| G2ThaUNiT said: Really anything is possible in terms of monetizing on PC. From PlayStation's operating system to game development, it was all made on PC, which is a big reason why I think we will one day see either a PC launcher or PSN integration. We've already partially seen that with Helldivers 2. That is true about not starting from scratch, which I know was a big sticking point in Jim Ryan's tenure of "We believe in generations" which I know did upset some, but it was a smart business decision. I definitely agree with you that PC titles are unlikely to elevate PlayStation's tentpole titles. There would certainly be a sizeable playerbase there, but probably wouldn't raise it to RDR2 or The Witcher 3 levels. At the same time though, I wouldn't be surprised if someone in PlayStation leadership is wondering "what if" they did. Helldivers 2, while being a multiplayer game, may have someone wonder what if they tested the waters and put one of their tentpole releases on PC same day as console. Only time will tell, but I woud be shocked if it's not at least being considered. I wasn't aware of Sony recognizing the issue of the ballooning budgets, but after 5 years, why would that only be coming to a head now? Games like Spider-Man 2 would've been very early in development. They couldn't have recognized beforehand what kind of budget would be needed? |
I'm sure PC can be monetized, but that's really only if you have a storefront, and if its anything like the Epic Games Store, its going to take nearly a decade to even be profitable.
Shawn Layden mentioned ballooning budgets back in 2019, so I'm sure it was known among PlayStation leadership at that time, but I would attribute the budgets getting out of hand with Sony giving their developers a lot of freedom. Totoki did mention something like this during the financial report, and how creatives didn't understand the financial side of things. Perhaps some things can't be helped with how long development cycles are as well. IIRC, developer salaries are a major reason why game development is as high as it is.
