710°

PS4 Exclusives on PC Prompted by Microsoft’s Positioning – Pachter

Sony recognizes the presence of a market "beyond console software sales," says the analyst.

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gamingbolt.com
RazzerRedux1933d ago

“Yes, I think Microsoft’s positioning prompted Sony to follow suit.”

I'd say Microsoft's 100% commitment to PC day one gave Sony some freedom to straddle the fence a bit, sure. Just like Sony's dominant position in first party studios "prompted" MS to make some moves and increase their output which paled in comparison. It is what competing companies do.

Gazondaily1933d ago

Competition driving positive moves. It's great for all fans.The twitter meltdown though is something to behold

Hungryalpaca1933d ago

It’s Twitter. It always melts down. Why ANYONE caters to the twitter mob is beyond me.

RazzerRedux1933d ago (Edited 1933d ago )

Ah twitter has to have its petulant meltdowns every now and again. When I saw the news, I quickly rushed over to Jason Schreier's twitter. lol......I'm not sure I would have been so nice.

https://twitter.com/jasonsc...

But yes, the competition is extremely healthy for the industry even if twitter angst is not. lol

LOGICWINS1933d ago

Sony fans should be thanking Microsoft for Smart Delivery and the ability to play games on multiple platforms. It will only encourage Sony to add more value to the PS5.

darthv721933d ago

I am still of the mindset that prefers consoles. So while people can proclaim they dont need an xbox to play because their games are on PC... good for them. I still will buy an xbox. And if more games from PS come to PC then that's fine too because (again) I will still buy a playstation. The end result here is more people will be able to play these games. Nothing wrong with that.

Unspoken1932d ago

I'm surprised the N4G mob hasn't had a full on melt down. Thankfully their have been others here who have predicted this will happen even when the Sony nay-sayers were in full force calling for Microsoft's doom when they went to PC. Now they are no where to be seen. Maybe there is hope here after all.

RazzerRedux1932d ago (Edited 1932d ago )

Good God. Just look at this nonsense:

https://twitter.com/s3rious...

So this guy tears up his own room, trashes his PS4, and then starts videoing it all while sniffling and crying like an spoiled child. lol.....either this whole thing was staged or this guy has mental issues.

Atanasrikard1932d ago

Apparently, it's not great for ALL fans, rofl.

Twitter (all social media really) has become narcissism personified, which is exactly why people cater to the idiotic twitter mob.

Gazondaily1932d ago

Lol that video of the kid smashing his room up because of the announcement is shocking 😂

IRetrouk1932d ago

@ razzer, found out today that the dude behind that account has been trolling everyone, at one point it was two people running the accounts, he posted messages earlier on twitter confirming that it's all a wind up.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 1932d ago
CaptainHenry9161933d ago

They're releasing old games on PC. Horizon zero Dawn came out 3 years ago. But Death Stranding will be 6 months. I still don't see them releasing their first party exclusives on PC or playstation now on launch day. That would be cool though

1933d ago
Tech51933d ago

@ taco

it's not that per-say. it has always been known that pc is a platform that is free to develop games on.
with that in mind developers can collect residuals a lot easier. that is just one of the many factors that keeps pc gaming solidified.

Kiwi661933d ago

"I still don't see them releasing their first party exclusives on PC or playstation now on launch day" never say never as anything is possible

darthv721933d ago

If Sony did release games day one on PC and PSNow... what would it matter? Like i said above, i prefer consoles so I will still buy my games on console regardless if they are also on PC or a rental service. Hell, I've got the CE of Ori coming in the mail AND I have it set to download on gamepass. one i can play while the other i can keep sealed and then open and play once it leaves GP.

There is nothing wrong with having options.

343_Guilty_Spark1932d ago

Old good games better than 99% of the current games.

carcarias1932d ago

Yeah, Death Stranding releasing so soon looks odd but Kojima (way back in late 2015/early 2016) had already said it was important to him to see his next game on PC before Sony even stepped in to help fund/get console exclusivity with DS.

I'm guessing releasing on PC 6 months after will be the exception (imo, it'll be 1 year minimum but probably more like 2-3) rather than the rule and I think you're right about simultaneous launches.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1932d ago
rainslacker1933d ago

I think investors see MS making money off PC, and then wonder if Sony can do the same thing. On top of that, the idea of expanding ecosystems in a service based world is kind of big in technology right now.

