Im going to try to make this as quick as possible. When it comes to Playstation Studios, i personally like the approach Sony has already been taking. I like them focusing on the smaller devs instead of High profile Publishers.

I don’t want them to just bring in any old studio. I want to see some freshness being brought in. We want new experiences. Older franchises are good but we want newer games to define the current times were in.

Also, there’s a certain level of quality that has to come with these Studios. We don’t want Studios coming in and producing 5 out of 10 games under “Playstation Studios”. 8/10 will do. It’s closer in line with where Playstation Studios as a whole are at. We’ll use Metacritic as a good metric to determine if a Developer can produce Quality

Sony had to gut SCEJ a while back because they ultimately weren’t producing much and were kind of just sitting there. i hated to see that but it was DEFINITELY needed. Something HAD to be done to make room to bring in some NEW blood

lets jump straight into it to see who lines up to be a member of Playstation Studios and who seems to already low-key be on that path

CyberAgent(Cygames)

CyberAgent(Cygames) are the Japanese developers behind JRPG "Gran Blue Fantasy"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p10AY1UZeOU

They work close with Sony and Gran Blue definitely “LOOKS” of quality. If Cygames can break the 80+ mark on Metacritic with Gran Blue Fantasy Relink, this Dev will solidify itself with being a PERFECT key to restrengthening The Japanese side of Playstation Studios. The JRPG is an area where Playstation Studios currently has an absent presence since SCEJ was restructured. 

Again, if they can produce an 80+ meta with Gran Blue, They would be a great addition alongside Polyphony Digital & Team Asobi

We will find out Feb 1st 2024

Arrowhead(Helldivers)

Arrowhead is the developers behind Tactical 3rd Person Cooperative Action Shooter “Helldivers 2”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqCxyt5QRSg

Arrowhead is a Studio that is close with Sony and has already Proven that they are a Developer Capable of producing quality with their game "Helldivers 1" making an 80 on Metacritic. I also love that there seems to be a bit of ambition present at Arrowhead when looking at the jump from Helldivers 1 to Helldivers 2.

 This game looks a slight bit like the 1st “Lost Planet” and a dash of “Star Hawk”.

hopefully its actually challenging and you have to exert some strategical effort to take these Giant bugs down

If Arrowhead can break 80 again on Metacritic with Helldivers 2, then this Developer has DEFINITELY earned its spot within Playstation Studios. The Tactical Cooperative Shooter is an area where Playstation Studios has an absent presence and Arrowhead could fill that void.

Helldivers 2 releases February 8, 2024 so if it hits an 80+ Meta, I think Arrowhead is going to be the VERY NEXT Developer Sony Acquires, honestly. That's IF Sony doesn't reveal another acquired Developer between now and Feb 8th 2024

Hypergryph(Popucom)

Hypergryph is the Chinese developer behind the upcoming 3D 4-Player Co-Op Fantasy Adventure game “Popucom”. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCQeghkYTZ4

They are working close with Sony and the game is coming to Playstation Home Consoles and PC. The reason Popucom catches my eye is because my girlfriend likes to get on the game with me at times. We tried a numerous number of games together but the few that we REALLY stuck with and gravitate to are “Overcooked”, “Unraveled”, “It Takes 2”, “Mario Kart 8” and “Mario Party Superstars”(She’s also really good at Parappa The Rapper & Cuphead, oddly enough).

From what i see, Popucom “looks” to have some Quality to it in its own way and If Hypergryph can solidify that with producing at least an 80 or above on metacritic, then this Developer would fit PERFECTLY within Playstation Studios with their expertise in the Couch Co Op adventures side of the gaming spectrum. This too is an area where Playstation Studios currently has an absent presence

Loong Force(Convallaria)

Loong Force is the Chinese developer behind multiplayer third-person action shooter “Convallaria”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe7Kn9QwMpE

They are working close with Sony and are apart of the “Playstation China Hero Project”

This game is being published by Sony and i think i can “see” the same spark within this Developer that Sony see’s. At the moment, i don’t think that Loong Force is ready to be apart of Playstation Studios yet but i definitely see the possible potential here.

