Talking Points

Sea of Thieves is the most pre-ordered game on the PlayStation Store right now. If that doesn’t tell you that there is a demand there to play all our rival platform games. I don’t know what will convince you. I really think the way we see exclusivity in the future is going to change. It has to be a unified position that puts the consumer first. At the same time, it has to be a position that helps each company sustain and exceed their profit margins.

As we all know, games are getting more and more expensive to make and there are reasons to look at the overarching facts of the reality of this particularly at PlayStation.

There are always going to be demands for games from all fan bases to have games on their preferred platform. The generation of players that have been brought up on good exclusives is the main selling point of a platform. It’s all coming to an end. What we’re seeing before our eyes is a demand for a neutral viewpoint based on consumer choice. It’s an expression of what the younger generation of players in the future are going to see as the norm. Even if our generation doesn’t see that it’s a step that the gaming industry has to assess the benefits of itself.

When you look at PlayStation there is an opportunity to exceed expectations and provide an even bigger access to the best games. After all, it can never be about just a console. It has to be about the art that’s being made. The hours and hours of work that’s being poured in by developers and how much they can get out of people consuming that art. It can’t be about platform politics and why as players we need to restrict anyone from playing the video games that they should be able to play. I think that is the future approach that needs to be made in this industry. I think Xbox and PlayStation should make it easier for both creators and players to enjoy creating and consuming. Xbox is doing that and it’s working for them. It could work for PlayStation in the future as well if that consideration needs to be made.

There’s no denying the benefits of exclusives but it only serves the purpose of the argument of which console is better. That’s not the conversation we should be having in this day of age. It should always be about the games, the art, the things that we all as players love collectively.

The success of Sea of Thieves shows an expression of that love from the gaming community of actually wanting to support creators by buying. It also shows that people aren’t bothered about where these games are coming from. They just want to have access to it and play it. It’s a big win for the industry that player attitudes are changing.

After the most brilliant Alan Wake 2. A comeback that perfectly infused more of the multi-universe approach to their games. It certainly has me more invested in Remedy Games. One of the best decisions they made was going multi-platform with their games years ago. It has me feeling maybe giving more players access to these games isn’t such a bad thing? As illustrated around the industry there are issues with increased costs to actually make these games.

It comes to a point when we all have to figure out the way forward. I’ve always liked Remedy Games. I love their approach to games and how everything is intertwined together. Sony has a big problem when it comes to costs to most of their games. That’s why less is being made. The margins are small for error, and if they get it wrong it can make or break a studio. That’s just the industry in 2024.

Sony’s commitment to the new IP. With no established game under their umbrella coming until 2025 isn’t in doubt. It does however call for accountability and as such the multi-platform approach gets ever so much stronger in the future. It’s not happening yet, but we have to admit to ourselves how long until board members call for it at Sony? It’s already happening at Microsoft and they’re a trillion dollar company that even has their team looking bewildered at each other about what they’ll be doing.

The reason why I am highlighting Remedy Games is just how well they’ve made multi-platform work for them as a studio. Obviously, we’re not going to see Sony branch out onto other consoles anytime soon with the PlayStation. They do have a presence on the PC, mind you.

I will say that this industry has needed a shock back to life for a while. The increased costs and redundancies are a highlight of that which is unfortunate and sad. There is just a sense that things are going to have to change going forward. Shawn Layden years ago warned about the cost increases with PlayStation spiralling out of control. Yet nobody has been asked the question of how they’re dealing with that? It’s something the next guy they bring in at PlayStation will need to work out.

The fact that PlayStation has spun out of control recently with their live service games approach. It’s all about perceptions, and the look isn’t a good one for Sony. The validity of their purchase of Bungie is again brought into question.

The way the industry as a whole is carrying on is insane. There is even news that EA will be focusing more on Sports. They’ve cancelled a Star Wars FPS game. But getting back to the point, with the margins so small for error. I foresee a lot more gaming companies working together and studios being consolidated if this carries on.

There is no doubt however that the gaming industry needs a shock back to life. It’s in need of a serious rethink because it’s just insane how many people are being put in the position they are in. This is an industry that is meant to be one of the fastest growing with it set to reach a $400 billion marker in the future. Especially with a lot more people playing video games these days.

I expect mobile, cloud and everything in between to be utilised to their maximum going forward. There is even a case of the PlayStation Portal being a prominent part of the future PlayStation strategy with that or handheld. Especially with its recent sales success. That combination with PC (multi-platform) in the future is only going to get stronger as Sony recoups. Especially as we move away from the norm of how we perceive playing our games on just one singular platform.

If anything, this is the strategy that Microsoft has been ahead on for a while and there’s a good case here to how others may choose to widen their scopes. But like with everything, Microsoft isn’t right on everything and it’s looking more insane just how viable Game Pass actually is. But we shall see because it’s looking like not even buying games is enough to offset the slippery slope the gaming industry is on.

