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Forums - Sony Discussion - Sony's Head of 13 Dev Studios Discusses the Future of Playstation

Pemalite said:

Is the US internet infrastructure so bad that only those in big cities have semi-decent internet with capable upload bandwidth for streaming?
Isn't VDSL or Fixed wireless with 5Mbps uploads or more a thing even for more regional areas?

I get that Sony doesn't want to make the jump until everyone can get onboard, but you might as well plant the seeds for streaming now and get your infrastructure ready for prime time.

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In saying that... Sonys efforts on the games front I am completely happy with, they have been smashing it out of the park, whether they want more or less exclusives... Doesn't matter. - I can't really criticize their efforts until they actually start dropping the ball on that front.

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E3 to me is still an important avenue to me though. Sad they have pulled out, but it is what it is... It's generally the only time I really... And I mean really pay attention to console gaming news.

I feel that Sony have planted the seeds through Now and Vue, and are refining these while being pragmatic about the time scale.



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the-pi-guy said:
Pemalite said:

Is the US internet infrastructure so bad that only those in big cities have semi-decent internet with capable upload bandwidth for streaming?
Isn't VDSL or Fixed wireless with 5Mbps uploads or more a thing even for more regional areas?

I get that Sony doesn't want to make the jump until everyone can get onboard, but you might as well plant the seeds for streaming now and get your infrastructure ready for prime time.

From the FCC,

https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/broadband-progress-reports/2018-broadband-deployment-report

"Approximately 92% of the population has access to both fixed terrestrial services at 25 Mbps/3 Mbps and mobile LTE at speeds of 5 Mbps/1 Mbps. In rural areas, 68.6% of Americans have access to both services, as opposed to 97.9% of Americans in urban areas. With respect to fixed 25 Mbps/3 Mbps and 10 Mbps/3 Mbps LTE services, 85.3% of all Americans have access to such services, including 61% in evaluated rural areas and 89.8% in evaluated urban areas."

 

And to be honest, I find this report to be more positive about the US's internet providers than I thought it has been.

"The U.S. ranked 10th out of 28 countries for download speed, 7th out of 29 for fixed broadband price (using the fixed hedonic price index), and 10th out of 29 for mobile broadband price (again, using the fixed hedonic price index)."

That is actually better than I realized.

And is actually far up the list compared to even my own nation.



--::{PC Gaming Master Race}::--

Streaming is too early for Sony because they dont have the infrastructure (yet) There competitor does and wouldnt require you living in the main parts of the world or big cities.

I find there statement alittle premature especally when PSNow made a small fortune for them last year in very limited countries. So in other words, Streaming is too early because they cannot do it worldwide and have no plans on renting out Amazon, Azure or Google servers.

As for there E3 comment.. good to see there looking after the retailers and not there fans on this one (Sarcasm) because thats exactly what it sounds like. With that thinking than Xbox and Nintendo should drop out because retailers. This sounds more like "We at Sony dont have anything new to show this year and due to our last event being average, we no longer want to compete at E3.

Last edited by Azzanation - on 11 February 2019

Abo

Cerebralbore101 said:
flashfire926 said:

Sony's strategy of fewer, but bigger/better games has paid off dividends this generation. The startof the gen was a bit iffy, but after The Order came out Sony have delivered several hits in a row. Unprecedented success.

Well, unless you live in a big a city, streaming isnt too viable. That's very true. However, most people live in urban areas (a percentage that's increasing rapidly), so that does mean it would be viable for most, right?

Their E3 comment makes me wonder if they're ditching E3 altogether, rather than just taking a one-year leave. Interesting.

Yeah, the Order 1886, Killzone Shadowfall, and a few other early PS4 exclusives were good, but not console movers. I think he's trying to go from less games of that caliber to more games of the God of War, TLoU, Horizon caliber. 

I don't think that population transition will be relevant and complete until 2030. So up until then local based hardware will still be the majority, and not streaming. Not to mention that is net neutrality remains dead in the U.S. it could mean being charged insane prices by ISPs just to stream your games. 

If Sony ditched E3, that would basically be it for the event. Nintendo just releases a Direct, and sometimes those directs aren't very good, like last year. That would just leave MS as the only E3 attendee out of the big 3. But MS is rapidly becoming the distant 3rd place console maker. Sony and Nintendo are crushing them in sales these days. 