If Convallaria can produce a Meta in the 70’s, I think it’s safe to stick by them and see what they can produce with the 2nd game. If their next project looks of Quality behind closed doors, publish it to give them another opportunity to create another world without worrying about resources and finances, then we can see if they can produce Quality again. 

If their 2nd game can produce an 80+ Meta, It won’t be as questionable if they’re ready to be apart of Playstation Studios. Loong Force and Sony would help break those chains in the Chinese gaming market

This is a Developer to keep an eye on

Larian Studios(Baldurs Gate)

Larian is the Developers(small publisher) behind RPG "Baldurs Gate 3".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgTFtD2sHdE

This Developer seems to be working somewhat close with Sony lately. Playstation 5 is the only Home Console that this game is out on right now as of me typing this

The last 3 releases from this Developer have all been able to break 80+ on Metacritic. Divinity Original Sin 2014(88), Divinity Original Sin 2 2018(92), Baldurs Gate 3 9/6/2023(96). This is a more than proven Developer

This game kinda looks similar in league to something like “Diablo” and a bit of “Dragon Age”

This certain style of RPG that Larian makes is an absent presence in Playstation Studios and would be an EXCELLENT addition to the Playstation Studios Family

UltiZero Games(Lost Soul Aside)

UltiZero is the Chinese Developer behind the action role-playing game “Lost Soul Aside”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUpfaHrR8Yk

They are working close with Sony and are apart of the “Playstation China Hero Project”

This game is being published by Sony and I “see” something here at UltiZero but i don’t think they’re ready to be apart of Playstation Studios just yet. The game looks DAMN good BUT the world looks a bit… empty? It looks like a tech demo game where it’s just there to show off the graphics in the early years of a console's cycle. I could be wrong though

It’s obvious that Sony “see’s” something at Ultizero aswell but the best approach here is to probably see how “Lost Soul Aside” does, then see what they start cooking up on their next project. During development, if the game looks promising, then maybe they can be considered to join Playstation Studios just like how Haven and Firewalk did.

Ultizero being apart of PSStudios will further help put Chinese talent on the map and will help grow the gaming world by convincing China that maybe there doesn’t need to be as many gaming restrictions there

This is another Developer to keep an eye on

Ballistic Moon(Until Dawn Remake)

Ballistic Moon is the English Developer behind the interactive drama horror game “Until Dawn Remake”

They are working close with Sony. Sony is also published the project. The 1st thing that makes me excited about this studio is the fact that Ballistic Moon comprises of individuals who worked on games such the original “Until Dawn”, “Heavy Rain”, and “House Of The Dead ”.

This Studio making a remake of Until Dawn is the PERFECT Introduction for Ballistic Moon.

2nd, When the original game(Until Dawn) released on PS4, My Girlfriend actually watched me play this game all the way through without looking away or being distracted by her phone. She was actually engaged in the plot even though i was the one playing. Granted, it was my 2nd playthrough so i knew where everything was.

This certain “Interactive” style of game is a SURPRISINGLY odd absent presence within “Playstation Studios”.

When “Until Dawn Remake” is released and after seeing what they cook up for their 2nd project, If the game can break the 80+ mark on metacritic, Ballistic Moon would be the PERFECT, long-overdue, puzzle piece to join “Playstation Studios”

Shift Up(Stellar Blade)

Shift Up is the South Korean Developer behind the upcoming Action-Adventure game "Stellar Blade"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayek3ZzWb1E

They are working close with Sony and may well possibly be the first South Korean talent to become apart of Playstation Studios

This game is being published by Sony and “LOOKS” of Quality but we won’t know for sure until its release. If it breaks 80+, Shift Up is DEFINITELY a worthy South Korean Developer capable of being apart of the Playstation Studios Family

South Korea is a gaming market with LOADS of potential and talent waiting to be discovered and brought to life.

