Sony's Live Service Gamble: A Misguided Strategy
Sony's decision to pivot towards live service games has proven to be a disastrous miscalculation. Despite promising 12 live service titles by 2025, only one successful launch has occurred, while seven were cancelled. This leaves the PS5 with a glaring absence of quality first-party exclusives, leading to a virtual graveyard of failed projects. Herman Hulst's assertion that the number doesn't matter raises questions about their understanding of player expectations. Instead of learning from these failures, the focus seems to be on failing better, which is hardly reassuring. While safeguards like rigorous testing are mentioned, the underlying strategy appears fundamentally flawed. The nostalgia for single-player titles like God of War highlights that the previous approach was still viable. Sony needs to reconsider its direction rather than chase an elusive live service dream. Ultimately, this strategy risks alienating a loyal player base in favor of a theoretical profit model. The future of PlayStation depends on balancing innovation with the proven success of its past.