There have been terrible decisions this generation. Let’s put things in context. I am not saying that any company is better than any other or that you should seemingly leave your library based on these decisions that Sony is making. One thing is for sure is that since the new leadership was put in place and ever since this generation started there have been these epicentre of failures.
The brand is suffering, a while ago I wrote an article about how PlayStation was losing its soul. It has lost everything that made the PS4 era so damn popular. It actually had a leadership team that got what its fanbase wanted. The euphoria from that and its comeback on decisions that Microsoft made back in the day. It was a real reason why they ‘won’ the console sale numbers.
Rising PlayStation Studios costs and even their lack of new IP. It’s been sequel after sequel with their mainline franchises. Taking out the equation of course all the good stuff they’re doing elsewhere. They’ve done a horrible job of not being able to ‘read the room’. Yet, the PlayStation 5 era is the most profitable it has ever been and every negative that I am talking to you about now ‘it’s just noise’. The thing about noise though, when it starts to get louder, you then start to get a crowd, once that happens it turns into a stadium of people that think that maybe the issue is with the company itself.
Another thing that has absolutely killed the hype is that the competition is just not there now. We do have Nintendo, but can you class them as competition when their hardware isn’t even on the same level? So everyone’s looking at Xbox, but with your library of games stuck in the PlayStation ecosystem.
You’re stuck. You made your choice years ago and on that basis your mind is set on the brand of your choice. To what end? Nickel and diming in every regard. Something has to change, Sony will have to open up their ecosystem in the same way so that their software is no longer gated.
It just has to happen. Otherwise, why wouldn’t Microsoft and PC not be a solution people aren’t worth considering? Yes, Sony has tied up some ‘timed’ exclusive deals of late. However, that’s only going to last so long before people start to recognise that as anti-consumer.
PlayStation fans deserve not to have their software gated to the hardware. Eventually there may come a point where they follow in the steps of Microsoft there. When? Who knows, but it’s definitely coming. In fact, the transfer of digital licenses or even the change-over to a new console entirely. Should be as easy as transferring your music from one music service to another. There should never be this lock. Our digital licenses should be exchangeable wherever that is possible for other versions of consoles of those same games.
How long can Sony live on their PS4 popularity? Let me answer that question for you now. Infinitely, because of the way their ecosystem is. If consoles are just PC’s in essence, then eventually things are going to need to change there. Licensing needs to become simpler and more exchangeable for other versions when gaming fans become absolutely disappointed in what their chosen platform is doing.
Is this technically possible? Maybe not now within what PlayStation is doing. However, the multi-platform approach is becoming more a step where we reach that possibility. I personally think it will be but whether it comes to fruition is another thing entirely.
Microsoft so far has gotten its open ecosystem very right. With Steam dropping into the equation. It’s interesting where the industry takes us. But maybe, if you’re a visionary, you see the point I am trying to make.
Written by Craig Clark
From gaming industry headlines to all things Manchester United and entertainment, Craig covers the stories everyone's talking about — alongside his own published works.