Shift Up being apart of PSStudios will be their first South Korean Developer. A “Playstation SouthKorea Hero Project” would help expand that market and might be able to produce atleast 2 more potential Developers worthy of joining Playstation Studios

miHoYo(HoYoverse)

miHoYo is the Chinese Developer behind RPG "Genshin Impact" and "Honkai Starrail"

Genshin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw_cglJHnFY

Honkai

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb0SMjd60uc

They work close with Sony and although Genshin was a bit stuttery on PS4 for me, i enjoyed it on PS5 and was smooth.

miHoYo has already proven themselves of being a Quality Developer. Both Genshin and Honkai are 80+ Metacritic certified

imo, i almost look at Mihoyo as a young “Square Enix” of china but of its own unique way and style. We all know how strict China has been on gaming BUT i think Sony is the company that could help alleviate those restrictions. Tencent is there but i don’t think they were really extending their hand out to potential talent to help them be seen until Sony did, correct me if I'm wrong. i just see them buying random studios.

Sony has already seemingly been the leaders of expanding the chinese gaming market with the “Playstation China Hero Project” program starting back in 2016.

They have already brought global attention to chinese gaming talent with titles such as TiGames’s “F.I.S.T Forged In Shadow” and Thinking Stars’s “Anno Mutationem”.

during their expansion, i think maybe 2 or 3 of these chinese developers could be worthy of joining the “Playstation Studio” Family.

Chinese Devs being under the Playstation brand only solidifies the fact that the gaming market as a whole will expand in China and because of China.

miHoYo is a PERFECT Chinese Developer to join Playstation Studios

Sloclap(Sifu)

Sloclap is the developer behind 3D Beat Em Up "Sifu"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy-enf5xxgQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy-enf5xxgQ

They are close with Sony and Sifu debuted on Playstation home consoles and PC

SIFU was fun and challenging and i pretty much ran through it before the updates that made it optional to adjust the difficulty. This game shows how a 3D beat em up should be done and how it can be both commercially and financially successful

Sifu broke the 80 mark on Metacritic so they have shown that there is some quality within this developer. I think with their next game, if they produce an 80+ again, this dev would be a WONDERFUL fit within Playstation Studios.

Their 3D Beat Em Up style brings back that slight old school arcade/adventure Playstation feel that games had back then like Tekken 3 PS1, Frogger PS1, And the Crash Bandicoots PS1

as you can see, China might be the new Japan 2.0.

but guess what?

..and

^^ India is next up and is already underway. A Playstation SouthKorea Hero Project is rumored to be on the way. I can't wait to see the talent and Ideas that come out of India and South Korea. ;)

Lastly, this is for competitive purposes only. Big Publishers are seemingly being bought up. i understand that Sony is under some pressure and has competitors that have deep pockets. Sony would be foolish to compete with them directly in that area. Sony has to be strategic with this if they DO decide to go the big-publisher-route

There’s only 1 Publisher that would be the smart strategical choice for Sony. Who is that you ask?

Take Two

Sony has to get Take Two.

The Competitors have Blizzard which has the Highest selling single FPS in gaming HISTORY known as “Overwatch”.

They have Activison which has the highest selling FPS franchise in gaming history known as "Call Of Duty"

They also have Mojang who makes the HIGHEST SELLING GAME OF ALL TIME known as “Minecraft”

Sony has to ATLEAST get GTA. GTA is the 2nd highest selling game of all time. 2nd only to Minecraft

I like for competitors be be COMPETITIVE. I don’t want them to just buy their way to COMPLETE dominance.

"IF" Sony decides to jump in on a High profile Publisher, they have to Get “Take Two” and give them the “Bungie” deal. Put them under "Sony" but NOT in “Playstation Studios”. With that deal, Take Two would still be Multiplatform and could be used as leverage to make sure games like “Call Of Duty” and “Overwatch” are on PS consoles AFTER 10 years. If any Call Of Duty releases and isn’t on Playstation, that would be the green light to make sure the next GTA only comes out on Playstation as a timed exclusive or outright exclusive. I can see a Sony acquirement of Take Two bringing balance in this area

There is a 10 year deal to keep Call Of Duty on Playstation so Sony has a cool 10 years to make the funds to get “Take Two” without them breaking the bank.

