BPX050: The Problem With Sony

[fishbowlhead]

I think what some people are getting at, and what I'd agree with, is that I'd say Sony's biggest problem is that they are just a little too mainstream and a little bit too vanilla. The PS4 hardware and software is incredibly competently done, but there's no wackiness there. It's ever so slightly boring in some ways.

Then again, they do have PSVR. So I'm not being entirely fair.

This is it i think, their offbeat games and projects got moved to VR for PS4 so regular players didn’t get them like on PS3.

[fuse]

That's right. Compare the PS3 and the PS4 to the PS1 and PS2 years.

It's not really Sony's fault, more the third parties for all playing it safe.

I don't think it's the fault of third parties either, given the barriers of entry went up so much. Loads of developers came out with all kinds of weird passion projections for the PS1 and it was wonderful for exactly that reason. By the time we reached the PS3, expectations that everything be 3D and high-definition made developing a game much more of a development commitment and financial risk, and things that previously would've been on store shelves were now being pushed into an online storefront only, which was a real unknown quantity at the time.

[Asura]

It’s production values over risk taking. The marketing men are in charge.

I'm not so sure that's fair. I mean, it's true, they are the big man on campus right now - but the PS4 got to that point because Sony doubled-down on looking at what the "core enthusiast" consumer wanted, and delivering that. If anything, that label applies better to the second half of the Xbox 360's life, when Microsoft were dabbling with ESPN and Kinect. I think many of us thought once Sony were top dog, they would do the same, repeating the cycle - but I think they've stuck to their guns, and they're once again doubling down on a specific consumer.

Different topic - it's weird how in 2020, you seem to be getting all these borderline erotic games for the Nintendo Switch, and Sony are the ones who are apparently no longer interested in the likes of Senran Kagura. Didn't see that coming.

[Cassius_Smoke]

I'd like to see more arcade fun games. Astrobot was brilliant, more of that type of thing please.

[wakka]

I'm not so sure that's fair. I mean, it's true, they are the big man on campus right now - but the PS4 got to that point because Sony doubled-down on looking at what the "core enthusiast" consumer wanted, and delivering that. If anything, that label applies better to the second half of the Xbox 360's life, when Microsoft were dabbling with ESPN and Kinect. I think many of us thought once Sony were top dog, they would do the same, repeating the cycle - but I think they've stuck to their guns, and they're once again doubling down on a specific consumer.

Different topic - it's weird how in 2020, you seem to be getting all these borderline erotic games for the Nintendo Switch, and Sony are the ones who are apparently no longer interested in the likes of Senran Kagura. Didn't see that coming.

One area Sony have nailed - probably to some extent at the expense of the sort of people who follow series like Senran Kagura - is the dad gamer.

The dad gamer is not a totally useless casual who only likes motion games where he flaps his arms about or F2P match threes, but nor is he a LOL-obsessed esports nerd, or a Japanese quirk-fancier who plays moe rhythm and cooking games.

He likes proper games, with a proper controller, good graphics, good story, not too difficult, not too long, plenty of checkpoints. He also likes semi-realistic racing games and FIFA.

Sony's first party output is practically custom-made for this audience. God of War is literally even about being a dad.

They've got it nailed down. And it's a big, lucrative portion of the 'core' gaming market these days.

[teddymeow]

One area Sony have nailed - probably to some extent at the expense of the sort of people who follow series like Senran Kagura - is the dad gamer.

The dad gamer is not a totally useless casual who only likes motion games where he flaps his arms about or F2P match threes, but nor is he a LOL-obsessed esports nerd, or a Japanese quirk-fancier who plays moe rhythm and cooking games.

He likes proper games, with a proper controller, good graphics, good story, not too difficult, not too long, plenty of checkpoints. He also likes semi-realistic racing games and FIFA.

Sony's first party output is practically custom-made for this audience. God of War is literally even about being a dad.

They've got it nailed down. And it's a big, lucrative portion of the 'core' gaming market these days.

Seriously [MENTION=5490]wakka[/MENTION]

You might have well of just called it "the Ted gamer".

The Last Guardian
Concrete Genie
Dreams
LBP 3
DriveClub
Journey
Flower
Patapon
Loco Rico
Resogun
Entwined
Hohokum
Gravity Rush
The Unfinished Swan
Tearaway
Detroit
The Tomorrow Children
Erica
Bound

That's quite the varied portfolio of published titles excluding all those third person kill 'em ups. There's more too.

[wakka]

Seriously @wakka

You might have well of just called it "the Ted gamer".

The Last Guardian
Concrete Genie
Dreams
LBP 3
DriveClub
Journey
Flower
Patapon
Loco Rico
Resogun
Entwined
Hohokum
Gravity Rush
The Unfinished Swan
Tearaway
Detroit
The Tomorrow Children
Erica
Bound

That's quite the varied portfolio of published titles excluding all those third person kill 'em ups. There's more too.

It's not a knock - just an observation. The ones I mean, the ones squarely targeted at what I'm calling the dad gamer, they're mostly really well-made games.

Definitely not the only type of game they publish or develop, as you point out. But I was thinking more of the last five or so years, and specifically of their full price game output. I would say that what I'm calling 'dad games' has dominated their AAA output in that period. And it's been massively successful for them.

[teddymeow]

[MENTION=5490]wakka[/MENTION] I didn't take it as a knock. I embrace my dad gamer credentials.

I'd rather those type of games than the GaaS that seems to be becoming standard for some publishers.

[fishbowlhead]

They must be doing something right as the PS4 is the best selling console of all time, and still going.

[Cassius_Smoke]

They must be doing something right as the PS4 is the best selling console of all time, and still going.

Not yet. I think the PS2 still holds the record

[fishbowlhead]

Your right. Also i have no idea whatsoever how the DS got to 154m as well.

[BearBoy]

I think it's a shame they ditched their handhelds. As an armchair-analyst I understand why, but I loved the PSP and Vita, and would love a follow-up.

Yeah, I loved the PSP and Vita too. Would love to see a successor, although I know it is extremely unlikely.

[Dogg Thang]

Your right. Also i have no idea whatsoever how the DS got to 154m as well.

I bought two.

[Family Fry]

Seriously [MENTION=5490]wakka[/MENTION]

You might have well of just called it "the Ted gamer".

The Last Guardian
Concrete Genie
Dreams
LBP 3
DriveClub
Journey
Flower
Patapon
Loco Rico
Resogun
Entwined
Hohokum
Gravity Rush
The Unfinished Swan
Tearaway
Detroit
The Tomorrow Children
Erica
Bound

That's quite the varied portfolio of published titles excluding all those third person kill 'em ups. There's more too.

You listed 8 PS3 games.
I was going to say this earlier in the day but didn’t post it but personally I much preferred the PS3 over PS4.
Sony really did have a diverse lineup of games, 8 of which you mentioned, they also had the Tokyo jungke, pixeljunk series, puppeteer, rain, siren blood curse, super stardust and more, it felt like they green lit a lot of titles across first party and their partners.
I often wonder if Gravity Rush was brought to Sony in 2020 would they even bother? They seem to let indies take up a lot of that slack and stick to somewhat safe third person story/narrative heavy action games.

[teddymeow]

LBP3 was PS4.

The others all came out on PS4.