PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst has laid out his vision for Sony's upcoming live service offerings in a new interview. The executive says that although these games will have live service elements, they won't necessarily be similar to existing offerings in that genre, instead targeting a range of genres and audiences.
The interview comes courtesy of GamesIndustry.biz and sees Hulst talking about PlayStation Studios' acquisitions and upcoming projects. Hulst says that "there is a risk" of talking about live service games in "generic terms", but PlayStation Studios is looking to make games "targeting different genres, different release schedules, and...for different audiences". It sounds like we're not just going to be getting a raft of Fortnite or Destiny clones.
As GI.biz points out, Sony has previously said it has at least ten live service projects in the works, which is likely why the company says it's diversifying its development approach. If they were all identical, then it's likely most of them would fail, but Hulst is clearly confident that the approach of making games in lots of different genres will pay off. We'll have to wait and see whether he's right.
This interview was conducted not long after PlayStation acquired Firewalk Studios last month. That acquisition was put into effect to help Sony shore up its live service offerings, and Hulst says acquisition felt like a "natural step" after the two studios had been "working closely" together for a while.
Firewalk's debut title will be developed concurrently for PS5 and PC, but Hulst is playing coy regarding whether or not this will be a regular fixture for Sony going forward. He says that projects will be available concurrently on both platforms "where it makes sense for the game and the studio", and that decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The term "live service" seems to be garnering something of a controversial reputation among the gaming public. While certain live service games, like the aforementioned Fortnite and Destiny 2, remain hugely popular, newer live service projects are often met with derision, especially when there's an expectation that they'll be single-player.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was recently delayed until February next year after its debut gameplay trailer was received less than enthusiastically, for instance, and games like Gotham Knights and Marvel's Avengers have struggled to shore up and maintain player enthusiasm, in part thanks to their live service elements. It remains to be seen whether Sony can truly create a raft of games that heal this divide. Stay tuned for more.
