PlayStation is currently the reigning champion in the gaming industry, beating both Nintendo and Xbox by a wide margin. This is a combination of many factors, but a great line-up of exclusives and solid hardware has played a big part in its success.
While not one of the most talked-about games before launch, Helldivers 2 has now become a cultural phenomenon. Many would also consider it a reason to buy a PlayStation! However, the popularity of the game is a double-edged sword. It shows a particular genre of games is here to stay, much to the annoyance of gamers.
Former PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan’s Live Service Future is Taking Shape
March 2024 marked the last month of Jim Ryan holding the position of President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. He has been a critical individual responsible for the growth of the gaming giant. While he was the catalyst for many great achievements, there was one particular decision of his that hasn’t sat well with gamers.
Ryan was very supportive of live-service games and spearheaded PlayStation into creating and pushing more games with that model. Live-service games have been a contentious topic among gamers. While it does provide a steady stream of content, there’s a lot of room for error, as we saw with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. However, Helldivers 2 is on the other side of that coin and doing extremely well.
With a concurrent player base in the hundreds of thousands, the game is bringing in numbers that even PlayStation had not anticipated. While many gamers are enjoying their time blasting bugs and bots, the success is being viewed by PlayStation as further confirmation for the live service model.
Live Service Games Have Cemented their Place in the Industry
The issue with live-service games is that it often becomes difficult for the developers to put out content that is consistent in quality. Helldivers 2 is not perfect and has a fair number of glitches. Some players are also speaking out about the lack of enthusiasm to fight the Automatons as the Terminids are more fun to engage with. These issues can make or break a live-service game and must be addressed by the developers ASAP.
PlayStation projects that 60% of its investments by 2025 will be towards live-service games. Traditional game fans don’t have to worry too much; they also stated they would not be reducing funding for traditional games. However, it’s very evident now that live service is PlayStation’s golden goose for the foreseeable future.
Even the uproar regarding Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man: The Great Web is another supporting factor for live service titles. The fact that fans were petitioning for a canceled project to be worked on, despite the live service model, shows the inevitability of ignoring or shunning the model.
PlayStation is a bit worried about the future of its live service involvement, and the exit of Jim Ryan is going to further complicate things. Regardless, it appears the company will be following the plan laid down by the former boss.
Do you believe live-service games are the future of the gaming industry? Let us know in the comments!
