Sony has reiterated that it’s reserving day-and-date PC releases of PlayStation games for multiplayer titles only. When it comes to single-player “tentpole” franchises, the company is adpating a “strategic” approach that it hopes will hook PC players into the PlayStation ecosystem.
Why single-player PlayStation games won’t launch on PC and console simultaneously
In a presentation delivered earlier today, PlayStation’s co-CEO Hermen Hulst said that the idea behind bringing Sony’s popular single-player franchises to PC at a later date is to entice some PC players to eventually invest in a PlayStation console. Hulst reckons that if a PC player thoroughly enjoys a first-party game, they might want to play the sequel right away on console rather than waiting for an eventual PC release.
Apparently, Sony has “high hopes” that this strategic approach will bring more people into the PlayStation ecosystem. The company has the same logic behind extending PlayStation IPs to other media as well. The Last of Us, for example, saw an increase in sales following the success of the HBO television series.
Multiplayer games are a different ballgame, however. The success of live service games depends on having a strong player base, and console alone is no longer enough. As seen in the case of Helldivers 2, day-and-date PC launches for multiplayer games is now a necessity.
Hermen Hulst, soon to be co-CEO of Sony’s PlayStation business, addresses day 1 PC releases. Live service games will come day and date on PS5 and PC, but single player narrative games on PC are designed to then entice PC owners to play sequels on a PlayStation console pic.twitter.com/uAO0stlBS6— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) May 29, 2024