[PCGamer] Former Sony exec finally says the quiet part out loud: putting PlayStation games on PC is 'almost like printing money'

[Space Lynx]

Former Sony exec finally says the quiet part out loud: putting PlayStation games on PC is 'almost like printing money'

Server bank.

www.pcgamer.com

"Releasing on PC does many things: it reaches a new audience who do not own consoles—especially in regions where consoles are not as popular," Yoshida said in the interview.

I imagine it was this kind of thinking that also led Sony to reversing its stance on requiring a PSN account to play single player games. Since a PSN account isn't available in several countries, that was lost sales. If Sony really wants to make some profit imo they should revive some older games on PC too. Keep some of the 1-2 year waiting for Playstation titles to make it to PC, but for example bringing back Killzone franchise right now would be smart and have it launch at same time both platforms. Sony also still holds the rights to Dark Cloud, one of my all time favorite games from PS2 days, they need to bring a new iteration or remaster on some of these games they still hold rights to from the old days. I'd throw money at them 100% if they did. Basically, I am just saying they could print out a lot more money if they played their cards right.

 

[chrcoluk]

Of course, the game is already made, its just minimal porting and distribution costs.

 

[LabRat 891]

That's funny...
Consoles become more and more like PCs, and *now* they realize 'PC' is a legit market.

OIC

Another factor that swayed Sony to release its games on PC is China, with Yoshida observing that "China is a huge PC game market," and that "in order to reach the audience in countries like China then it's crucial to release on PC." China recently demonstrated its potential to catapult games to enormous success, with almost 90% of Black Myth: Wukong's massive sales generated domestically.

"Another Factor" my arse. 100% A#1 reason they even considered the PC market.

 

[Assimilator]

Sony, like every other videogames publisher, is run by incompetent chumps who don't understand videogames.

 

[kapone32]

Objectively speaking Japan is better at Video Game creation than the West, generally speaking.

 

[Assimilator]

Objectively speaking Japan is better at Video Game creation than the West, generally speaking.

They're both as bad as each other. Japan can come up with some wacky stuff but they stick to few genres, take sequel-itis to the extreme and don't make games for PCs, only consoles. The West is currently incapable of doing anything good with established franchises because all the big studios and publishers are creatively bankrupt, but we at least have the indies on Steam to save us from mediocrity.

 

[_roman_]

Of course, the game is already made, its just minimal porting and distribution costs.

I doubt it is such simple.

Releasing on PC

I think it should be more like. Releasing on microsoft windows with steam DRM and Sony Playstation account ....

Windows is not the PC. There are smaller subsegments. Even Windows have smaller subsegments for gaming platforms and launcher free could be also some sort of gaming platform. I assumed Microsoft Windows 10 and Steam is the biggest player in that gaming field.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Former Sony exec finally says the quiet part out loud: putting PlayStation games on PC is 'almost like printing money'

Server bank.

www.pcgamer.com

"Releasing on PC does many things: it reaches a new audience who do not own consoles—especially in regions where consoles are not as popular," Yoshida said in the interview.

I imagine it was this kind of thinking that also led Sony to reversing its stance on requiring a PSN account to play single player games. Since a PSN account isn't available in several countries, that was lost sales. If Sony really wants to make some profit imo they should revive some older games on PC too. Keep some of the 1-2 year waiting for Playstation titles to make it to PC, but for example bringing back Killzone franchise right now would be smart and have it launch at same time both platforms. Sony also still holds the rights to Dark Cloud, one of my all time favorite games from PS2 days, they need to bring a new iteration or remaster on some of these games they still hold rights to from the old days. I'd throw money at them 100% if they did. Basically, I am just saying they could print out a lot more money if they played their cards right.

The only modem Sony title I'm even slightly interested in is Demons Souls but it doesn't look like they decided to do a PC port even though it was in Jensen's Prophecy leak.

They said Killzone is dead for good now. They said that a few months ago now it feels like. It's all strong woman vs robot dinosaurs now in open world said sony. Hell, didn't they just remaster that first girl vs robodino game?

Killzone is my favorite series from Sony.

