PlayStation First Party Studios Reportedly Upset Over GAAS Focused Direction

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Obaid Ur Rehman

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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PlayStation’s first-party studios have delivered some of the best single-player games with immersive stories. While the giant has claimed to stay focused on making such games, it is also focusing on GAAS titles moving forward.

This genre has many successful games, but it also has many failures. Most fans don’t like this approach, as such games can get repetitive after a while, and the free-to-play model is often criticized due to in-game microtransactions.

Therefore, due to Sony’s GAAS-focused direction, many first-party studios at PlayStation are reportedly upset.

Why it matters: Live service games are often not well-received by fans, with Overwatch 2 being a recent example. This title is now Steam’s worst-rated release.

David Jaffe, known for the God of War series, has revealed some information about PlayStation’s current state in a YouTube video. According to his sources, Jim Ryan was convinced that live service games are the future, and he asked many studios to focus on this genre.

First-party PlayStation teams were not fond of this decision as they have worked hard to deliver some of the best cinematic single-player games for the company, including the recently released Spider-Man 2.

He also mentioned that many studios were unhappy when the Naughty Dog multiplayer game was canceled after the studio was hit with layoffs. This cancelation worsened the studios’ concerns, leading to more discourse among PlayStation’s teams.

While explaining all this, he mentioned that Sony blamed it on Connie Booth, the former head of production, who had been with Sony for 34 years. David Jaffe first reported she had departed from the company, but he now claims she was fired.

Following the layoffs at Naughty Dog, another wave of job cuts at PlayStation have also caused some concerns.

We think PlayStation focusing more on live service games is not a great choice as its first-party developers excel at delivering great single-player experiences. Jim Ryan has been criticized regarding this topic many times, but the executive understands the lucrative nature of this genre.

Nonetheless, we hope Sony considers the concerns of the developers and solves the internal issues that have led to uncertainty among the gaming giant’s developers. The company recently launched Spider-Man 2, which became the fastest-selling first-party PS5 game. 

Obaid Ur Rehman

[How-To Guides Expert]

Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

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