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[Draugoth]

PlayStation will make more live service games, but won’t abandon roots, studio chief says

Hermen Hulst talks PC, mobile, combatting crunch and a whole lot more.

www.axios.com

New interview with Herman Hulst by Axios

• Live-service games will come from newly acquired teams & Sony's internal teams too
• Not all of them will use original IPs
• SP titles still the most profitable ones
• More cross-gen titles could come (case by case) - “We certainly don’t want to forget the millions of active players on PS4, and we want to ensure there are great games for them as well,”

Hulst mentions that the PC versions actually help PlayStation to invest more into bigger projects “It allows us to continue to invest–to invest even deeper into their projects.” PlayStation will also improve its mobile game development and partner up with other companies. In the Famitsu interview, Hulst also confirms that there are "a few studios" that use Decima engine (Horizon, Death Stranding) Asked about Sony's own Japanese IP (Ape Escape is brought up), he refers to the strong partnerships with Japanese studios.

 

[anthony2690]

So where is my Ape Escape game Herman?!

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

PlayStation leadership says Live Service. I...

I do like this quote...

“Some of our biggest titles in the single player narrative-driven space are also our most profitable titles.”

Some of PlayStations biggest single player titles are more profitable than Predator Hunting Grounds and...Destruction All Stars? No way. This guy knows how to PR so the dinosaurs leave happy.

 

[SLB1904]

I feel like I'm reading the same thread with different title

 

[Chukhopops]

More cross-gen titles could come (case by case)

 

[AV]

Probably out of the loop here, but surely Bungie have been doing SOMETHING that isn't Destiny 2 since they got scooped up?

 

[Pelta88]

"SP Titles Still the most profitable ones."

 

[kyussman]

I like Herman....but I miss Shu.

 

[sankt-Antonio]

At least Apple has the balls to cut of old ass hardware at some point.
PS4 came out in Nov 2013! Let it go.

 

[Topher]

This guy knows how to PR so the dinosaurs leave happy.

Happy that he is saying you have been totally wrong? I...

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Happy that he is saying you have been totally wrong? I...

Predator Hunting Grounds and Destruction All Stars are two games I have vehemently defended as being the future for as long as I've been here. Let's goooo!!

 

[3liteDragon]

More cross-gen titles could come (case by case) - “We certainly don’t want to forget the millions of active players on PS4, and we want to ensure there are great games for them as well,”

 

[Fbh]

Will wait to see what these live service actually are like before I complain.
But I can't say I'm particularly excited about the future of Playstation.

To be fair they have had a few SP core titles that have hit 20mil, and thats no mean feat on one console, its actually super impressive. I know Switch has too but thats a little different as what are they going to play if they dont buy those 4 or 5 releases a year?.

I'm sure Sony will expand, and move a lot into MP stuff, but they will still make those core experience games, as long as they keep pulling in the numbers.

What makes Nintendo sales numbers special is that they sell most of them at full price. Even when they go on sale they are usually still like $45 even years later.
Most single player games from other publishers can reach similar sales numbers but usually only after a couple of year in the bargain bin (with exceptions of course, like Elden Ring).

 

[DenchDeckard]

Spider man 2 PS4 port incoming.....Sony arent going to drop cross gen anytime soon I dont think.

 

[Fake]

'SP titles still the most profitable ones'


So, you gonna remake every single PS game?

 

[Kurimao]

Give us back Killzone you mofo!!!

 

[Flabagast]

lmao nearly every single one of these bullet points is a fucking bad news

 

[kanjobazooie]

Added some improvements to that artwork.

 

[lh032]

'SP titles still the most profitable ones'


So, you gonna remake every single PS game?

Except bloodborne.

 

[Gudji]

Probably out of the loop here, but surely Bungie have been doing SOMETHING that isn't Destiny 2 since they got scooped up?

They've been working on multiple projects. Rumors are a marathon game and a new competitive e-sports shooter.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

I feel like I'm reading the same thread with different title

 

[onnextflix5]

They claim these pc ports allow them invest more in to sp games, if so where are they then. What a load crap, if the live service games take off, we are going to see less and less sp games , I really hate this new Sony, if u want growth, they should focus and invest in the ps plus extra service.