Sony’s competitors can’t buy another Publisher right now. They will get stopped. They need Sony to acquire one also for them(the competitor) to be able to acquire one again without being stopped.

Sony has to be strategic because, based off recent events, i now believe Nintendo is going to eventually get acquired. Competitors are already buttering up Nintendo as we speak and they’ve said it themselves according to leaked documents. Nintendo even responded and seemed sorta… “open” to it when they used to be against it.

Sony has to get their ducks in order.

The competitors are playing Chess not checkers. If Sony decides to go for Big Publishers, They have to get Take Two.

but enough of the Publisher and Take Two talk, I believe all of these smaller Developers would bring their own Unique Strengths to Playstation Studios but what are your thoughts?

Do you agree? Disagree? Would these Developers be useless to the Playstation Family? Or would they all be unique pieces to the Playstation puzzle?

Are there other Developers out there that could fit or make sense?

Let me know in the comments below

From the ones above I could see Sony going for Mihoyo, just to have another life service succes. All the others aren't really great options or not feasible for Sony. They could just moneyhat some of their games instead of buying the studio/publisher. Larian doesn't want to be bought and 2K is way too big.

Nintendo and Take2 definitely cost way to much for Sony to buy. Nintendo alone would probably cost as much if not more then actiblizz.

I see what you're saying about T2 but I don't think Sony can get close to affording them. Also, I really don't think Microsoft, or anybody else, will buy Nintendo. Nintendo are so successful on their own, have bags of cash for rainy days, and are ofc Japanese so they probably don't wann be bought by a foreign company (just how it is).

Speaking about Japanese studios, that's where I think Sony ought to strengthen. With Jim Ryan going, I hope and think Sony will end their anti-Japanese stances they've taken recently. Buying one of the major Japanese devs like Square, Capcom, Sega/Atlus, Fromsoft, or even Konami for the IP, would be a move that would really diversify their 1st party line-up and the strength of their presence in their home market.

And yes, I do also think they should continue to acquire smaller, talented devs when the opportunities arise.

Finally, I would strengthen their China and India strategies. Maybe even open up a full fledged studio in Beijing or Shanghai if possible. Maybe Korea is an option to open a studio in too?

No one. Stop this bullshit of wanting monopolies.

I don't think Larian and Sony have a good synergy. Larian games are very PC-centric and they are good with them.


While I believe Sony needs more strength in their JP output I can't think a single smaller JP studio to be worth it. Japan is a market where the relevant studios seems to be under a big publisher like Sega, Konami, Bandai, Square, Capcom...

Maybe they can buy From Software but I don't see the point, From Software is pretty big already

From Software is already owned by a company.

They should be doing everything they can to get Larian, they need wrpgs, microsoft is buying everyone that makes them. You bet your ass microsoft if they can they will buy larian and cdproject. Then Sony will have nothing in this genre.

They dont need to make them exclusive to ps consoles. They should release them in pc at the same time because the market is bigger for rpgs on pc.

Unfortunately, Sony is going to buy someone who does multiplatforms and will make their games exclusive to PlayStation. It remains to be seen who.
It will be funny to see the complaints from the hypocrites who defended the acquisition of ABK.

Anyway, it would be great for this industry if sony keeps doing their classic move. Buy small studio with talent and turn it in something big and new, making new IPs.

Sadly this may not be a option. The wise and safe move is to buy something like Capcom or make deals that will turn games in exclusives.

I don't think Jim Ryan was the reason why Sony had "anti-Japanese stances". 

PC is one of Sony's priorities for growth. 

Sony already owns 14.5% of From Software and I think like 1.5% of the parent company.