Sony turned a lack of Exclusive Multiplayer Games to a Strategic Play...

[forevercloud3000]

Via VGChartz numbers.

• Destiny 1: PS4 Sold 6million copies (in comparison to XB1 3.5million)
• Destiny 2: PS4 Sold 4million copies(in comparison to XB1 2million)
• COD BLOPS3: PS4 sold 15million (XB1 7.5million)
• COD WWII: PS4 Sold 13million(XB1 6million)
• GTAV: PS4 sold 18.5million (XB1  8million)
• Overwatch: PS4 sold 4.5million (XB1 2.5million)

This shows a pretty consistent pattern of big MP games with Sony co-marketing selling double or more to the competition. That is just money in the bank, in a situation Sony paid a fraction of the cost of internal game development.

Now to look at internal exclusive endevours....

• Killzone Shadow Fall: PS4 sold 3million
• Killzone 3: PS3 sold 3million.
• Uncharted 4: PS4 sold 10million
• Uncharted 3: PS3 sold 7million
• The Last of Us /Remastered: PS4/PS3  sold 13million (PS4 is 6.41)
• Halo 5: XB1 sold 5million
• Halo 3: 360 sold 13million
• Halo MCC: XB1 sold 3.5million
• Gears of War: 3.5million
• Gears of War 3: 360 sold 6million

What this shows is Sony's big MP attempts were not successful(in comparison to Microsoft's). MS was at the top of their game with big Multiplayer shooters in 360 era, but found stiff competition  in this gen by 3rd parties, huge drops in their signature series userbase. The XB1 release performance is still good, where they will make money on the game and the microtransactions/DLC.  For all Halo and Gears of War's success you do have to think their cost dwarfs what co marketing costs, which neuters their value.

-

Meanwhile Playstation's signature story driven games are thriving. Uncharted and TLOU are over 10million, both have online components but realistically they are not what is appealing to audiences. . At best they both might have garnered 10% of their fanbase playing the online components but definitely not now in face of all the Third Party offerings. There Killzone series unfortunately has shown no growth, which wasn't good. It is a no brainer why they had GG shift to Horizon which benefits just like all their other games by not be Multiplayer centered, 7+ million for a new IP.

---------

Yet.....I still think the linchpin holding this strategy together is Third Party and Sony is well aware you cannot entirely depend on them. If they lost their comarketing deals next gen, and/or are not market leader by a huge sum to make the trade off worthwhile, it will be a problem. I think they need to have an almost assured Exclusive MP title on standby for such a situation.