PlayStation on the edge of the abyss

For PlayStation, the first quarter of 2023 has been closer to disaster than success, although PS5 is taking flight, everything that happens around the brand shows signs of alarm. An ill-fated port strategy for PC, a risky bet in the virtual reality sector and the debacle of its fight to avoid the purchase of Activision Blizzard that will strengthen Xbox only darken the panorama. What is happening with the wounded gaming giant? ?

PLAYSTATION STUDIOS PORTS ON PC ARE A FAILURE, THERE IS NO MORE

Last year at LEVEL UP we posted a video where we celebrated the decision to release PlayStation Studios exclusives on PC because the industry is changing and the brand decided to adapt and not back down, no matter how dominant it was. However, as we mentioned that time, the change was due to a request from the studios, not from the managers and “geniuses” of Sony Interactive Entertainment. That simple detail today yields terrible results.

Video: No more PlayStation exclusives (and that’s great)

the port of The Last of Us: Part II for PC debuted in a strange way, considering that the franchise was in a good moment thanks to the success of the HBO series. Without an advertising campaign in line with such an important IP —symbol of PlayStation Studios— and with all possible discretion, the game appeared on Steam and the horror came to light. PlayStation, Iron Galaxy and Naughty Dog delivered a game in terrible shape, which meant disrespecting the franchise and involving it in this terrible common practice in video games: I’ll sell it to you first; I fix it later.

the disaster of The Last of Us: Part II for PC was the tip of an iceberg that exposes PlayStation’s disinterest and mistrust in these releases and inevitably leads to questions beyond video games. It is your business, it is your product, you show it as something extraordinary and consumers trust that it will be so; they don’t expect to pay for something that will be in such a deplorable state. Whether PlayStation and any gaming company like it or not, this goes beyond a relationship between fans and glorified brands, it’s between vendors and consumers who have been treated on the tip of their toes.

This scandal, which already includes an apology from Naughty Dog and recognition that the port is of poor quality, leads us once again to review what is happening with PlayStation games on PC. Except god of warwhich at the time was the great title that led the arrival of exclusives to a new platform, and spider-mana franchise that moves numbers around the world, the performance of the other releases has been mediocre and has practically not captured the attention of computer gamers, who find out about the premiere from the news about poor sales because there was no advertising campaign .

“…the other releases on PC have performed mediocrely and have barely captured the attention of PC gamers. It seems that PlayStation would rather see this project crash than water down its conception of exclusiveness and quality costs”

Let’s not fool ourselves, the company and its studies are not new nor are they looking to break through; We are talking about a huge company in gaming with capable teams. What happens with PlayStation Studios and its games on PC leads us to speculate that the lack of resources, attention and commitment to make them stand out is due to the fact that the target platform is not a Sony console. It seems that PlayStation prefers that this project crash before diluting its conception of the exclusive and that “quality costs.”

PLAYSTATION VR2 IS POINTING TO BE A DISASTER

The first PlayStation virtual reality device was successful within the parameters of the sector, since its 5 million units sold stood out when no headset seemed to hit the mark. However, the hype for the launch in 2016 faded and at the end of the PS4 cycle little or nothing was said about this experience.

PlayStation VR2 took the baton to take the next step with this technology, but its debut came at a very bad time. The failure of the Metaverse and of that idea of ​​the digital world that was managed during the pandemic generated a negative perception regarding virtual reality devices. Worse still, the post-pandemic economic crisis burst the bubble in which that dream was built, and this type of technology and experiences were relegated to spending on necessary products and services. No one thinks of a VR headset after seeing the grocery bill.

Video: It’s not a good time to be a Sonyer

The unofficial result is worrisome. A report of Bloomberg revealed that PSVR2 has barely sold 270,000 units since its launch in February of this year, a terrible figure for Sony’s intentions to position itself in the sector. At the same time, it is said that there is concern in the company because the manufacture and distribution of 2 million units was ordered for this start of the commercial cycle, which runs from March 2023 to March 2024. Specialists assure that a cut in prices is likely. price if the company wants to avoid a disaster.

The reality is that PSVR2 is a victim of its own decisions. The device emerged on the market boasting its technology and yes, generating hype for the type of experience that could be had on a PS5. Unfortunately, the $550 announcement is on par with that disastrous $600 PS3 announcement. When the PlayStation audience applied simple math, it became clear that the console + VR combo was overkill in these times of recession.

“Sadly, the $550 announcement parallels that disastrous $600 PS3 announcement. When PlayStation audiences applied simple math, it became clear that the console+VR combo was overkill in these recessionary times.”

In the face of this price criticism, Sony confirmed that there would be no backwards compatibility with PSVR games, and further questions arose as to why spend so much on a product with few games. The competitive environment was not favorable either, because given the debacle of the Metaverse and the digital future, Meta, Mark Zuckerberg’s powerful company that spent billions on the project, had the luxury of applying a price cut on its Meta devices. Quest Pro and Meta Quest 2 to make them an option worth considering. It is logical that the consumer considers them a better VR offer for its price and compatibility with games and applications.

At the moment, PlayStation’s virtual reality device is on shaky ground and will hardly be able to get out of there given internal decisions and the context that surrounds it. In fact, the perception in the market is that PSVR2 will not be able to even match what its predecessor did and the future looks grim, even a great failure is expected for Sony.

OPERATION SAVING THE SOLDIER CALL OF DUTY FAILED

The first quarter of 2023 brought bad news for PlayStation in its confrontation with Microsoft and the purchase of Activision Blizzard. The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) delivered an unexpected setback by issuing its positive review of the remedies offered by Microsoft to prevent the acquisition from becoming a monopoly and concluding that, in the case of the console business, there was no there would be harm to competitors. This left out the rest of the doubts about what could happen with the gaming business in the cloud.

The blow was devastating for PlayStation because this regulator was one of those who opposed the purchase of Activision Blizzard, and the path began to clear for Microsoft. Various sectors, including the financial sector, take the purchase for granted and the estimates for the share price are already beginning to be considered for when the deal is officially closed. PlayStation will have to proceed to count the damage and repair the deterioration that it caused to its image when it bet all the coins for call of duty and assured that the existence of the brand depends on an FPS shooter.

“PlayStation has to think about a different industry and markets than those it dominated at the time, since its biggest competitor was strengthened with acquisitions”

The foregoing is just a warning that PlayStation has to think about a different industry and markets than those it dominated at the time, since its biggest competitor was strengthened with acquisitions, and now the Sony brand needs to strengthen its internal productions and third-party agreements. -party to stay in the fight for the top.

Perhaps the only good news at the moment is that PlayStation 5 is on the right track and shows a rise that will hardly stop. Circana’s recent US sales report revealed that the console surpassed the high point of monthly sales reached by the PlayStation 2 in the distant 2005, so the outlook is positive in the short and medium term.

PLAYSTATION WILL ONLY GET STRONGER IF IT LOOKS WITHIN

It is very clear: Sony has a console that is selling very well and that is becoming a worldwide success. Faced with this reality, we must strengthen the home offer with some of the best video games of recent years and sign agreements with developers and publishers that result in that unique offer for which a consumer decides to go for a PS5. PlayStation must close ranks, focus on what it has and make the most of it, although that will only happen if the current administration wants and decides to do so instead of sabotaging itself.

Editorial: Gaming / Facebook / Twitter / Youtube / instagram / News / discord /Telegram / Google news