Sony Schreier: Sony’s Obsession With Blockbusters Is Stirring Unrest Within PlayStation Empire

[Brian]

We get a knack 2 but no days gone 2? Wow

 

[Keyser_Soze]

1 minute ago, ManUtdRedDevils said:

We get a knack 2 but no days gone 2? Wow

 

Well someone who worked there liked it enough to get it a sequel. No one at Sony was outspoken enough for liking Days Gone.

[Bloodporne]

Having just played TLoU for the first time, what, last year or something, I truly have no idea why that game would need a remake considering the resources involved. The Remastered version still looked great to me. "Big blockbusters only" sounds fucking boring to me already if that's where they're headed. 

 

 

[JPDunks4]

Xbox is pushing Game Pass, where their main messaging is they can give their studios more leeway in creativity, and they can take chances on riskier projects because of the format of the Service.  Then these kinds of stories come out about Playstation really doubling down on what they do so well, the big AAA Blockbusters.

 

Seems both of these companies are moving as far away from each other as they've ever been on core focus and strategy.

[Kal-El814]

The last of us ReReMastered... sure lul why not

[SaysWho?]

10 minutes ago, Bloodporne said:

Having just played TLoU for the first time, what, last year or something, I truly have no idea why that game would need a remake considering the resources involved. The Remastered version still looked great to me. "Big blockbusters only" sounds fucking boring to me already if that's where they're headed. 

 

 

 

From the article, this smaller team wanted to start on that since it would be easier and then remake Uncharted 1 since doing UC1 first would take more resources since it requires more quality-of-life updates. Hulst asked why it was more expensive than the other remakes they've done and wasn't convinced that they should do it, so development was handed to Naughty Dog as they work on that and Factions. It's sad, but pitches are turned down a lot, and I can see how it makes sense to salvage a remake of a game that's getting a TV series soon and possibly packaging it with TLOU2. Remaking an older PS2 game, even with QoL updates, may have been a better idea for this small team.

 

Some of this news is concerning to me (replayed Days Gone this year and loved it, wanted a sequel), but I think Schreier could make making a leap with this headline considering they're supporting and pushing games like Ratchet, Returnal (more a AA roguelike), supporting games like Kena and working with smaller developers like Heart Machine, are supporting and expanding ASOBI who have mostly made fun and smaller-budget platformers and Playroom games, and doubled down on their support of Media Molecule since they're profitable and make critically acclaimed games. With the thrust of the article being about this new team trying to remake TLOU1, it seems like kind of a leap that, "Why is this remake so expensive?" is doubling down on nothing but blockbusters.

[Bloodporne]

7 minutes ago, SaysWho? said:

 

From the article, this smaller team wanted to start on that since it would be easier and then remake Uncharted 1 since doing UC1 first would take more resources since it requires more quality-of-life updates. Hulst asked why it was more expensive than the other remakes they've done and wasn't convinced that they should do it, so development was handed to Naughty Dog as they work on that and Factions. It's sad, but pitches are turned down a lot, and I can see how it makes sense to salvage a remake of a game that's getting a TV series soon and possibly packaging it with TLOU2. Remaking an older PS2 game, even with QoL updates, may have been a better idea for this small team.

 

Some of this news is concerning to me (replayed Days Gone this year and loved it, wanted a sequel), but I think Schreier could make making a leap with this headline considering they're supporting and pushing games like Ratchet, Returnal (more a AA roguelike), supporting games like Kena and working with smaller developers like Heart Machine, are supporting and expanding ASOBI who have mostly made fun and smaller-budget platformers and Playroom games, and doubled down on their support of Media Molecule since they're profitable and make critically acclaimed games. With the thrust of the article being about this new team trying to remake TLOU1, it seems like kind of a leap that, "Why is this remake so expensive?" is doubling down on nothing but blockbusters.

Yeah granted, I didn't read the article is exclusively reacted to those tweets. 

[Keyser_Soze]

2 minutes ago, Bloodporne said:

Yeah granted, I didn't read the article

 

You and @b_m_b_m_b_m should grab a beer.

[LazyPiranha]

Sony - “Oh so Microsoft bought Bethesda eh?  Well two can play at that game!  Boy!  How many times has Skyrim been released?  Get Druckmann on the phone...”

[Bloodporne]

5 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

You and @b_m_b_m_b_m should grab a beer.

 

But also, grabbing a beer sounds nice. I'm conflicted. 

