PlayStation isn’t what it used to be. Of course, some of this is for good reason. You’d be hard-pressed to argue that Cloud Strife looks better with a bunch of polygons, or that stealth game controls peaked in 1998’s Metal Gear Solid. As technology continues to develop, what it brings us may not necessarily be better The game offers visuals and an overall experience that was previously incomprehensible. Just as technology changes, so do the companies that implement it, such as Sony.
Originally a home for role-playing games and platforming mascots, the PlayStation has spent the past few decades focusing on cinematic single-player games, with narratives that eschew the whimsy of its early days in favor of morally conflicted antiheroes . Although the two styles were inconsistent, both styles brought great success to the company. But now, PlayStation has changed its focus again, only this time into a field so competitive that there’s no guarantee even the video game giant will have any success: live-service gaming. The company’s road to success has been rocky so far, but it might just be a quiet step in the right direction to get there.
As early as 2022, Sony decided to make its vision for the future of PlayStation public, revealing to investors that PlayStation Studios has an “aggressive live service roadmap” and plans to launch “more than 10 live service games.” 31st fiscal year. Sony executive vice president and interim CEO Hiroku Totoki said this is part of the company’s overall plan to “expand into live game services”, which has brought success to studios such as Epic, MiHoYo and Bungie, the latter of which is already In the process of being acquired by Sony.
However, things at the company did not go according to plan. First, many employees were reportedly upset about former PlayStation boss Jim Ryan’s forced move to live-service gaming – a fact that’s not surprising given developers’ concerns about live-service stability. Former PlayStation developer David Jaffe, creator of Twisted Metal and co-creator of God of War, said this was part of the reason long-time PlayStation developer Connie Booth was fired. Jaffe claimed that multiple sources told him that Booth “was being blamed for one reason or another.” While the truth behind Booth’s departure isn’t entirely clear, it comes at the end of a 30-year career at Sony, during which she had roles in Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Jak & Daxter, Played a key role in the production of Ratchet and Clank, Sly, and Marvel.
A month later, Totoki informed investors that only half of the promised live games would be ready by spring 2026. Game Twisted Metal Project – We are being completely abandoned. While the reason for the cancellation of the Twisted Metal game is unclear, The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog issued a statement soon after the news broke, writing:
“In order to publish and support The Last of Us Online, we would have to devote all of our studio resources to supporting post-launch content over the next few years, which would severely impact the development of future single-player games. Therefore, we have two paths for us: to become A pure live services game studio, or continue to focus on the single-player narrative games that define Naughty Dog’s legacy.
In February 2024, Sony announced that it would lay off 900 employees, a move that would eliminate its VR-focused London studio and affect production at Firesprite, Insomniac Games, Naughty Dog and Guerrilla. Layoffs continued later that summer, with Sony-owned studio Bungie laying off 17% of its staff and then moving 12% of the remaining staff to other parts of PlayStation. However, despite the news, Totoki reiterated that Sony remains fully committed to gaming on its live streaming service.
In the same briefing, Sony said it was unable to meet its target of 25 million PS5 sales for the fiscal year, causing it to revise its sales forecast to 21 million units and lose $10 billion in market value, and that the PS5 is now in its life cycle the “final stage”. Luckily, one of Sony’s promised games for the immediate service, Concord, is coming soon.
However, when Concord finally launched in August 2024, it attracted little attention. After its release, the number of concurrent users of the game on Steam reached a peak of 697. Although the number of PlayStation 5 players is not disclosed, Tweaktown found that Concord ranks 50th on the PlayStation Store’s PS5 best-selling list. Two weeks after its release, Sony announced it would stop selling the game and shut down its servers. The game may return in the future, but it’s not the new foothold in the live-streaming service Sony hopes for.
Despite this, Sony recently revealed that the PS5 will soon launch an upgraded version, PS5 Pro. However, the upcoming console costs $700 (note, that doesn’t include the $80 disc drive you can buy separately), there’s a lack of significant technical differences between the PS5 and PS5 Pro, and Sony’s overall lack of PS5-exclusive games , meaning the statement was largely met with contempt.
However, I think Sony has a chance to correct course.
On September 6, PlayStation released Astro Bot, a charming and critically acclaimed platformer. On the surface, the game is a celebration of the PlayStation and its history, as throughout the game, the robots you unlock look like some of the console’s greatest characters – both from exclusive games and those related to PlayStation-related third-party games. However, to dismiss the game as pure Sony nostalgia, or reduce it to an ode to the gaming industry’s current unfortunate collection of IPs, would be to discredit what makes it truly special.
