This is thanks to their decisions with PS4, not PS5. We have no idea the repercussions of them going multiplatform or game rentals are yet.
And Sony is certainly not acting like they are at the top of the gaming industry as they are literally copying every move MS has made. Microsoft is in the driver's seat now and Sony seems cool with that.
The only thing that stops PS5 to destroy all console gaming history records set by PS4 is the chips shortages. Even when they were able to ship PS5 consoles at gaming history records the consoles were selling out in minutes worldwide. The demand for PS5 is insane. Metrics from YouTube and social media set by PS5 back this.
And according to Sony the average user engagement in PS5 is higher than in PS4. Which means people plays more, so ends buying more.
PS Plus/PS Plus Collection and PS Now didn't change anyhting, if somehing if in PS5 they raised the engagement maybe it's due to PS Plus Collection because it's the only main difference wiht PS4. Gamepass didn't negatively affect PS, Sony is posting their best numbers ever (outside the lower thtan expected hardware shipments this quarter due to chips shortage) these years and are in a multi year growing trend in terms of revenue, profit, console sales, game subs, 1st party sales and total console game (including 3rd party) sales/revenue.
Nah, it's the opposite. MS is the one who mostly has been copying PS, the market leader:
-MS did buy many big gamedev studios because Sony had way more than them
-MS did buy many big (still currently top and relevant) IPs because Sony had way more than them
-With the exception of PS4 due to bizarre martian PS3 hardware, all PS were BC (but yes, MS implementation is better)
-Play Anywhere is MS's copy of Sony's Crossbuy
-Gamepass/xCloud is MS's copy of PS Now, even if MS implemented first some things Sony already mentioned as their long term plans back in 2014
-Sony has been toying with mobile games since decades ago until they got their first hit with Fate/Grand Order ($1B+/year)
Later this generation you'll see Microsoft joining the VR wagon.
The main strategies that Sony are copying from MS are:
-Bringing (in their case some, not all) their games to PC (but not day one)
-Buying multiplatform publishers and keep them multiplatform, so becoming a 3rd party for other consoles
-Adding (if Bloomberg isn't lying again) a PS Now tier with only the download parts, so since it wouldn't include cloud gaming would be available worldwide
MS made some strategy other changes that are the main differences and that Sony won't follow:
-To keep their main focus out of console (it's Sony's main business so even if expanding to new markets they'll still focus on PS)
-To release all their games and to do it day one on PC (because their main busines is PS, wants to keep exclusive selling points there)
-To include all their games on a game sub and to do it day one (because their main busines is PS, wants to keep exclusive selling points there)
And remember, the Bungie acquisition started half a year ago and the ABK acquisition started a month ago. So the Bungie acquisition isn't a reaction to the ABK acquisition.
The funny thing is, Sony of Japan could have easily continued onwards and built even greater heights for itself. There are a TON of amazing Japanese/Asian dev teams that would prefer to release on Playstation over Xbox (due to it being a very poor selling console in the east) and Nintendo (due to its hardware limitations), however they have actively pushed them away and pissed them off over the past 5 years.
Instead Sony of California is doing what Hollywood does. Focusing on developing by-the-numbers titles that are “shiny” rather than deep. Easily forgettable and disposable experiences. A few titles here and there break that mold, but it is becoming increasingly rare to find them in their first party line up. At least for me personally.
Glad others can find enjoyment out of them, but I would so much prefer Sony prior to 2015 back.
Sony Japan continues being in charge of Sony, PlayStation and SIE.
Japan Studio got restructured to be rebranded, to change its management, to fire some people and hire other people. Plus in the same way they did in all the other areas of the world, now every regional XDEV team reports to XDEV instead to local gamedev studios. Both Japan Studio (now known as Team Asobi, name of one of its previous internal teams, where now the studio is focused) and their XDEV Japanese teams are growing in headcount and continue doing their previous work.
Team Asobi is working on internally developed games and XDEV Japan continues publishing Japanese 2nd party games, they published Death Stranding Director's Cut after the restructuring.
PS continues getting many Japanese 3rd party exclusives and according to Jimbo they are working to strengthening bonds with Japanese 3rd parties, and in overall (not only Japanese or 3rd party) they plan to have more exclusives than ever. They have at least a PS4 exclusive of any known Japanese 3rd party. And they also get all 3rd party Japanese multiplatform games, only a few 3rd party important games are Xbox or Switch exclusives, and in many cases are timed.
And not only counting the Japanese ones, in the last decade PS exclusives dominated the GOTY awards and have been selling bettter than ever before. So their quality seems to be better now, or at least people seems to like them more.