 

[RUSerious]

I doubt it is such simple.

If only it were that simple. Console ports have a nasty habit of running poorly on Windows. When I go to change key bindings and there's a picture showing the keys for a console controller as the help diagram I die a little bit inside.

 

[Onasi]

Objectively speaking Japan is better at Video Game creation than the West, generally speaking.

We are talking Sony that butchered its Japanese division and moved SIE headquarters to California, right? What I am saying is that there’s unfortunately very little of Sony of old from the PS1 and PS2 eras that remains. I can’t even remember any Japanese internally developed games they had lately apart from AstroBot. They have literally just two internal studios left in Japan - Asobi and Polyphony. That’s it. Everything else is the same Western AAA slop as everyone else.

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

Sony, like every other videogames publisher, is run by incompetent chumps who don't understand videogames.

You forgot the other silent part.

"For years Sony and other videogame publishers wanted the narrative of 'pc gamers are thieves' to be true, and believed in the 'strong drm' that consoles provided. It's only now that they recognize offering to the PC platform is effectively printing money at no cost, and that their constantly envisioned den of thieves was utterly fallacious."


I...think the absolute decimation of AAA might be a good thing, once you get past all of the people who lost jobs along the way. That is a big ask...but maybe it'll spell a revolution in people understanding why the past worked.

 

[Upgrayedd]

You forgot the other silent part.

"For years Sony and other videogame publishers wanted the narrative of 'pc gamers are thieves' to be true, and believed in the 'strong drm' that consoles provided. It's only now that they recognize offering to the PC platform is effectively printing money at no cost, and that their constantly envisioned den of thieves was utterly fallacious."


I...think the absolute decimation of AAA might be a good thing, once you get past all of the people who lost jobs along the way. That is a big ask...but maybe it'll spell a revolution in people understanding why the past worked.

I have no idea about this just a gut feeling but I feel piracy is much much lower than it was 10-15 years ago. Could be wrong.

 

[Chomiq]

I thought we PC peasants were all about pirating games?

 

[Assimilator]

If only it were that simple. Console ports have a nasty habit of running poorly on Windows. When I go to change key bindings and there's a picture showing the keys for a console controller as the help diagram I die a little bit inside.

So basically every Japanese console port ever, then.

I wish I was joking but the quality of Western console ports, low as they may be, is streets ahead of the "ports" that Japan s**ts out.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Alright Sony, start porting and remastering that whole-ass back catalogue of exclusive titles you got over the the PC.

I'll wait.

 

[Space Lynx]

The only modem Sony title I'm even slightly interested in is Demons Souls but it doesn't look like they decided to do a PC port even though it was in Jensen's Prophecy leak.

They said Killzone is dead for good now. They said that a few months ago now it feels like. It's all strong woman vs robot dinosaurs now in open world said sony. Hell, didn't they just remaster that first girl vs robodino game?

Killzone is my favorite series from Sony.

How it is dead for good when they did a in-game event crossover in Helldivers 2 with Killzone?

 

[Ruru]

Okay then, now give us Gran Turismo, dammit.

 

[freeagent]

I thought we PC peasants were all about pirating games?

That is so 2000s man

Do people even do that anymore?

Never mind..

 

[kapone32]

They're both as bad as each other. Japan can come up with some wacky stuff but they stick to few genres, take sequel-itis to the extreme and don't make games for PCs, only consoles. The West is currently incapable of doing anything good with established franchises because all the big studios and publishers are creatively bankrupt, but we at least have the indies on Steam to save us from mediocrity.

I want to agree with you. The Elephant in the room about that is the fact that the PS has always sold the experience. I mean Ace Combat 2 was insane as well as Dead or Alive. Even Bomberman and King of Fighters wer7e examples but think about this. Nintendo is a company that exists entirely on it's software. I jumped off at the SNES but I have a emulation drive from Amazon and all of the Nintendo franchises with every generation have been repeated with every generation. Fzero, Zelda, Mario, Mario Kart. Then there are the seminal releases. There is no way Dues Ex Mankind divided would have been created the way it was without the influence of Metal Gear. I know that today (from experience) that the worst looking Games in the pipeline are 3D based PS1 Games. The thing is Spiderman 2 is that good and I enjoyed the hell out of Outriders, Exoprimal and Dragon's Dogma 2. Europe is even better than North America as that is where most of the Indie Games come from and I would be doing a diservice if i did not give Creative Assembly some love.

