Okay, so here it is:
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You know, the big wigs over at Sony Interactive Entertainment, the giant Japanese gaming company, kind of tripped over their own feet with their whole live-service games plan. Yep, they actually admitted it. I mean, they’re big enough to own up to it in front of investors and all. Makes you wonder how things are behind closed doors, doesn’t it?
Anyway, the CEO and CFO, Lin Tao, had a chat with some important folks — it was in one of those investor meetings, as mentioned by TWIVG. They basically said, “Hey, our portfolio shift towards live-service isn’t going as planned.” Oops! They even had to pull the plug on Concord after launch and Bungie’s Marathon has been shoved back, along with a few other projects that just kind of fizzled.
Tao, while likely sweating a bit, pointed out a bright side. Kind of. “Five years back, live-service games were a foreign concept for PlayStation Studios,” he shrugged. I’ve got to give them credit for optimism. They’ve got Helldivers 2, MLB, Gran Turismo 7, and Bungie’s Destiny 2 carrying the live-service torch — or at least trying to.
Then they tossed out some numbers. Haven’t gotten around to math since high school, but it sounded like this: “First quarter, live-service did about 40% of the stuff. But for the whole year, maybe 20-30%.” The transition’s rough, but hey, over five years, they’ve moved the needle a bit. That’s progress, right? Sorta?
Yet, the reality check is here. There’s a lot — and I mean a lot — of learning to be done, and let’s not even talk about the waste. “Issues” was the keyword. Tons of them to fix.
Oh, and Marathon? Delayed. Surprise, surprise. It hit a rough patch in alpha testing, and now? No release date in sight. They’re hopeful for fiscal year launch — by March 2026 — whatever that means.
But get this: Tao throws in, “Not a promise, though.” Classic CEO move. It’s like dangling a carrot but saying, “Hey, maybe not.” They plan to communicate better once autumn arrives to sort things out — fingers crossed.
Lastly, what’s up with Bungie? Since Sony nabbed them, that independence vibe is thinning out. Bungie seems to be morphing into something more aligned with PlayStation Studios. It’s like getting adopted, sort of.
So there you have it — Sony’s adventure into live-services is a bumpy ride, far from smooth sailing. But hey, life’s messy, isn’t it?