I dont know if Sony will go all in with this for the long run, but it seems that they are testing the waters.

RazzerRedux1932d ago

I agree. If HZD takes off on PC, I find it hard to believe Sony won't expand their presence in that space. Just good business.

Folks need to remember. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are beholden to one group of people: stockholders. They are not fanboys.

Petebloodyonion1932d ago

I Agree, just like how MS is testing the water on Switch, if the money's there and it doesn't affect the core business then there's no reason why it should stop :)
In the end, the real winner is always the customer :)

Vipre771932d ago

Everquest already proves Sony can make money on PC platform. I don’t think there was ever doubt about being able to sell games there. They simply saw it as diluting their market for PS console games if they also release on PC, which a disincentive for customers to invest in their hardware platform. Older games are a different story and it’s a chance to market a previously exclusive title to a new market segment and re-energize cash flow on them for a relatively low investment cost.

I personally think this is not so much driven by Microsoft strategies than it is by development times and costs going up and they’re just exploring ways to keep their library of games making money for longer.

I think Pachter, as usual, pretends to know more than he does. At least half of what he says is either completely wrong or is so completely obvious that you’d swear he literally is Captain Obvious. I don’t know why anyone listens to him at all, let alone pay him for his consultation.

rainslacker1932d ago

"I personally think this is not so much driven by Microsoft strategies than it is by development times and costs going up"

I might agree with this except for the fact that Sony has had quite a few notable AAA productions this gen, which were made on budgets that are barely considered AAA. Horizon for instance was made for $40 million dollars, and that's with the production of a new game engine, and it was made in a relatively short time compared to other games in the same class. I believe GOW was said to be around $50 million. Spider-Man was $40 million for production, but I believe there was probably licensing costs from Disney for the rights.

Sony somehow broke the mold of high development costs, and still managed to make games that were in the same class as other games which cost twice as much to make. Their marketing strategy for those games also seems like it wouldn't cost as much as what we've seen in the past, so that also lowers the costs.

In any case, the excuse of rising development costs was just one used by publishers to try and validate their monetization schemes. Trying to make it seem it was necessary. It really wasn't, because those games that cost more, tend to sell more, and software sales were rising to a point where you get the quantities of scale effect that kept the retail price down.

If Sony is doing this, it's for money, and maybe even their stated purpose of testing the waters to see how it affects their company and their brand.

Christopher1932d ago

I honestly don't know about this one. Maybe the suits who aren't in tune with things are just looking for profit everywhere. But I think if they look at the software sales and hardware dominance combined, I'm not sure "diversifying" options because of the losing competitor is doing it fo having a smaller market reach is the best solution.

To be fair, we just don't understand the overall purpose. Are they planning to do same-day or near same-day release in the long run or do they want to just do only certain games they think people on PC will be interested in after a year or more of being exclusive? But, I can't believe that the decision was based solely on Microsoft doing it because Microsoft wasn't selling 10m copies of their exclusives.

RazzerRedux1932d ago (Edited 1932d ago )

@Christopher

Yeah, I think MS is being given a bit too much credit for this move. As I said above, I think MS putting all their games on PC freed Sony up a bit to make some moves in that direction, but their ecosystem is firmly on PlayStation hardware and that isn't going to change for quite some time, if ever. Remember, MS had to resort to Steam because their own store failed miserably to yield results. Regardless, not sure how this scenario forced Sony to do likewise. I don't see it.

So while I do expect to see more games coming to PC from the PS library, after what I expect will be a huge boost in sales for HZD on Steam, I think day one releases is a pipe-dream. Even stockholders and "the suits" understand the importance of maintaining the PlayStation ecosystem.

rainslacker1932d ago

If you look at it over the longer term, Sony started trying to bring PlayStation to more platforms with them launching PSNow. It's really not any different in terms of diversifying. It's just on PSNow, they have more direct control over the licensing of those games, hence, make money in that way. It's possible that Sony saw that they weren't going to win against PC....if that was their goal in the first place....and decided to just test how much more they could make by starting to release games on PC. Horizon is a good test bed IMO, because it's something new for the PC crowd that doesn't own PS, and it will be a good game to showcase Sony games. It's a fun game, and it'll be a good game to showcase for power players.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 1932d ago
Jin_Sakai1932d ago

What happens if Microsoft ever allows access to Steam on Xbox? Then you can play Sony exclusives on Xbox. Sony better be careful going forward.