Im so sick and tired of seeing “Nintendo ditched E3”. In the expo, they have the second biggest booth. The only thing that changed is the format of their presentation. Nintendo is still by all means an attendee, and not having a live audience press conference doesnt change that.

Yeah, I think we still have 10 years or so until streaming becomes significant. So 2030 sounds about right (maybe 2028-2029 imo, but close enough)



Bet with Intrinsic:

The Switch will outsell 3DS (based on VGchartz numbers), according to me, while Intrinsic thinks the opposite will hold true. One month avatar control for the loser's avatar.

flashfire926 said:

Abo

Cerebralbore101 said:

Yeah, the Order 1886, Killzone Shadowfall, and a few other early PS4 exclusives were good, but not console movers. I think he's trying to go from less games of that caliber to more games of the God of War, TLoU, Horizon caliber. 

I don't think that population transition will be relevant and complete until 2030. So up until then local based hardware will still be the majority, and not streaming. Not to mention that is net neutrality remains dead in the U.S. it could mean being charged insane prices by ISPs just to stream your games. 

If Sony ditched E3, that would basically be it for the event. Nintendo just releases a Direct, and sometimes those directs aren't very good, like last year. That would just leave MS as the only E3 attendee out of the big 3. But MS is rapidly becoming the distant 3rd place console maker. Sony and Nintendo are crushing them in sales these days. 

Im so sick and tired of seeing “Nintendo ditched E3”. In the expo, they have the second biggest booth. The only thing that changed is the format of their presentation. Nintendo is still by all means an attendee, and not having a live audience press conference doesnt change that.

Yeah, I think we still have 10 years or so until streaming becomes significant. So 2030 sounds about right (maybe 2028-2029 imo, but close enough)

Yeah, I thought about that too. You beat me to the edit. 



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I disagree that BR is a fad. It's a new game mode here to stay, just like team death match, search and destroy, domination, free for all, capture the flag or conquest.

If only zipper were still around. They could have done an awesome Socom BR.

Regarding PSX this year. They be better off delaying it to spring 2020 to announce the PS5.



Net Neutrality is dead in the U.S. By 2030 ISPs will be price gouging people left and right. Especially for streaming speeds. 

I really don't like the idea of paying $120 a month on internet just so I can have speeds fast enough to play games on whatever streaming service replaces home hardware. 



AngryLittleAlchemist said:

In theory I like the idea of making games of a higher quality, but I don't like that he hints towards there being less games. If we're only talking about Sony's first party studios, then their output was already pretty bare in the first couple of years of the Playstation 4's life. My biggest worry though is that creating less games but spending more time on them means they potentially have to focus less on niche products, because the longer it takes to make a game the more it costs, and the more it costs the larger its potential demographic has to be. This could lead to less experimentation, less unique products, and less innovation. I'm at a point where I'd rather an interesting game with some flaws than a creatively dull game that's technically and commercially proficient, that's probably why I think The Last Guardian was one of my most memorable Playstation 4 experiences. 

There are however a few positive counter-points to this: 

-The gaming industry is constantly getting bigger from a software sales perspective 

-Games like God of War and Monster Hunter have shown that marketing can play a major factor in the growth of niche franchises (not that they were ever the most niche franchises ... but ... you get it)

-Sony has a new huge studio in Bend Studios

-PixelOpus is able to create a game like Concrete Genie despite being one of Sony's smallest development studios

-Sony gets a lot of benefit out of owning IPs or licenses even if they don't own the studios (Ratchet & Clank, Spider-Man, Until Dawn, etc.) 

-They have continually supported niche efforts in Japan Studios and VR games 

Although to be fair to the last point, it remains to be seen if they will allow Japan Studios to make projects as ambitious as TLG or Gravity Rush again. Supporting niche VR titles comes more from a future proofing perspective I think then one of supporting niche games in general. You have to push an unknown product to make it sell after all, and that's not necessarily true for consoles. 

If we are to be honest though.... sony has pretty much remained constant with their output all generation. Contrary to what most think.

