When it comes to big-budget, triple-A, narrative-driven gaming, few other names are as synonymous with the genre asPlayStation. For practically the entirety of the brand’s history, the company has released single-player franchises that gave Nintendo a run for its money. Eachgeneration of PlayStationintroduced something special to players, fromGod of WarandRatchetClankon PS2 toUnchartedandThe Last of Uson PS3.
High-quality single-player adventures have been the bread and butter forPlayStationfor years now, and fans have always come to expect more of this as the years have gone on. However, in the last few years the CEO of PlayStation, Jim Ryan, has encouraged a shift towards more live-service gaming, tasking many first-party studios with developing new multiplayer experiences to put on the platform. While it is always encouraged to venture into new ambitions and try something new, recent reports seem to indicate that the live-service model has taken center stage.
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The Last of Us Multiplayer - Behind the Scenes Trouble
This past week, the PlayStation showcase caused some disappointment among fans who expected a little bit more to be in attendance, particularly from first-party studios. Naughty Dog’s long-in-developmentThe Last of Usmultiplayer projectwas among the titles that seemed the most likely to show up, especially considering the numerous years it has been in production. It not being there was puzzling, to say the least, but concerns began to seep in when an official report from Naughty Dog explained that the game would need to be delayed, requiring more time to be the best it can be.
As to the exact reason for the delay, a report from Bloomberg claims that it’s due to “quality and long-term viability” concerns. In other words, live-service titles are designed to be monetized and keep players coming back to play the game. It seems Sony’s plan is to pivot more into thislive-service game modelas a means to ensure consistent revenue from a number of live-service games, as opposed to just relying on one lump sum from its exclusive games, of which only 2 or 3 normally launch in one year.
Meanwhile, another PlayStation first-party studio is also experiencing similar setbacks.Deviation Gameswas acquired to work on a brand-new first-person shooter for PS5. Similar toThe Last of Usmultiplayer, this game had also been in the works for some time, with no proper updates for fans to get a glimpse at what was being worked on. This past week, however, there was an update but not the kind that players would have liked to hear. Allegedly, according to insiders, Deviation Games' upcoming game could have been quietly canceled, weeks after reports of numerous layoffs within the studio.
This also follows the news story aboutDeviation Games co-founder Jason Blundellleaving the company in late 2022, without much explanation as to why. Now, with the rumors of the game being canceled, theories claim that Blundell didn’t share the direction of the game’s development and chose to depart, but there was no official statement regarding the game’s alleged cancelation and its possible link with Blundell leaving. Coupled with the reports of PlayStation recently shutting down PixelOpus (the team behind the belovedConcrete Genie),it begins to paint the picture of a worrisome trend.
A Change in Direction at PlayStation
PlayStation used to be praised for how it allowed its studios to be creative and craft unique experiences.Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man,andSly Cooperare all symbolic of this track record for deliveringstory-driven gamesmeant to be remembered for years due to their artistic merits. However, PlayStation’s new direction is understandable, considering the popularity of live-service games. There is a reason why the company would want to dive into the genre so heavily, announcing multiple live-service games due to be released in the coming years.
Yet, it seems like PlayStation may have bitten off more than it can chew in this scenario, as all its eggs are in one basket in an attempt to catch lightning in a bottle with at least a handful of the planned live-service games in production. This could be a huge gamble for a company previously recognized for itssingle-player games, which some fans would rather see take center stage again.
The recentcontroversy regardingSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice League’s live-service elements may have scared PlayStation into not wanting to repeat the same mistakes. This has led to the company seemingly questioning the talent of Naughty Dog, a studio that has brought them countless critically-acclaimed games ever since the PS1 era of gaming.
Hopefully, this is just a bump in the road during the switch to more live-service titles, as PlayStation learns the many ins and outs of this kind of game development. Guerilla Games is also reportedly hard at work on a live-servicemultiplayer spin-off based onHorizongames.
ThePlayStationbrand still has plenty ofhigh-profile releases likeMarvel’s Spider-Man 2andDeath Stranding 2in the works, however, and they seem to stray from the live-service model, which is a good sign that the future of the company is not exclusively tied to multiplayer titles.
