playstation plus, Sony’s new subscription service, was made official today after a long wait. It aims to rival Xbox Game Pass, although there is one aspect in particular that raises doubts about its success. we talked about it top-tier games will not arrive on the platform at the same time as their physical and digital release.
Opinions on the subject are divided. While some analysts consider PlayStation’s determination a big mistake, as it lacks the ability to match an option that is available in the Microsoft service, others believe the Japanese bet has its own merits to pay off. for all modes.
And Sony has its justification as to why it’s not a good thing that its AAA titles are available day one on PlayStation Plus. In an interview with games industry, jim ryanpresident and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, explained his company’s position on the matter.
It feels like we’re in a nice virtuous circle with the studios, where investment brings success, which allows even more investment, which brings even more success. We love this cycle and we think our players do too. Putting our own games on this service – or any of our services – after launch, as you know, is not a path we’ve traveled in the past. And that’s not a path we’re going to follow with this new service. [PlayStation Plus]. We thought if we did that with PlayStation Studios games, that virtuous cycle would be broken. The level of investment we need for our studios would not be possible, and we believe the effect this would have on the quality of the games we make would not be something gamers would want.
Jim Ryan on the absence of AAA games since they launched on PlayStation Plus
New AAA games won’t be on PlayStation Plus on day one
Beyond Ryan’s statements about how releasing top-tier games on PlayStation Plus could negatively affect the quality of future titles, Sony does not rule out changing its mind in the future. The manager indicated that the publication model used by the company makes this possibility unfeasible in the short term; however, he assured that the story could change overnight.
“Who would have thought four years ago that PlayStation’s AAA intellectual property would be released on PC? […] We’ve had great reviews and great commercial success, and everyone has made peace with it and is completely comfortable. […] So at this point I don’t want to write anything in stone.”
Either way, Sony will have to work hard to get the public interested in PlayStation Plus subscriptions; especially in Extra and Premium, which are the ones that offer a differential compared to Essential, which maintains what PS Plus currently offers. In addition, the goal will be to increase the user base starting with those who already have a subscription to Playstation now.
Let’s not forget that this last service, which will stop working on its own when the new PlayStation Plus is released, today it’s only 5% of all PlayStation users. Indeed, its scope is very limited; After all, it’s only available in 19 markets: Japan, the United States, Canada, and 16 European countries, including Spain. In return, it is estimated that the Xbox Game Pass reaches 40% of Microsoft console users.
Of course, Sony hopes its offerings will be attractive enough for current PlayStation Plus users (around 48 million worldwide) to upgrade to Extra or Premium after launch. However, while some of the most sought-after features of the most expensive subscription, like the ability to stream PS4 games, are limited to territories where PlayStation Now operates, it won’t be so easy. And we will also have to see how attractive the variant is Luxury which will be presented in selected markets.
For now, the new PlayStation Plus will debut next June with a regionalized launch. It will arrive first in Asia and later in North America, Europe and other territories. According to Ryan, his company’s intention is to reach virtually every PlayStation Network market by the end of the year.