RazzerRedux1932d ago

Sony would just say "No" and their games wouldn't appear on Xbox. That would happen in large scale as most publishers wouldn't allow it, which means that isn't a likely scenario at all.

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Spurg1933d ago

They knew that Microsoft were gonna get millions of eyes on PC that's why Sony is releasing their games on PC.
Smart move by Sony, but now they have lost what makes them unique. They are still steps behind as Microsoft is doing things like smart delivery and cross saves between platforms.

isarai1933d ago

Playstation has had crossbuy/cross save since the vita released bro

Spurg1933d ago

Cross-buy and Cross play with vita is one of the most irrelevant things out there.
If it was the PS3 to PS4 then yes but it wasn't. I can't take my save from the Witcher 3 on PS4 to PC/XBOX....so no Sony doesn't do cross-save and they won't allow it. This is the type of cross-save people are after not Vita to ps3/Ps4

isarai1932d ago

Um...

It is ps3-ps4...

Literally half the games i played the first few months on PS4 were games i bought on PS3. At least google it before you make a statement like that bruh

RosweeSon1932d ago

They haven’t lost anything when it’s released 3 years after, they already sold their copies for PlayStation it’s in the PlayStation hits range ie bargains, if it goes to PC now 3 years later 🤷🏻‍♂️ Already got a platinum it doesn’t effect me or my enjoyment of the game one iota being as that happened 3 years ago. PC can have the sloppy seconds 3 years later it’s fine. Does that effect Sony having their exclusives going to another platform 3 years!! Down the line hardly, but it gives PC players a chance to see what incredible games are only available on PS4/5 if you want them day1 get the console if you wanna wait 2-3 years have fun.
It’s a bit different if they all going to Pc day1 or even year 1 but they not. I have no interest in PC and even if they start launching PS4/5 and PC Same day I’ll still be console versions any day of the week I’m a console gamer not high end frames per second counter. I’m not for top resolutions just fantastic games. I’ll take timeless classics from 25/30 years ago over yearly churned 4K rubbish. Graphics are way down the list of a great game.

_Decadent_Descent1932d ago

Sure thing console pleb, sure thing.

1932d ago
1932d ago Replies(2)
WickedLester1932d ago (Edited 1932d ago )

Can we please stop calling it Smart Delivery? The term is so stupid sounding. It's just cross-buy. A term everyone was already familiar with and comfortable using. Why MS felt the need to invent a far dumber sounding term that has the exact same meaning is beyond me.

1932d ago
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iplay1up21933d ago

I think Sony knows Horizon Zero Dawn is a fantastic game, and could sell PS5 consoles. I am new to Playstation and now am torn between the Series X and PS5. It all depends on launch window games. I definitely want both!

1933d ago Replies(2)
mcstorm1932d ago

It's a case of wait and see what's out.last gen I was more interested in the ps4 due to DriveClub but when it was held back I got the xbox one and Forza 5.that said for me this gen has felt half assed by everyone and I ended up going down the pc side sold my xbox X and switch and built a gaming pc and so far I've not looked back. Seeing news likes this also makes me like pc even more. Interesting times for pc gamers

RosweeSon1932d ago

Sony didn’t do anything half arsed this gen. they literally done the complete opposite. Got it wrong with ps3 and corrected all the wrongs and made a games console that had games at the forefront from the start not as an after thought after all the subscriptions and services that’s literally what turned me off Xbox day1 no mention of games just charges subscriptions and services half of which were USA only American football and tv etc can’t watch that here but thanks anyway what about the games. 7 years later they’ve barely released 7 games that will be worth talking about in 7 years from now let alone 25/30 like some timeless classics.

GamesAsAService1932d ago

@RosweeSon.

"Got it wrong with ps3 and corrected all the wrongs"

Im very curious to see if you are as forgiving of Microsoft as you are with Sony seeing how the XBSX is shaping up to be a games focused console.

mcstorm1931d ago

What I mean by half assed is nothing really new this gen and alot of the games were underwhelming to.

How many new IPs did sony and Microsoft give us and how many were a wow game?