[heydude93]

Hate to see it, but it seemed pretty clear from onset that Days Gone's days were always in question, especially with other Sony zombie apocalypse IPs like The Last of Us being so good at what it does.  

 

I genuinely can't remember ANY instance of remake requests for that series though, or Uncharted, so that's weird.

[LazyPiranha]

Same reason it did in the past but with a different background.  People couldn’t afford to own more than one console so they fought about why the console they ended up with was better.

 

Now even if you could afford both consoles, good fucking luck finding one.

[Keyser_Soze]

4 minutes ago, LazyPiranha said:

Now even if you could afford both consoles, good fucking luck finding one.

 

By the time you find one maybe some games will be out for them!

[heydude93]

On 4/9/2021 at 8:42 AM, LazyPiranha said:

Same reason it did in the past but with a different background.  People couldn’t afford to own more than one console so they fought about why the console they ended up with was better.

 

Now even if you could afford both consoles, good fucking luck finding one.

 

Yeah, makes sense. I deleted that post out of worry that it might spark some console war heat over here too, but everyone here knows each other well enough and will probably be better than that (saying this as someone who's bitter about Kojipro possibly heading to xbox! ugh) but yea.

 

Regardless of anyone's preferences, It's starting to look like Sony's repeatedly dumb business practices over the years might be coming full circle.

 

It's going to be interesting to watch play out.  Anyone without a next gen console might want to breathe a sigh of relief.  With Ms buying out so many studios and Sony potentially alienating their own it seems less definite that current gen will be as lopsided towards Sony as it was last time.

[Brian]

[Captain Pickle]

37 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

You and @b_m_b_m_b_m should grab a beer.

But who will pay the bill if no one looks at it?!?!

[LazyPiranha]

15 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

By the time you find one maybe some games will be out for them!

Yeah I truly don’t understand paying scalper prices for a console with five new games on it and very few on the near horizon.

[Captain Pickle]

22 minutes ago, heydude93 said:

 

Yeah, makes sense. I deleted that post out of worry that it might spark some console war heat over here too, but everyone here knows each other well enough and will probably be better than that (saying this as someone who's bitter about Kojipro heading to xbox! ugh) but yea.

 

Regardless of anyone's preferences, It's starting to look like Sony's repeatedly dumb business practices over the years might be coming full circle.

Not sure where I’ll end up.  I’ve really been leaning towards Xbox this go around but will probably end up getting the ps so I can play with my friends that never play.  

[Dre801]

Not shocked. Its the Jim Ryan way.

[crispy4000]

2 hours ago, SaysWho? said:

Some of this news is concerning to me (replayed Days Gone this year and loved it, wanted a sequel), but I think Schreier could make making a leap with this headline considering they're supporting and pushing games like Ratchet, Returnal (more a AA roguelike), supporting games like Kena and working with smaller developers like Heart Machine, are supporting and expanding ASOBI who have mostly made fun and smaller-budget platformers and Playroom games, and doubled down on their support of Media Molecule since they're profitable and make critically acclaimed games. With the thrust of the article being about this new team trying to remake TLOU1, it seems like kind of a leap that, "Why is this remake so expensive?" is doubling down on nothing but blockbusters.

Schierer needed to clarify what Bend is working on next for his premise to land.  Uncharted is a huge property.  You don't just take a team off like that willy nilly.  Is this purported next entry dead now?  What could Bend possibly work on that would, on paper, be bigger?

 

Doesn't add up.  Whatever they do next will make less money than an Uncharted.  Futhermore, they're the most proven studio Sony has with the IP that's not Naughty Dog themselves.

 

Bend would be absorbed and/or stuck on the same project if his narrative held up to scrutiny.

[best3444]

I'm disappointed that there won't be a sequel to Days Gone. I really enjoyed that game and with more polish the sequel would have been awesome.

 

The TLOU remake makes NO sense. Why aren't they focused on upgrading TLOU2 for the PS5? Maybe they are but like a @Bloodporne said above, the remaster for TLOU was perfectly fine and still looks great today. What a waste of resources.

[heydude93]

2 hours ago, Captain Pickle said:

Not sure where I’ll end up.  I’ve really been leaning towards Xbox this go around but will probably end up getting the ps so I can play with my friends that never play.  

 

Sony's in dire need of some multiplayer IPs, that much is for sure.  Why they're remaking the worst Uncharted and a game that still looks perfectly fine and playable seems like an odd priority when IPs like Twisted Metal are collecting dust.

