Sony's approach to business is shifting towards a model centered on community interaction and involvement, as indicated by its senior vice president.
Sony Shifts Gaming Strategy Towards Community Engagement
Sony has announced a significant change in its gaming strategy, moving away from a hardware-centric business model towards a community-based platform engagement model. This shift was revealed by Senior Vice President Sadahiko Hayakawa during a Q&A after the company's earnings call.
The new strategy emphasizes expanding PlayStation's community and increasing engagement, aligning with a broader company strategy of focusing on "creation" across entertainment segments like games, music, and film. These segments now account for about 60% of Sony's revenue.
This shift in Sony's gaming strategy implies that more PlayStation Studios titles could be released on multiple platforms beyond Sony's own consoles, including Xbox, PC, and possibly others. The decision to publish the first PlayStation-published title, Helldivers 2, on Xbox and rumors of hiring a Senior Director of Multiplatform support this move.
Sony aims to grow their audience and revenue through live service games and cross-platform availability, though the fate of exclusive single-player titles remains uncertain and may depend on evolving market conditions.
In addition to this, Sony is investing in various intellectual properties and is moving towards the production of digital cameras in its TV segment.
An interesting development in the gaming world is the announcement of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition coming to Nintendo Switch. However, details about which specific multi-platform PlayStation games might be on the way were not discussed.
The battlefield series is also making a comeback with Battlefield 6, returning to a gritty, modern setting, with Battlefield 3 and 4 serving as strong muses.
The transition to more entertainment creation is increasing the stability of Sony's performance, suggesting that the company is looking to diversify its revenue streams and reach a broader audience.
In the gaming sector, Sony is moving towards a platform and engagement-focused business model that supports increased multi-platform availability of PlayStation games, potentially reducing exclusivity to reach larger gaming communities and enhance ongoing player engagement.
On a lighter note, it was reported that a free PS5 game is being downloaded on day one by someone who learned tai chi from a bear, fought a man named Chubby Brother, and caught the bubonic plague in Where Winds Meet.
[1] Sony's Q2 earnings call reveals focus on creation across entertainment segments. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/library/releases/2022/05/261300/
[2] Sony's new gaming strategy: More PlayStation games on multiple platforms. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/library/releases/2022/05/261300/
[3] Sony's shift towards community-based engagement in gaming. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/library/releases/2022/05/261300/
[4] Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition coming to Nintendo Switch. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/cyberpunk-2077-ultimate-edition-switch
[5] Battlefield 6 returns to a gritty, modern setting. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.ea.com/games/battlefield/battlefield-6/news/battlefield-6-returns-to-a-gritty-modern-setting-with-battlefield-3-and-4-serving-as-strong-muses
- Sony's renewed focus on creation across segments like games, music, and film now accounts for about 60% of their revenue, and they are also investing in digital cameras as part of their TV segment.
- The announced shift in Sony's gaming strategy signifies an increase in the multi-platform availability of PlayStation games, potentially reducing exclusivity to reach a broader gaming community and stimulate ongoing player engagement.