  • 2013 - Killzone, Knack (2)
  • 2014 - Driveclub, Infamous (2)
  • 2015 - BloodBorne, The Order, Until Dawn (3)
  • 2016 - The last Guardian, Uncharted 4 (2)
  • 2017 - GT Sport, Gravity Rush 2, Horizon, Knack 2 (4)
  • 2018 - Detroit, GOW, Spiderman (3)   
I didnt add Remakes, Remasters, PSN only games, Published exclusives (eg NiOH), VR games and the annual MLB games. 
So yeah, sony kinda releases an average of 3 major games a year.
I think what he"s saying is that he would prefer they have only 2 releases a year where each game is selling like 10M copies than have 3 where only one sells like 10M copies and the other two sell like 5M each
And I don think we have any reason to doubt what kinda games sony makes or supports. They have 4 generations of ding that under their belt..... and even stuck with their guns when everyone was saying single player is dead...


Bloodborne, Ratchet and Clank, The Last Guardian, Uncharted 4, Gravity Rush2, Horizon, God of War, Detriot, SOTC, Spiderman, Days Gone

I approve!



Intrinsic said:
AngryLittleAlchemist said:

In theory I like the idea of making games of a higher quality, but I don't like that he hints towards there being less games. If we're only talking about Sony's first party studios, then their output was already pretty bare in the first couple of years of the Playstation 4's life. My biggest worry though is that creating less games but spending more time on them means they potentially have to focus less on niche products, because the longer it takes to make a game the more it costs, and the more it costs the larger its potential demographic has to be. This could lead to less experimentation, less unique products, and less innovation. I'm at a point where I'd rather an interesting game with some flaws than a creatively dull game that's technically and commercially proficient, that's probably why I think The Last Guardian was one of my most memorable Playstation 4 experiences. 

There are however a few positive counter-points to this: 

-The gaming industry is constantly getting bigger from a software sales perspective 

-Games like God of War and Monster Hunter have shown that marketing can play a major factor in the growth of niche franchises (not that they were ever the most niche franchises ... but ... you get it)

-Sony has a new huge studio in Bend Studios

-PixelOpus is able to create a game like Concrete Genie despite being one of Sony's smallest development studios

-Sony gets a lot of benefit out of owning IPs or licenses even if they don't own the studios (Ratchet & Clank, Spider-Man, Until Dawn, etc.) 

-They have continually supported niche efforts in Japan Studios and VR games 

Although to be fair to the last point, it remains to be seen if they will allow Japan Studios to make projects as ambitious as TLG or Gravity Rush again. Supporting niche VR titles comes more from a future proofing perspective I think then one of supporting niche games in general. You have to push an unknown product to make it sell after all, and that's not necessarily true for consoles. 

If we are to be honest though.... sony has pretty much remained constant with their output all generation. Contrary to what most think.

 

  • 2013 - Killzone, Knack (2)
  • 2014 - Driveclub, Infamous (2)
  • 2015 - BloodBorne, The Order, Until Dawn (3)
  • 2016 - The last Guardian, Uncharted 4 (2)
  • 2017 - GT Sport, Gravity Rush 2, Horizon, Knack 2 (4)
  • 2018 - Detroit, GOW, Spiderman (3)   
I didnt add Remakes, Remasters, PSN only games, Published exclusives (eg NiOH), VR games and the annual MLB games. 
So yeah, sony kinda releases an average of 3 major games a year.
I think what he"s saying is that he would prefer they have only 2 releases a year where each game is selling like 10M copies than have 3 where only one sells like 10M copies and the other two sell like 5M each
And I don think we have any reason to doubt what kinda games sony makes or supports. They have 4 generations of ding that under their belt..... and even stuck with their guns when everyone was saying single player is dead...

 

I think he means he's going to delay games like the bolded in order to make them better. The bolded games range from good to great, but they are not system sellers. I think Gravity Rush 2 hasn't even hit 1 million yet. And who the heck decided to buy a PS4 based on Knack? 

Oh and actual PS4 exclusives including remakes/remasters, and 3rd party support, blows most of the competition out of the water. But that's a thread I'll be saving for 2020 when the current gen finally ends. 

Last edited by Cerebralbore101 - on 11 February 2019