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PlayStation’s Focus Has Shifted From Game Sales to Actual Play Time, Sony Says
- Thread starter Topher
- Start date
ProtoByte
Member
Someone at Sony needs to ring a literal bell in the office and tell everybody that they cannot try what Xbox has tried and failed at. It started with PC ports, then comes to this shit.
They need to revert to console-ism. Plain and simple. If they need to spend a gen and a half learning that lesson, so be it.
Unfortunately, gamers don't help themselves in this.
They need to revert to console-ism. Plain and simple. If they need to spend a gen and a half learning that lesson, so be it.
Unfortunately, gamers don't help themselves in this.
So I read the source material and I'm pretty sure that the article author is misunderstanding what was said. It's all based on this slide:
"Playtime has increased" means that unlike the previous generations now games from the PS4 gen sell and are played on next gen "beyond the generation". Whereas before on PS3 a game made for it did not profit much beyond that generation unless it was remade. Console cycles have changed in that the PS4 base still provided profits well into the PS5 gen. They're not saying that hours played are now more important than game sales.
"Playtime has increased" means that unlike the previous generations now games from the PS4 gen sell and are played on next gen "beyond the generation". Whereas before on PS3 a game made for it did not profit much beyond that generation unless it was remade. Console cycles have changed in that the PS4 base still provided profits well into the PS5 gen. They're not saying that hours played are now more important than game sales.
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
Mobile games aren't popular on console. You have to know your markets.
Honestly that article title is just completely fabricated nonsense.
I have no doubt PS has a GaaS drive and would love some Fortnite money but they have not said their focus has shifted from sales to play time. Not once in any way shape or form have they said this. It's a complete failure of understanding what was said. It points more to profitability of hardware rather than a change in software sales metric.
I have no doubt PS has a GaaS drive and would love some Fortnite money but they have not said their focus has shifted from sales to play time. Not once in any way shape or form have they said this. It's a complete failure of understanding what was said. It points more to profitability of hardware rather than a change in software sales metric.
cireza
Member
The issue here are companies seeking infinite growth. Because being happy of having a sustainable, stable business cannot satisfy shareholders who don't give a fuck about your company dying and simply want growth, and thus money.
So in the end, Sony ends up being in the same situation as others because they now realize that growth is not going to be infinite (no shit ?!). They try to leverage other means of making money, but this won't stop the inevitable. MS are facing this first (because their Xbox business isn't as good Sony's), but it is obvious that Sony have been following in their footsteps in recent years.
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It is NOT because of this case of SONY but it does show a trend unfortunately.
It's all the companies and publishers that are putting the focus and resources on big games and GASS. Whoever is not seeing this is blind. Sony isn't doing anything different.
After MS, SONY, SEGA, Square, TENCENT, Namco........ today so has UBISOFT in its annual report
It's all the companies and publishers that are putting the focus and resources on big games and GASS. Whoever is not seeing this is blind. Sony isn't doing anything different.
After MS, SONY, SEGA, Square, TENCENT, Namco........ today so has UBISOFT in its annual report
15 Studios have been necessary for making AC Shadows and we can all see the Gass nature of the game
Generic
Member
Good, singleplayer games suck.
Hudo
Member
They're making good money with their PC ports, tho.
Insane Metal
Gold Member
The beginning of the end.
ProtoByte
Member
Short term profit scrapings against long term problems.
Whatever money the PC ports are making, it's not substantially changing the financial outlook for them. The long term, training customers to understand that they don't need a PlayStation going into next gen, adding on the QA and optimisation load of more than one platform when their devs have thrived developing for 1 architecture and at most 2 specs, is poisonous.
Again: Anything Microsoft has done, do the opposite.
killatopak
Gold Member
Sony is losing their way.
Hudo
Member
is it really that many people who actively chose to not buy a Playstation and instead play Playstation games on PC? I think that what Sony are doing is tapping into a new audience that were never going to buy a Playstation in the first place and getting these people into their ecosystem.
Bond007
Member
Seems like a more balanced approach to be honest.
Game sales are incredibly important- and Sony sees that. While also understanding with certain genres etc- play time is important.
