PlayStation CEO and President Hideaki Nishino has reaffirmed the company's dedication to live service games, asserting that the genre holds the potential to attract a global audience. These remarks come in the same week Sony conducted significant layoffs at Bungie, the studio responsible for Destiny 2 and the upcoming Marathon.
In an interview, Nishino stated that PlayStation aims to "continue to revitalize the market through both first-party and third-party content." He emphasized the importance of continuous content delivery for live service titles, acknowledging the genre's relative novelty and the ongoing experimentation within it. "We also want to continue to take on challenges within that context," he added, highlighting the company's intent to explore new avenues within the live service space.
PlayStation's venture into live service games has seen a mixed reception this decade. While Helldivers 2 emerged as a notable success, many other live service titles have underperformed or failed to meet expectations. Concord, a sci-fi hero shooter, reportedly ceased operations after only two weeks. Furthermore, live service adaptations of established franchises like God of War and The Last of Us were canceled during their development cycles.
The acquisition of Bungie in 2022 was intended to bolster Sony's live service development capabilities. However, Destiny 2 has experienced a decline in its player count since the acquisition, and Marathon has not yet met anticipated reception. Sony concluded support for Destiny 2 earlier in June, a decision that preceded the recent layoffs of hundreds of developers working on the game.
These circumstances cast Nishino's comments in a challenging light. Sony has recently reduced its live service development staff while maintaining a cautious stance on the genre's overall success. Nevertheless, the company is reportedly pursuing new live service projects. These include the fighting game Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, the co-op title Horizon Hunters Gathering, the shooter Fairgame$, and an unannounced project from the newly formed studio Team LFG.