One thing is for sure, it’s going to be interesting what the future may hold if your a PlayStation or Xbox fan, or both.

If anything is going to sell anybody on a PS5 Pro. It’s going to be GTA 6 and that’s what Sony is counting on. In fact, it’s already behind the scenes being shared among developers and there is a sense of when and not if a PS5 Pro becomes something that exists.

The plausibility around it for one game is crazy. But then, if you can play GTA 6 in the best way possible. What player out there is going to miss out on that opportunity? Especially when there is no PC release seemingly in the offering.

Even Ryan Mccaffrey of IGN a prominent voice of Xbox would buy a PS5 Pro. If that doesn’t say anything to you I don’t know what will. But again, there is no doubt that a PS5 Pro bundled up with GTA 6 – a partnership of some sort. Would be absolutely huge and would therefore help Sony regain ground on somewhat of a decline in hardware sales of late.

The power of GTA 6 hey? This thing is going to be huge and Sony kind of has exclusivity if this comes to be true to play the best version of it on their platform.

There is a lot of talk about why a PS5 Pro might actually be worth it both from a business point of view and the consumer. I think what we need to analyse is the transition period of the PS4 Pro – PS5 period. In retrospect, it’s easy to understand why a PS5 Pro is now in the works. It’s a gateway system that allows people to get the best of now while maybe waiting on a PS6 Slim in the future.

By extension that seems to be the plan here and from that point of view I can understand some of the validity around it. Because ultimately, this generation is going to carry on further into the next one just to keep PlayStation fans happy. It also provides a choice. You can either jump onboard on PS5 Pro or wait until the PS6 fully gets going with software.

Ultimately, the choice is yours from Sony’s point of view. And if that is the plan, one has to question how revolutionary the PS6 generation will actually be. The thing that most fans have hated this generation is the fact of Sony keeping the PS4 going while the PS5 has limited unique software of its own. It’s been something that provides people with a bridge into the next generation. But also, it can limit your future stuff as well because you have to cater to the previous generation somewhat. It’ll be interesting how they get around that.

So from that point of view, it’s going to be interesting how they handle the crossover. We all know the reason for it. It’s business and it extends the life cycle and keeps the money rolling in. There has been a lot of talk about why console platforms do this. Well, here is your answer. It seemingly looks like we’re going to be seeing this again. To the benefit of some and to others an annoyance. What cannot be understated though is the fact that more players means more revenue.

That’s the model now and it doesn’t matter how it happens. Whether it’s through platform extension of the generation or subscriptions. It’s something we’re all just going to have to get on board with.

If you haven’t heard by now. It is seemingly likely that most Xbox games will be making their way to PlayStation. Nothing is confirmed as of yet, but there is a clear pathway with PS5 development kits being given to Microsoft.

There is a power struggle within Microsoft. You have Xbox, then you have Microsoft and it’s looking more and more likely that the direction of Xbox is going to change. But by how much? That is what everyone is asking right now. But it cannot be understated how big a shift this is in the industry and nobody could have foreseen it even though at times there were clear signs.

This leaves PlayStation pretty much in a position of great strength in the current environment of the gaming industry. But is Microsoft being forward thinking in the fact that maybe Xbox is just not enough on its own anymore? Expanding the reach of the Xbox brand into something more than hardware. That’s the approach that Microsoft is demanding. Of course, this leaves fans of Xbox in a position where they don’t know quite what the future holds for Xbox. There is a lot of doom-mongering out there.

The business update next week is going to signal a shift in focus. I don’t foresee Xbox as a brand leaving the gaming industry altogether. Going third-party partially, I’d agree with. Clawing back their revenue streams might be something they’re looking at. They won’t stop making hardware. Going fully digital and the extent of their cloud ambitions shows just where Microsoft wants Xbox. Xbox to me seems to be being redefined as a platform that will scale over many platforms.

Will this change greatly impact consumer confidence? I think it will and that it is. This is a culmination of failure for Game Pass. It’s clear that is a main part of Xbox’s future under a subscription model but that alone is not sustainable. It really seems to me that this seems to of now been accepted by the higher ups.

I don’t actually believe that PlayStation will be left to dominate. I think that’s a disservice to Nintendo and just how much they’re improving. They start a new generation with Nintendo Switch 2 this year and it’s notable that mobile chips are a lot better than they used to be technologically speaking. There is also the fact that Nintendo is doing remarkably well software wise as much as PlayStation is. So Sony will always have competition.

However, Microsoft would have had the final say on the direction of Xbox. Whatever it is that ends up being discussed next week. It’s not going to restore much faith in the brand and it’s seemingly opened up them to a lot of explaining if it turns out everything has come to be the way people are expecting.