 

[Topher]

Single player narrative games I have vehemently claimed as having no future for as long as I've been here. Let's goooo!!

ftfy

 

[//DEVIL//]

More cross Gen games … like there are not enough words in the world to cuss this bitch and his shit boss Jimshit.
Buying next Gen console is useless . They should just call it PlayStation 4 pro 2 and not PlayStation 5 .

What a fucking waste.

More ps4 games means there is zero logic to upgrade next Gen video cards too. If the games are still based on ps4 , even if you go high texture and 4K native , your 3080 is more than enough.

Talk about shitty standards as industry

I hope MS sticks to its plan and stop releasing Xbox one games . Their first party games will shit on Sony games graphics wise and tear Sony to parts till these 2 bitches get fired and locked in jail for stupidity

 

[SpokkX]

Frankly I think Sony has been better this gen than last so far

Returnal
Demons Souls remake
Ratchet
Astro pack in game

Are all great games that are also not like typical cinematic sony games. I am not worried about their future lineup

 

[German Hops]

 

[Stuart360]

More cross Gen games … like there are no enough words in the world to cuss this bitch and his shit boss Jimshit.

Honestly no enough words.

Buying next Gen console is useless . They should just call it PlayStation 4 pro 2 and not PlayStation 5 .

What a fucking waste.

More ps4 games means there is zero logic to upgrade next Gen video cards too. If the games are still based on ps4 , even if you go high texture and 4K native , your 3080 is more than enough.

Talk about shitty standards as industry

I hope MS sticks to its plan and stop releasing Xbox one games . Their first party games will shit on Sony games graphics wise and tear Sony to parts till these 2 bitches get fired and locked in jail for stupidity

As a PC gamer, this has never made sense to me. I mean even if we had cross gen games the whole gen (and we wont), having a PS5 still means playing those games at higher resolution, framerate, and settings too.
Thats how it is on PC, and the reason why PC gamers upgrade their tech.

And of course a 3080 will be more than enough for this gen. Its only the enthusiasts that just 'have to have the most bleeding edge tech' that upgrade every year. A lot of those poeple are also part of benchmarking cultures, which is huge on PC.

 

[//DEVIL//]

As a PC gamer, this has never made sense to me. I mean even if we had cross gen games the whole gen (and we wont), having a PS5 still means playing those games at higher resolution, framerate, and settings too.
Thats how it is on PC, and the reason why PC games upgrade their tech.

And of course a 3080 will be more than enough for this gen. Its only the enthusiasts that just 'have to have the most bleeding edge tech' that upgrade every year. A lot of those poeple are also part of benchmarking cultures, whoich is huge on PC.

Not quite

Sony charges extra money for the ps5 version

Sony also charges 70$ for those enhanced textures and 60 frames you get for free on pc

I am a pc gamer at core as well .

 

[remember_spinal]

Thought this was interesting about Fromsoftware investment, it seems they are mainly focused on game development still but that movies and tv shows are also part of the investment. I kind of wish they had commented on Epic’s investment as well.

Other investments include the purchase of a minority stake in Japanese developer FromSoftware, whose action role playing game "Elden Ring" has sold more than 16.6 million units.

"You should think of collaborations on the game development side first and foremost, but it's also not unthinkable with our PlayStation Productions efforts that we explore opportunities," Hulst said of the FromSoftware investment.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Praise the lard

 

[Melfice7]

More cross-gen titles could come (case by case) - “We certainly don’t want to forget the millions of active players on PS4, and we want to ensure there are great games for them as well,”

Imagine if when the ps2 released they would refused to abandon the 100million ps1's and kept making cross gen games... and the same with ps3 and the 150million ps2's ... christ im starting to hate this sony

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

ftfy

Nah. I've long said Sony should shift to GAAS swings and safe bet single player bunts. Jim Ryan and Herman Hulst reached the same conclusion I did. The 3 amigos...

The big budget 3 million sellers never made sense after the GAAS era arrived. The Spidermans, God of Wars, and Horizons were never in danger.