Sony have given us very little in FPS and Racing this gen to. Microsoft have again been pants at new IPs and not much to shout about.

It's not just 1st party's but 3rd party's to. Again how many new ips have we seen and how many YOY games do we get to.

For me this gen has been stale and one of the lest exciting ones from all 3 but I feel Nintendo have given me more this gen with the wiiu & switch, than Sony and Microsoft.

Each to their own though for me I'm happy with pc at the moment nothing I feel I am missing out on and it's the best platform for racers to.

RosweeSon1932d ago

Get a ps5 and settle for a current gen Xbox for now all their Not next generation games will work on any Xbox released this current gen why spend double the money for few extra frames per second when for half the price you can still access all their games and if you enjoy them and they actually start releasing more next gen (I’m yet to see this happening yet) then upgrade your console and you’ve got a load of games you can take with you. Not worth rushing out for new Xbox day1 unless your a big fan of what they’ve done this gen 😑🤔🥴 29335;🏻‍♂️😂 8540; or you just want the most technically advanced console (allegedly) but look what all that extra power of the X did for them, nothing other than some extra frames per seconds and few extra sparks. 1-2 years after launch when games start arriving they gonna have another new Xbox console out already at which point you can get thier next gen launch model cheaper or get the best version of it when it actually warrants it, the games have turned up.
That’s just me ps5 is an easy day1 if I feel I’ve cleared enough of this gen up so many great games came out bought my PS4 day1 and still rammed with games. Sold my Xbox S after 4 months of smashing the exclusives.

Kumakai1933d ago

and all this time everyone just loved to pile on to ms when, along with other things, were looking at tomorrow...

neutralgamer19921933d ago

No because Ps exclusives aren't and won't be available day one on PC. Let's not overreact when Sony PlayStation boss said it's been 3 years since launch of horizon

People have been begging for bloodborne and I think if Spiderman was available on PC it would sell easily 5+ million

As a long time ps fan I am happy there games might come to pc because it means more money for Sony and possibly give their developers more resources

This is Sony testing the water to see and I for one am excited because these exclusives are amazing and more gamers deserves to play them

1933d ago Replies(1)
neutralgamer19921933d ago

Dawn

No it's not as of yet right. Not until it's released. It's been given free and as cheap as 10 bucks for awhile so for the series to come to pc and possibly gain more fans there is nothing wrong with that

As a ps fan this means Sony generates more money which in return could mean even more games. The main difference is ps exclusives might come to pc in 2-3 years while Xbox games are available same day

RosweeSon1932d ago

It wouldn’t sell 5 million i mean it could but rockstars stance shows why don’t aren’t interested in PC release their games and see them bootlegged no end or release them through consoles where the piracy is much less freely available. Rockstar don’t release their games on pc until years after if at all and why would they or Sony spend money porting and making PC versions and then the majority just download it for free.

GamesAsAService1932d ago

Bottom line is that shareholders decide the path a company takes. The company's direction has to factor in their fiduciary duty to their share holders. "How are we going to bring value to those invested in the company". If there is a path to increased profits (selling games on pc) and a company gives in to whining fanboys who don't like to share their favourite toys, the executives of that company are not doing their appointed job and are then subject to career change.

I know not a lot of people like to hear this but this is a trend we will be seeing more and more. All publishers in this space will eventually offer their games to all platforms. It is the IP that matters and building the fan base for those Ip's will be the key to the future. The box you choose to play games on will not be something that matters in the future.

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170°

Sony is all-in on PlayStation Plus, says its most expensive tier is thriving

Sony kicks off PS Plus' 15th anniversary by chatting with Game File about the past, present and future of its gaming subscription service: Talking price, catalogue tweaks and where the PS3 games are.

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gamefile.news
CrimsonWing695h ago

Glad, I’m about to downgrade when they raise the price. For me, I don’t really access much or care about the games they have in the library and if I do, it’d be cheaper to just buy them over time rather than stick to some expensive subscription model.

crazyCoconuts4h ago

When you're new to the service you've got an avalanche of games to play. After you catch up, I agree, it's not worth it beyond the Essential tier for me.
That being said, the Essential tier is the best deal in console gaming imo, based on the monthly games you get to keep.