That is so 2000s man

Do people even do that anymore?

Never mind..

If you have spent the money buying the hardware you don't need to pirate to enjoy the experience As time goes on Great Games from 2015-2022 are readily available on Steam sales like TitanFall 2 for $2.99 Canadian. Then Fanatical and Humble are your friends. Then let's mention the Free Games from Epic and Amazon Prime and pirating is daft. The best thing to do is find a Game that has mods if you want stuff that is absolutely free. I don't like it but Game Pass has made buying Games a moot point as well. You could also be a Humble Choice subscriber and have more Games than a single person can play but it is great for gifting Games and being great for my Daughter's PC.

Pirating Games makes no sense.

 

[Dr. Dro]

What Shuhei Yoshida perhaps does not understand is that the reason many play on PC is... that they don't get to boss us around. I play games however I want, the way I want, on the computer I've built, on my terms. With the controller I want, with the frame rate I want, with the quality level I want.

The controller issue is actually of extreme importance to me, it's actually going as far as being an accessibility and comfort issue, consoles enforce their official accessories so they can profit from them, but on my PC I actually own several types of controllers for my PC, latest acquisition was a USB controller styled after a MD/Genesis controller, I also have a Super Famicom style controller, two American NES style controllers, a Switch Pro controller, DualSense, Xbox One/Series controller, etc. - even an old Windows 9x era SideWinder controller, I pick whatever I feel like.

Console game censorship is the single biggest reason why I play on PC, actually, but no plans on going there.

You forgot the other silent part.

"For years Sony and other videogame publishers wanted the narrative of 'pc gamers are thieves' to be true, and believed in the 'strong drm' that consoles provided. It's only now that they recognize offering to the PC platform is effectively printing money at no cost, and that their constantly envisioned den of thieves was utterly fallacious."

Just need to drop this here, it's my favorite article of all time

PC gaming has "around a 93-95% piracy rate" claims Ubisoft CEO

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has been speaking to GamesIndustry International about Ubi's reasons for embracing the free to play model. He says free to play games are more cost effective to create because typical PC releases are so heavily pirated. He claims that "only about five to seven per...

www.pcgamer.com

 

[Upgrayedd]

How it is dead for good when they did a in-game event crossover in Helldivers 2 with Killzone?

Pretty sure there was an interview with someone at guerilla about Lego horizon and they were asked about Killzone. Said it was done.

 

[Veseleil]

Well, they could put all of their newer games where the sun doesn't shine if you ask me.
As someone mentioned in the thread, new games for PS are far from the quality of those from the original PS and PS2 era.
And I'm far from being the only one that think that 99% of their PC ports are garbage games in general. Or should I say, game tailored for kids. For dumbing down the kids.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Similar to how big publishers like Activision, EA and Ubisoft (and epic??) pulled a lot of their games off steam so they can reap 100% of the profits by hosting it on their own launchers. Not everyone followed them to their garbage launchers and they all eventually came crawling back to steam.

 

[Veseleil]

Similar to how big publishers like Activision, EA and Ubisoft (and epic??) pulled a lot of their games off steam so they can reap 100% of the profits by hosting it on their own launchers. Not everyone followed them to their garbage launchers and they all eventually came crawling back to steam.

They want control and free data mining access. That's why the PSN account is mandatory.

 

[sepheronx]

Well, they could put all of their newer games where the sun doesn't shine if you ask me.
As someone mentioned in the thread, new games for PS are far from the quality of those from the original PS and PS2 era.
And I'm far from being the only one that think that 99% of their PC ports are garbage games in general. Or should I say, game tailored for kids. For dumbing down the kids.

I want dark cloud again, or a legend of Lagia remake or something.

Sony could do so much more. Not more Horizon game they keep wanting to become some major game franchise when no one cares.