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Sony Is Halving The Number Of PlayStation Live-Service Games That It Aims To Launch By March 2026

Sony is focusing on quality over quantity with its live-service gaming push.

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Sony has announced plans to reevaluate its big push into live-service gaming, reducing the number of games that it originally planned to release over the next couple of years. The original goal was to have 12 live-service games running by the end of the 2025 financial year--or the end of March 2026--but Sony has halved this forecast and says that it wants to focus on delivering high-quality games.

"We are reviewing this--we are trying as much as possible to ensure [these games] are enjoyed and liked by gamers for a long time," COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki said in an earnings call (via VGC). "[Of] the 12 titles, six titles will be released by FY25--that's our current plan. [As for] the remaining six titles, we are still working on that. That's the total number of live service and multiplayer titles [and] mid-to-long-term we want to [push] this kind of service and that's the unchanged policy of the company. It's not like we stick to certain titles, but game quality should be the most important [thing]."

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Now Playing: Marathon - Announce Trailer | PS5 & PC Games

Sony's big live-service push has seen it make some big purchases, acquiring Destiny 2 developer Bungie, Haven Studios, and Firewalk Studios. Bungie is currently reviving Marathon as a PvP extraction shooter, Firewalk Studios is working on the sci-fi multiplayer game Concord, and Haven Studios recently revealed FairGame$, a heist game wherein teams of players rob society's wealthiest members. Then there's Horizon developer Guerrilla working on a multiplayer spin-off set in that franchise, and Naughty Dog's The Last of Us competitive game--which very little is known about.

It has been reported that The Last of Us multiplayer game could be on hold, following an evaluation from Bungie that allegedly gave the game a negative internal review. Sony is also experiencing a turbulent period, as some of its most experienced leaders at PlayStation Studios have left the company. PlayStation veteran Connie Booth, who had been with Sony since 1989, left under unexplained circumstances, and former PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan will retire in March 2024.

The Most-Anticipated PlayStation Games Of 2023 And Beyond
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Cashmoney007

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Cashmoney007

Sony can be a dumpster fire.

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conmbo2

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conmbo2

I hope Alan wake 2 wins, pretty much the only game I enjoyed in the last 6 months

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Kyizen

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Kyizen

Oof Starfield pretty much only in Best RPG and BG3 is in that group so...

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SebB

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SebB

Reality always wins.

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TTDog

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TTDog

Why stop at delaying 6... why not 8 or 10?

2 • 
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SebB

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SebB

@TTDog: eventually, eventually.

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mrbojangles25

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mrbojangles25

I hate this so, so, so much.

Don't get me wrong, live-service games have a place in the market. I've enjoyed my fair share of MMO's and other things of that nature.

I just don't think an entire division of a huge corporation should focus almost exclusively on it. Especially when that company has done so well with story-driven, linear, high-quality games.

Ah well, good thing I'm on PC.

2 • 
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illegal_peanut

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illegal_peanut

I have one question for everyone.

Live service games are based on how many hours you put into, correct?
And they typically take up all of an average gamer's available playtime (Which is 2 to 6 hours), correct?
If that's the case. Then why would each game company push so many live service games at once?

I mean literally no gamer in existence can actually maintain more than 3 live service games at once. Without being a full-time Youtuber or Streamer. So why the hell would you make dozens of games that would take a gamer 2-4 hours a day to really make any progress in?

We can't play 6 games that need 4 hours a day of play on the daily. that's not how math works. What are we just supposed to buy these games, spend extra buying the full battlepass, and then maybe play it?!

There is a good reason why so many gamers would rather play remakes/remasters nowadays instead of all these new games with live services.

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HAWK9600

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HAWK9600

@illegal_peanut: They're casting a wide net. Investing in multiple projects, hoping one of them becomes 'Fortnite'.

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illegal_peanut

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illegal_peanut

@HAWK9600: Yeah, but like 50 other game companies are trying to make their own Fortnite too. So it's getting pretty oversaturated pretty quickly.

Can't we just get a normal start-to-finish game like Spider-Man PS4/PS5, DOOM, or Mario Odyssey? I don't want my options to only be remaster/remake and Live service.

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naomha1

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naomha1

@illegal_peanut: Most people only play one. You die hard addicts are the people that keep trying to play more than you're physically capable of.

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illegal_peanut

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Edited By illegal_peanut

@naomha1: my point isn't to play as many live service games as possible.

My point is, "Don't make more than 1 live service game per game company.", and "Not every game a studio pushes out needs to be a live-service".

I want to hit and quit these games like any other piece of media. Not play through hours of grindy nonsense. That's why I praised Ratchet and Clank PS5, and Spider-Man PS5 for being only like 10 to 20 hours. Instead of a +100-hour grind fest.

Heck, right now I want to play Diablo 4. But I REALLY don't want to play another live service game. I just wanted a basic play it, and beat it Diablo game (Like 1, 2, or 3).

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mrbojangles25

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mrbojangles25

@illegal_peanut: yeah I know in the past when I've done "live-service" games I generally have time for that specific game and then maybe one or two others that I put on the backburner.

I wonder if that's the goal? To not so much promote their own content but to limit the time people play with competitor's content? Like if Sony has the premier live-service game that takes up 70% of a gamer's time, then the competition only get's the other 30% at best?

Idunno...not really sure this is the right direction to go, but we shall see. Games like this certainly have the potential to be huge earners.

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sladakrobot

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sladakrobot

More likely they scrapped already 6(out of 12) of them months ago coz they werent promising enough

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BDRTFM

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BDRTFM

Jim Ryan can't step down soon enough. He and Don Mattrick should form a club along with Elon Musk, Dick Fuld and Jimmy Cayne.

2 • 
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jenovaschilld

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jenovaschilld

The Last of Us multiplayer game could be on hold, - Keep it on hold please.

6 • 
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Bahamut50

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Bahamut50

Certainly a smarter move at least. Honestly you can't expect people to play the amount of live service games they release nowadays. It's too much. We need self-contained releases to outnumber games that attempt to keep us around forever lol

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gamespotter_198

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gamespotter_198

I would like it to be zero if possible 😄

6 • 
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MoogleStar

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MoogleStar

I'm happy to hear that. Would prefer none at all tbh 😅

9 • 
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hardwenzen

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Edited By hardwenzen

Jim Ryan was ruinning Sony. He really was like a virus.

Because they were all focused on live service, no standard games even began production, and now we're stuck with absolutely nothing to look forward to for the next 3+ years. What the ****.

4 • 
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HAWK9600

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HAWK9600

Tentatively happy to hear this. 6 is still a ton, but. . .better attitude, I guess.

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Crazy_sahara

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Crazy_sahara

AI is the future, it will be the gate keeper in online games, and I bet you anything gta6 will incorporate it.

2 • 
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mogan

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mogan  Moderator  Online

That's probably the right call. New live service games have to be strong enough to carve out their own niche in an already crowded market filled with some of the most popular games in the world. Spending more time on fewer games seems like the better way to figure out a way in.

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