continue to preach, all three major platforms in PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox are financially strong, profitable, and growing. It’s a fantastic time for gaming.