As GameSpot’s Mark Delaney eloquently put it, Astro Bot is “a platformer whose incredible ambition is matched by its stellar execution.” It feels great to play and offers a wealth of excitement The mechanics, while different, never feel distinctive and create a gorgeous world that feels natural to explore, yet constantly surprises and delights. It’s a game that rivals the likes of Super Mario Odyssey, and more importantly pleasure. Pure, amazing fun.
Sony has proven in recent years that it can tell a great story. Their exclusive games are known for their complex characters, emotional narratives, and carefully crafted worlds. But in the midst of it all, Sony seems to have forgotten the joy of simple fun. It forgets all the different types of players that exist, and what they’re eager to see. It forgets all the series that, while acclaimed in Astro Bot, have actually disappeared.
Although people online like to call me a “Sony pony” whenever I offer any criticism of the Xbox – hopefully this article clears that up! As a child. I remember the transition from Nintendo 64 to PlayStation – it absolutely blew my mind. I remember playing various games at my house over the years: Tomb Raider, Spider-Man, Chrono Crisis, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Silent Hill, Tekken, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, and a handful of Final Fantasy games, my family’s favorites. When the Xbox launched in 2001, I saw zero reason why I would need it. I already have portals to every world I want to visit.
Of course, I’ll eventually find a lot of value in the Xbox and return to Nintendo, and these days, I no longer feel an affinity for the PlayStation. I’m sure this is partly due to my age and the inevitable loss of childlike whimsy as the years go by, but I know there are other factors as well. I’m not bored, I still love games, I can easily Listed are dozens of works that I think are phenomenal that have appeared in recent years. But to me, PlayStation doesn’t feel good special Not anymore. But Astro Bot can. It also reminded me of how I felt before.
Astro Bot feels like an opportunity to reignite the brand’s magic, and maybe even change what live service means to PlayStation, if that’s the path it plans to take. While Sony seems to be sticking to a very specific genre of live-service games – one that’s become oversaturated and can’t seem to find an audience, as Concord’s lack of success shows – the company has revealed a plan to add more content to Astro Bot. Multiple characters and levels are planned, and it’s easy to add more. That certainly makes sense; it’s a game that feels easily expandable, and has a solid enough foundation to support expansion. Why keep trying to create a fun live service game when you have a game that’s proven to be fun and structured to scale?
Of course, this doesn’t sit well with PlayStation’s desire to create a timeless game – one that incentivizes players to log in every day, participate in seasonal content, and, frankly, spend money on things like that. . But why is this proven (and increasingly criticized) model the only way forward? Players have begun to see most of these for what they are: a somewhat predatory way to make money consistently. Games, and the amount of money companies are willing to spend to make them, are getting huge, but developers feel as though they’re being forced to work within narrow, short-sighted boundaries. It’s easy to see where this could lead, but it’s not where I want to see the industry go.
However, at my most cynical and business-minded, Astro Bot still feels like a revenue booster because it’s a great marketing opportunity for the company. Just like Super Smash Bros. Brawl is said to have contributed to Fire Emblem’s success in the West, Sony now has a great way to introduce new characters, showcase indie games, and reignite interest in previous games , and gauge audience response or demand. When I played Astro Bot, there were characters I didn’t recognize and had to learn more about, and there were characters I’d forgotten about but was excited to see again. It makes me want to buy and install games I haven’t thought about in years. It transcends the generation that grew up with these characters; my two-year-old son is obsessed Spyro’s work, which led me to re-download the Reignited Trilogy and spend an hour introducing him to this sassy little dragon. That’s the power the game has right now, and it’s not a small one.
But beyond that, Astro Bot proves that Sony can still excel at different types of games. This proves that Sony is still innovative and its games are still fun. Before Astro Bot, I couldn’t tell you the last time there was a PlayStation platform game really Competing with Nintendo platform games, but here we are. I wish Sony knew it didn’t necessarily need to pursue instant service. In fact, I don’t think it should. There are other paths to success – investing in a studio’s unique vision, cultivating creativity and delighting players.
I can’t claim to know whether the live-streaming service bubble has actually burst, or whether the market is seriously oversaturated to the point where there’s no room, but I do know that myself and many Others must be tired of it all. As transparent as the money grab is as stagnant, something needs to change. Hopefully Sony realizes this too.