Sony to Release Most Live Service Games Simultaneously on PC and PS5, Says Herman Hulst
In a surprising move, Sony has announced that they will be releasing most of their live service games simultaneously on PC and PS5. This marks a significant departure from their previous strategy of bringing big games to the PC platform well after their initial launch. The success of the co-op shooter, Helldivers 2, which saw a day-and-date release on both PC and PS5, has shown that this new approach can yield impressive results.
Helldivers 2 has been a resounding success on Steam, with its concurrent peak reaching an impressive 155,000 players. This figure is more than double the peak player count of God of War, a highly popular PlayStation exclusive. The fact that Helldivers 2 achieved such success on PC demonstrates the potential for Sony to tap into a wider audience by embracing the platform.
This move by Sony is seen as an experiment, as they have been gradually exploring closer ties with PC releases over time. Helldivers 2 was a game that they believed could fully test the waters, and it has proven to be a triumph. As a result, it is expected that Sony will adopt this new approach to game releases going forward.
According to industry insiders, there will be a split in Sony’s release strategy. Big, traditional PlayStation exclusive single-player games will continue to launch exclusively on PS5 at first. However, these games will eventually make their way to PC, albeit at a shorter time gap than before. While God of War had a gap of about 3.5 years between its PlayStation and PC releases, it is predicted that future releases will see this gap reduced to 1-2 years.
Interestingly, it is unlikely that Sony will release any of its planned live service games exclusively on PlayStation. The success of Helldivers 2 on PC has shown that a wider player base is crucial for the sustainability of these types of games. With live service titles, the focus is less on selling physical copies and more on engaging players in the long-term through battle passes and cosmetic purchases. Therefore, it is expected that Sony will prioritize reaching a critical mass of players by releasing these games on PC as well.
This strategy may even extend to closely-linked IPs to PlayStation, such as the upcoming Horizon Zero Dawn live multiplayer game. Additionally, if The Last of Us Factions had not been cancelled, it would have been wise for Sony to release it on Steam simultaneously.
However, it is important to note that Sony is unlikely to adopt a Microsoft-style approach of releasing all exclusives simultaneously on PC. The company has made it clear that they will not pursue this strategy, and the budget constraints of these games may not support such a move. Nevertheless, Sony recognizes the need to expand their reach beyond PlayStation consoles alone, and they will likely rely more heavily on PC in the future.
In conclusion, Sony’s decision to release most live service games simultaneously on PC and PS5 marks a significant shift in their release strategy. The success of Helldivers 2 on Steam has demonstrated the potential for reaching a wider audience and achieving greater player counts. While single-player games will still have a timed exclusivity period on PS5, the gap between PlayStation and PC releases is expected to shrink. Sony’s embrace of PC gaming is a testament to their desire to expand their reach and engage players in new ways.