PlayStation Icon Reflects on Live Service Era

Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida reveals he would have resisted Sony's controversial push into live-service gaming. Yoshida, who led SIE Worldwide Studios from 2008 to 2019, expressed concerns to Kinda Funny Games about the inherent risks Sony acknowledged in this investment.

This statement comes amidst significant challenges for PlayStation's live-service titles. While Helldivers 2 achieved remarkable success, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, other ventures have faltered. Concord, for instance, is considered one of PlayStation's biggest failures, shutting down after a brief period due to extremely low player counts. The project, reportedly costing around $200 million in initial development (a figure that didn't cover the full development, IP rights, or the studio itself, according to Kotaku), represents a substantial financial loss for Sony. This follows the cancellation of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer and, recently, two unannounced live-service games.

Yoshida, departing Sony after 31 years, hypothetically placed himself in the shoes of current CEO Hermen Hulst, suggesting he would have resisted the live-service direction. He highlighted the resource allocation dilemma, questioning the wisdom of diverting funds from established franchises like God of War to a high-risk venture. However, he acknowledged that Sony provided increased resources after his departure, allowing for parallel development of both single-player and live-service games. He emphasized the inherent unpredictability of success in the gaming industry, citing Helldivers 2's unexpected triumph.

Sony's financial reports reflect this mixed experience. President, COO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki attributed Concord's failure to delayed user testing and internal evaluations, advocating for earlier implementation of these quality control measures. He also pointed to Sony's "siloed organization" and Concord's unfortunate release window, potentially leading to market cannibalization with the launch of Black Myth: Wukong. Senior vice president Sadahiko Hayakawa highlighted the contrasting outcomes of Helldivers 2 and Concord, emphasizing the lessons learned and their planned integration into future development strategies. This includes a balanced approach combining their established single-player strengths with calculated risks in live-service ventures.

Several PlayStation live-service games are still under development, including Bungie's Marathon, Guerrilla's Horizon Online, and Haven Studio's Fairgame$. The future of this strategy remains to be seen.