Alos885h ago

Extra is probably the best value for money right now, Premium doesn't have anything special enough to justify paying the additional imo.

OtterX5h ago

*unless you have a Portal & you catch Premium on discount during Days of Play or Black Friday.

Yea, I really do wish they'd up their effort on Premium titles, but allowing a large catalog of titles that can stream to your Portal without even having to use your PS5 is pretty awesome. We travel about 2 hours to stay with my inlaws from time to time, so it's been pretty killer to only need to take my Portal for that!

andy854h ago

Yup if you have a portal premium is the best tier for sure

jznrpg5h ago

Add some more classics with trophies. Vagrant Story first

OtterX5h ago

Nice choice. I agree!

Jeanne D'Arc was my favorite PS+ catalog title from last year & I Platinumed it!

Eonjay2h ago

I like Ridge Racer, Tekken and Grandia. Add Xenogears, digimon World 3, Classic GTA and ill be happy

jznrpg1h ago

Jeanne D’Arc was great!

@Eonjay there is a Grandia collection available for PS4, I’m not sure if it’s been on plus already or not

darthv725h ago

cloud streaming to the portal, without using the ps5, is the selling point of premium to me.

Obscure_Observer5h ago

If the consumers are happy, Sony is even happier.

It is what it is.

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60°

Hitoshi Sakimoto Celebrates 40 Years Of Game Composing With A Streaming Collection

The legendary composer celebrates forty years of game composing with a new collection.

220°

Yoshida claims PS believes Xbox is their only competitor, truth is they don’t have one any more

Former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida claims PlayStation still believes Xbox is their only true competitor, not Nintendo.

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videogamer.com
8d ago
Terry_B6d ago

True, they have pretty different audiences..and some People just have both at home or a PS and a PC that emulates more or less everything from Nintendo.

Knightofelemia6d ago

Xbox hasn't been a competitor since the XB360. Last generation and this generation Sony has been running circles around Xbox. As for Sony vs Nintendo Sony runs circles yes but I don't really see Nintendo as competition. Nintendo does their own thing and it works.

6d ago Replies(1)
Lightning776d ago

Details are important. Console sales yes. Overall games Xbox seems to be doing fairly well in that department.

LoveSpuds5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

MS were doing so well that they had to start selling their games on their main competitors system which in turn results in around 30% of each sale going to Sony as the platform holder.

I do think tjat MS' fortunes will improve now that they are actually selling games rather than giving them away for pennies on the dollar.

Something that occurs to me is that the more success MS published games have elsewhere, the more stark it will become that selling games is much more profitable than renting them. If that becomes highly noticable, I wonder what the shareholders (who ultimately run the show) will make of a service which has stagnated for years?

crazyCoconuts5d ago

PlayStation doesn't compete with third party games, they compete on consoles. They profit from third party games. If you're not comparing consoles there's no point in comparing.

drivxr6d ago

Console wars are over.

Eventually, everyone else will catch up to this fact.

attilayavuzer6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

I think it's all PS fans have left at this point. Console wars were always a competition for fourth place behind Nintendo, PC and mobile. If Xbox evaporates into a hybrid virtual platform, then PS will be perennially left in last place.

Christopher6d ago

Strange, I recall all those FCC documents and witness testimonies saying the exact opposite... Guess Microsoft doesn't know what it's talking about?

PanicMechanic5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Great analysis. Just joking.

Pretending like companies give a f about where they “rank” against each other is just super retarded. This isn’t the World Cup.

Tell me, how does “PC” compete against a brand like PlayStation? It just doesn’t make sense at all. What you just said, is complete and utter nonsense

BlaqMagiq15d ago

I don't think PS cares about being in this so-called "last place" you came up with when they're making profits hand over fist.

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Destiny10806d ago

microsoft wanted to crush sony into dust and they had the money to do it, but with such weak leadership it was always going to fail

Reaper22_6d ago

Had the money? They still have the money but the industry has changed since xbox 360. Microsoft is the number one publisher in gaming. I'd hardly call that failing.

IRetrouk6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

The industry hasn't changed though, just ms, Microsoft was the no1 publisher for a month in december 2024, the actual no1 for fy2024 was tencent if game sales are all that's being counted.

Profchaos6d ago

Money doesn't mean you'll be successful large corporations have entered and failed before like Nec

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