Latest PlayStation update is bad news for Ghost of Tsushima fans
The gaming industry is at a pretty huge turning point, and players don't quite know how to handle it. Rumours of Xbox ducking out of the hardware game and spreading its most beloved titles across consoles have been swirling like a furious tornado.
As Phil Spencer acknowledges the panic and promises an update in an upcoming podcast, gamers are rushing into a flurry of horror. The wait is agonising as we expect that the gaming industry will change forever at some point in the near future.
It's not all roses over at Sony, as PlayStation apparently failed to hit its console sales targets for 2023 and is adjusting its financials. If that wasn't enough, the Blue Team could have a new major change to come as well.
PlayStation will not release a major franchise game until 2025
Click to enlargeSpeaking in the fiscal year 2023 Q3 earnings briefing, Sony Group President Hiroki Totoki has stated (via Gematsu) that the franchised games that Sony has to offer will not be appearing in new games on the console until at least early 2025.
"Regarding first-party software, we aim to continue to focus on producing high-quality works and developing live service games," he says during the show. "But while major projects are currently under development, we do not plan to release any new major existing franchise titles next fiscal year like God of War: Ragnarok and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2."
This means that between April 1 of this year and March 31 2025, we're officially out of luck when it comes to sequels to The Last of Us, Horizon or Ghost of Tsushima.
Though we feel like we would have expected a new game from these franchises during this time, it's still a shame to know that the Ghost of Tsushima series won't continue until at least then. But, there are bigger questions yet to ask.
How is PlayStation going to make money selling games this year?
Click to enlargeAs we know, companies traditionally sell their consoles at a loss with the hopes of recouping their sacrifice with games sold. But with an entire year gap, what is PlayStation going to do without any major franchise games?
Well, maybe PlayStation is hitting us with some smart wording here. There are hopes that Totoki is potentially planning a new IP to touch down in the meantime. Or, as many fans have theorised, perhaps Xbox's rumoured step into selling games on other consoles has been noted by Sony.
It'll be interesting to see if Sony is willing to take a step back to see how much of a financial splash the likes of Starfield and Gears of War can make on its consoles. Either way, this feels like it could be a false step for Sony, but chances are, the team has something up their sleeves. Don't panic just yet.
