Sony has recently confirmed that there will be no new major franchise titles released for the PlayStation 5 until 2025. This news comes after the company’s State of Play presentation, which left fans disappointed with the lack of first-party games. According to Sony Group Corporation President Hiroki Totoki, the company aims to focus on producing high-quality works and developing live service games instead.
In their Q3 2023 earnings report, Totoki stated, “While major projects are currently under development, we do not plan to release any new major existing franchise titles next fiscal year like God of War Ragnarok and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.” This means that fans will have to wait a little longer for highly anticipated titles from these popular franchises.
However, it’s important to note that Sony will still be releasing games in 2024, just not on the scale of their major existing franchises. Games like Stellar Blade and the Until Dawn remake are expected to be released, but they may not be considered marquee titles by the company.
This announcement comes as Sony faces a dip in expected hardware sales for the PlayStation 5. The company has cut its year-end sales forecast from 25 million to 21 million units. Sony anticipates a gradual decline in console sales from the next fiscal year onwards. Despite this, the PlayStation 5 has still performed well since its launch in 2020, with over 54.8 million units shipped so far.
Sony expects third-party software sales to continue expanding gradually due to the growing PlayStation 5 install base and high user engagement. They also anticipate sales in network services to gradually expand due to a shift towards attractive premium services. While the projections may be lower than expected, Sony remains optimistic about the future of the PlayStation 5.
In conclusion, Sony’s decision to delay the release of new major franchise titles for the PlayStation 5 until 2025 may disappoint some fans. However, the company’s focus on producing high-quality works and developing live service games shows their commitment to delivering engaging gaming experiences. With the PlayStation 5 still performing well in the market, Sony remains confident in the console’s future success. Fans will have to be patient as they await the arrival of new titles from their favorite franchises.