Sony Announces That They Are Creating 10 Live Service Games
Sony has confirmed that they intend to launch 10 live service games by 2026, marking a different strategy from their traditionally single-player releases.
This announcement came shortly after Sony announced that they would be acquiring Bungie, the creators of the popular video game Destiny 2. Bungie is expected to play a role in the creation of these games due to the experience they have with the live service model.
Live service games have been a controversial subject, as many gamers prefer traditional video games. A live service game is a game that is continually updated with new content, and usually has optional monetization options to sell players a better experience.
The live service genre has seen both success and failure as many developers begin to take interest in it. Genshin Impact launched as a free-to-play live service game in 2020 and quickly rose to become one of the most profitable games of the year bringing in $3.7 billion by the end of its first year. Meanwhile, other live service games such as Anthem didn’t fare as well and ended up being discontinued earlier than planned.
No actual titles have been announced yet, and it’s unknown if they’ll be based on existing franchises or if they will be new IP’s altogether.