That being said, how do you think this budget split is going to look in 2027? If they're doing this with 0 multiplayer hits, what are they going to do when they have 2 or 3 multiplayer hits?

 

[reksveks]

Some of PlayStations biggest single player titles are more profitable than Predator Hunting Grounds and...Destruction All Stars? No way. This guy knows how to PR so the dinosaurs leave happy.

it was a good quote.

 

[Games of Today]

Give us back Killzone you mofo!!!

For real we need Killzone for an FPS title. And SOCOM for a TPS.

 

[64bitmodels]

Imagine if when the ps2 released they would refused to abandon the 100million ps1's and kept making cross gen games... and the same with ps3 and the 150million ps2's ... christ im starting to hate this sony

The difference was that the ps2 was such a monumental jump that you could never hope of making a ps2 game on ps1. Meanwhile ps4 and 5 share the same architecture and the ps5 is only 2 and a half times more powerful than a ps4 pro. Not to mention how easy it is to port games these days and the pandemic fucking up everything
The publishers that properly abandon 8th gen though are heroes

 

[Games of Today]

Nah. I've long said Sony should shift to GAAS swings and safe bet single player bunts. Jim Ryan and Herman Hulst reached the same conclusion I did. The 3 amigos...

The big budget 3 million sellers never made sense after the GAAS era arrived. The Spidermans, God of Wars, and Horizons were never in danger.

That being said, how do you think this budget split is going to look in 2027? If they're doing this with 0 multiplayer hits, what are they going to do when they have 2 or 3 multiplayer hits?

I bet Last of Us factions will be the first official GAAS from Sony's lineup.

 

[Topher]

Nah. I've long said Sony should shift to GAAS swings and safe bet single player bunts. Jim Ryan and Herman Hulst reached the same conclusion I did. The 3 amigos...

The big budget 3 million sellers never made sense after the GAAS era arrived. The Spidermans, God of Wars, and Horizons were never in danger.

That being said, how do you think this budget split is going to look in 2027? If they're doing this with 0 multiplayer hits, what are they going to do when they have 2 or 3 multiplayer hits?

Yeah....don't care. I'm just enjoying the backtracking.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

I bet Last of Us factions will be the first official GAAS from Sony's lineup.

I'll take that bet.

Guerilla Games started work on their multiplayer game in 2018. Factions 2 was started in 2020 and Neil Druckman just said we'll see more of it next year. Plus Helldivers 2 and Firewall Ultra are almost certainly releasing in the next 12 months.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

I'm just enjoying the backtracking.

 

[Topher]

 

[tmlDan]

I like Herman....but I miss Shu.

we all love Shu, it'll be a sad day when he retires

 

[Hawking Radiation]

• More cross-gen titles could come (case by case) - “We certainly don’t want to forget the millions of active players on PS4, and we want to ensure there are great games for them as well,”

 

[phil_t98]

Yeah....don't care. I'm just enjoying the backtracking.

there was lots of concern when gamepass was created that it would all just be GAAS from Playstation fans wasn't there. now its cool to have GAAS

 

[Topher]

there was lots of concern when gamepass was created that it would all just be GAAS from Playstation fans wasn't there. now its cool to have GAAS

It is never cool to have Gaas.

 

[GymWolf]

More crossgen and live service games sound like the main reason why i bought a sony nextgen console.

Nicely done, helmet.

 

[Represent.]

More cross gen?

I hope you “it’s ok, devs can scale!” folks are happy.

Fucking hell. What a waste of a generation

 

[Chukhopops]

Remember when every outlet called Ghost of Tsushima the « swan song of the PS4 » back in June 2020?

This swan gonna sing until 2024 at this rate.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Anyone ask him when the showcase is?

Would be good to get an update on 2023 games.

 

[Ghost of Caelid]

"SP Titles Still the most profitable ones."

This is a bit of a useless statement when they essentially have no major first party multiplayer games. Of course it’s the most profitable when the competition is nothing.

 

[Represent.]

Anyone ask him when the showcase is?

Would be good to get an update on 2023 games.

Of course no one did. These journalists have no balls and ask the same derivative questions over and over.