[Keyser_Soze]

1 minute ago, heydude93 said:

 

Sony's in dire need of some multiplayer IPs, that much is for sure.  Why they're remaking the worst Uncharted and a game that still looks perfectly fine seems like an odd priority when IPs like Twisted Metal are collecting dust.

 

New Jet Moto plz

[Bloodporne]

32 minutes ago, Captain Pickle said:

But who will pay the bill if no one looks at it?!?!

Obviously @Keyser_Soze since he's apparently our dad. 

[heydude93]

13 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

New Jet Moto plz

 

Indeed, not to mention Primal, War of the Monsters, Mark of Kri, SOCOM and more.  How none of these classic IPs have been/are being remade or rebooted yet seems pretty baffling at this point.

[Keyser_Soze]

1 minute ago, heydude93 said:

 

Indeed, not to mention Primal, War of the Monsters, Mark of Kri, SOCOM and more.  Why none of these classic IPs are being remade yet seems pretty baffling at this point.

 

Call up @Emblazon and he'll get a sequel to Primal and The Getway going ASAP

[heydude93]

There are rumors of an upcoming Getaway title in the works, so there's that!

[Brian]

 

[crispy4000]

2 hours ago, Bloodporne said:

Having just played TLoU for the first time, what, last year or something, I truly have no idea why that game would need a remake considering the resources involved. The Remastered version still looked great to me. "Big blockbusters only" sounds fucking boring to me already if that's where they're headed.

 

1 hour ago, best3444 said:

The TLOU remake makes NO sense. Why aren't they focused on upgrading TLOU2 for the PS5? Maybe they are but like a @Bloodporne said above, the remaster for TLOU was perfectly fine and still looks great today. What a waste of resources.

 

Don't disagree.  But it's not unprecedented.

 

Perhaps Sony thought repeating Bluepoint's pattern would be okay, because it worked out here.

[best3444]

42 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

 

 

Don't disagree.  But it's not unprecedented.

 

Perhaps Sony thought repeating Bluepoint's pattern would be okay, because it worked out here.

 

Good point. As long as they are also focusing on upgrading TLOU2 for the PS5 it's all good 👍 

[BloodyHell]

I mean, it's working. 

[Phaseknox]

1 hour ago, heydude93 said:

Indeed, not to mention Primal, War of the Monsters, Mark of Kri, SOCOM and more.  How none of these classic IPs have been/are being remade or rebooted yet seems pretty baffling at this point.

I would love a remake/reboot of Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates, or a sequel. The same for Primal as well.

[ShreddieMercury]

Pretty damning piece, though the strategy totally makes sense and I don't think this will hurt them, at least for a while.  It's not just Sony either - gaming in general has become more and more homogeneous and AAA focused.  Not to over generalize, because there have been some exceptional games recently, and the hardware and QOL improvements have made video games as frictionless as they've ever been.  But for the bulk of last generation and up to now, options typically boil down to AAA third-person open world, GAAS with loot/MTX, or indie rogue-lite/metroidvania.  The risk aversion is not just unique to Sony - these are the games that dominate all platforms, all the time,  so you can't blame them for focusing development on what the non-discerning masses are buying.  For me this has meant that I spend more and more time playing older games, which is fine because there are a lifetime's worth of incredible game experiences already available.

 

 

[Phaseknox]

4 minutes ago, ShreddieMercuryRising said:

for the bulk of last generation and up to now, options typically boil down to AAA third-person open world, GAAS with loot/MTX, or indie rogue-lite/metroidvania.  The risk aversion is not just unique to Sony - these are the games that dominate all platforms, all the time,  so you can't blame them for focusing development on what the non-discerning masses are buying.  For me this has meant that I spend more and more time playing older games, which is fine because there are a lifetime's worth of incredible game experiences already available.

I’m 51 years old and have 500+ PS4 games, so I don’t plan on getting a PS5 or Xbox Series X. The PS4 will most likely be the last game console that I own, and I’m perfectly fine with that since I haven’t been all that fond of the direction that gaming has been going in anyway. 

[Guest]

The potential problem with focusing all your resources on big games is you turn into Hollywood. Sure, there are the Disney’s of the world who just hit at such a high clip that they can handle a dud here and there, but you also have the Paramounts and Lionsgates who suddenly have no franchises people seem to care about.

I don’t think Sony is at risk of that any time soon as I’d guess their next entry in their largest franchises will mostly be constrained by the chip shortages ravaging the industry and slowing their ability to grow the PS5 user base.