Interesting insights from PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst regarding Sony’s live service strategy. During a recent fireside chat for investors, Hulst emphasized that the live service market remains a “great opportunity” for PlayStation, acknowledging their “patchy track record” but asserting a clear path forward.
Last year saw challenges, including the swift launch and subsequent shuttering of the hero shooter Concord, followed by the closure of developer Firewalk. Earlier this year, two more live service titles were scrapped from Bluepoint Games and Bend Studio, with recent layoffs confirmed at Bend as they transition to a new project.
However, Hulst insists that PlayStation has learned hard lessons from these experiences. Speaking specifically about Bungie’s upcoming live service shooter, Marathon, he expressed confidence in its potential for success.
“We’ve had some early successes as with Helldivers II. We’ve also faced some challenges, as with the release of Concord,” Hulst stated. He elaborated that while “really good work” went into Concord, it “entered into a hyper-competitive segment of the market” and was “insufficiently differentiated to be able to resonate with players.”
Crucially, Hulst confirmed, “we have reviewed our processes in light of this to deeply understand how and why that title failed to meet expectations—and to ensure that we are not going to make the same mistakes again.”
This candid assessment highlights a commitment to adapting and evolving their approach to live service games. It will be interesting to watch how these lessons learned influence the development and launch of Marathon and other future live service titles from PlayStation Studios.
(source: https://www.irwebmeeting.com/sony/vod/20250613/x8R5srwN/bsm_02_en/1_GNS/fireside_chat/index.html)
