Summary
Just like pretty much every platform holder,PlayStationis sat on a huge pile of franchises thathave been left dormant for years, even decades in some instances. Every one of you reading this article probably hasa beloved series you wish would make a comeback, but Sony has looked at its vault full of titles and has come to the conclusion that it simply doesn’t have enough original IP.
These rather bizarre comments came from new Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki in a recent interview with theFinancial Times(thanksPlayStation Lifestyle), in which he claims the company is currently “lacking” in original IP that it “fostered from the beginning.”
“Whether it’s for games, films or anime, we don’t have that much IP that we fostered from the beginning. We’re lacking the early phase (of IP) and that’s an issue for us.”
Totoki goes on to explain that he thinks the company has done well getting the existing, popular IP to new audiences - possibly referring to PlayStation’s big push into the PC market - but that Sony and PlayStation won’t grow if it doesn’t start creating original IP from scratch.
Right As Concord Dies, Sony Says PlayStation Doesn’t Have Enough Original IP
Totoki’s comments come at a rather bizarre time, right after PlayStation announced thatConcord-one of its new IPs that it clearly had high hopes for- isbeing shut down less than two weeks after launch. We’re also just days away from the release of Astro Bot, a game that is considered a celebration of PlayStation’s rich history and the games/characters that have played a large role in the platform’s rise.
Jak & Daxter, Sly Cooper, PaRappa the Rapper, Bloodborne, Gravity Rush, and countless other franchises will all no doubt make cameo appearances, but they’re all games that many feel PlayStation has abandoned for no good reason.It can feel like more of a graveyard of ideas at times, and there’s nothing really stopping PlayStation from reviving these franchises if it feels it doesn’t have enough original IP in rotation.
Instead, PlayStation seems to be all aboard the live service train,with plans to release twelve in the near future. We already have titles like Fairgame$ and Marathon on the way, though who knows how those will perform given the spectacular failure of Concord. Hopefully, Astro Bot launches and is a smash hit, and the company can make somewhat of a course correction before it embarrasses itself even further.
