Sony’s massive live service push for PS5 is struggling and being called into question, but this leaked presentation shows why it went so hard.
Outriders developer People Can Fly's next game has been canceled after its publishing agreement with Take-Two Interactive fell through.
"the capital group of PCF Group S.A."
If you're getting funding from a group that needs two different ways of Acronyming itself, things will not go the way you want them to.
Outriders was crap. They slapped that game together and threw in a loot system to get players' attention. This game was absolutely jank and the always online nonsense made it stutter like crazy. People Can't Optimize.
I liked Outriders but I could see where the artistic vision was compromised. The way the industry is now, it wouldn't surprise me that upper management would scrap something that didn't pull in money via gaas, mts, or other means.
Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.
Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.
Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.
"Despite some early successes for Xbox games on rival platforms, Xbox hardware is down by a massive 31 percent this quarter."
"Without Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s overall gaming revenue would have actually declined this quarter."
"Xbox content and services would have only been up a single percent without Activision Blizzard..."
"It looks like next quarter is going to be a similar story for gaming at Microsoft, too."
That is crazy... so A/B/K is carrying the whole Xbox gaming.
Oh and Microsoft will be fine. Windows, Office and Cloud are growing with each pc purchase.
Blizzard writes: "After careful consideration over the last year, we at Blizzard have made the decision not to hold BlizzCon in 2024. This decision was not made lightly as BlizzCon remains a very special event for all of us, and we know many of you look forward to it. While we’re approaching this year differently and as we have explored different event formats in the past, rest assured that we are just as excited as ever to bring BlizzCon back in future years."
How about you not hold Blizzcon anymore period. You fucking POS company. I really hope Blizzard would just die.
This is all you need to know:
Sony has consistently delivered brilliant single player games and will continue to do so into the next generation. Naughty Dog isn't going to miss the PS5 era as they are working on multiple projects and not just a live service game only.
Again, when I say this, gamers asked Sony for quality online games to match their single player offerings. They also bitched and complained about games not having "road maps" for online games. That means a game that will consistently be updated with new items, new maps, new levels, with some of it being free. And some of it being priced to purchase. Like GT7. Online games TODAY, if they want to continue to live beyond the old style online games where it was online and that's all you got and nothing else, are LIVE SERVICE GAMES. They all are to stay relevant and keep player retention. Because gamers will move on to the next online game if it isn't fun and if there isn't any new content.
No one has played any of their online games yet to bitch and complain about it. Single player games like myself will still be catered to. But Sony is trying to please those who asked for online,(GaaS, yes GaaS, you asked for it) and make a little money on the side because they are a business. As companies like Microsoft try to strip Sony's revenue by buying up 3rd party publishers and franchises, royalty money that Sony made to create more high quality games, Sony has to look at other avenues to make money like with PC or mobile. They can't just make single player games only and get stuck in a rut just doing that. They are allowed to diversify. Doesn't mean you have to buy into all of it. But they are allowed to as a company to TRY. Just like with VR. Just like with Portal.
At the end of the day it doesn't matter what we think. Sony's goal is to make more money whether its single player or GAAS. And thats what they're gonna do. They're gonna support both. The fact is that a game can sell well and still not bring in the profits that are needed. Development cost is just one expense to recover. Stuff like advertising and other things are eating away some of the profits. That successful game that cost 100 million to make may cost almost double the next time. If this was the 1990s or early 2000s this wouldn't be as bad. Sony makes good single players games and they sell but in today's gaming industry it may not be enough to sustain them for the next decade or two. They may not have much of a choice but to invest more in GAAS.
"Live service obsession". What a bunch of BS hyperbole.