The difference is Xbox seems to use engagement is the main factor to hide other things such as- sales.
Game sales are incredibly important- and Sony sees that. While also understanding with certain genres etc- play time is important.
The difference is Xbox seems to use engagement is the main factor to hide other things such as- sales.
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Thankfully 3rd party games gives me most of the games I want, Sony this gen just lost me completely.
They lost their way for a good while now.
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Physiognomonics
Member
Not even that. If I am not mistaken people playing those free games without buying MTX will be counted. They are starting to use MS tactics to hide low game sales. Unsurprisingly they got the same outcome as MS after copying their strategy.
TerribleAtThisGame
Member
There has to be a much lower ceiling here but I suppose it doesn't matter when DLCs and micro transactions are milked properly. As in, people I know really into games like this even only play two or three as their main games. The rest, they'll check for a week max and then drop like hot coals.
I don't know shit about sales and this market but I've always wondered that. I assume the people I know and their habits just aren't the average. I assume younger people spend way more and play more of these regularly.
I don't know shit about sales and this market but I've always wondered that. I assume the people I know and their habits just aren't the average. I assume younger people spend way more and play more of these regularly.
Shake Your Rump
Member
Fixed that for you.
ProtoByte
Member
There's no way to tell for sure, but my feeling is that a good portion of the people who are buying on PC that are double dipping. It's not going to slash numbers down by 20 million, but a decrease of 2-3 million or more is unnecessary and counterproductive.
Hudo
Member
Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see for a couple of gens how that strategy pans out.
Kssio_Aug
Member
Angry_Megalodon
Member
My only doubt about the Playstation Tri-CEO is which one will be ousted first.
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
let’s see if Sony adds battle passes to their single player games like the new assassin’s creed. Modern AAA gaming from the big western publishers is terrible.
Windom Earle
Member
Average current year hardcore Sony fans.
tomato shrub
Member
Thankfully I never cared that much for Western games or Sony 1st party. As an oldschool weeb, it's still a good time right now - but none of this makes a good precedent. Hopefully Japanese publishers remember their mistakes from the PS360 days and don't relapse now. Western gaming can crash, it's just a perversion now.let’s see if Sony adds battle passes to their single player games like the new assassin’s creed. Modern AAA gaming from the big western publishers is terrible.
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BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
I’ve enjoyed Eiyuden Chronicles and Balatro more than anything from the big western publishers this generation.
_Ex_
Member
I didn't mean literal mobile games on PS5, I meant the monetization techniques used by mobile games.
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
What are those? Compared to say Fortnite, Apex, Warzone etc?
Hero of Spielberg
Member
These guys keep signalling rough times ahead. Curious to see wh at the remainder of the year brings
DenchDeckard
Moderated wildly
I guess we will never get an actual update on sales for their games again then, apart from one off shouts like helldivers 2 selling 12 mill.
Gameplay Gods Bless
Member
Would.
They're not hiding game sales. First party game sales are what's tracked officially.
Full game software sales were higher than the year prior. The source doesn't say what the article title is claiming :
Gameplay Gods Bless
Member
Btw, here's the part of the webcast where Sony touches on the stuff mentioned in the linked article. Feel free to add it to your OPTopher .
Where's the full video it seems really informative. I'd love to watch it all.
DownLikeBCPowder
Member
Sounds like a shitty idea.
It's not really how long you play the game they care about, but mtx cash spent in these games. Perhaps those are correlated but to say it's expressly the "time in game" that they care about is imo disingenuous.
It's not really how long you play the game they care about, but mtx cash spent in these games. Perhaps those are correlated but to say it's expressly the "time in game" that they care about is imo disingenuous.
Thick Thighs Save Lives
Gold Member
Here:
Sony Group Corporation FY2023 Earnings Announcement
www.irwebmeeting.com
The Game & Network Services segment starts at around 00:03:30.
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OuterLimits
Member
Gameplay Gods Bless
Member
Amazing ty!Here:
Sony Group Corporation FY2023 Earnings Announcement
The Game & Network Services segment starts at around 00:03:30.
