Sony, renowned for its impressive lineup of single-player titles, has veered into the realm of live-service games, a transition that has not been without complications. In 2022, former CEO Jim Ryan announced an ambitious plan to launch twelve live-service games by 2025. However, as of this year, only Helldivers 2 has made a successful debut, while seven others were canceled, leaving fans disappointed.

Despite this troubling track record, Herman Hulst, the current CEO of PlayStation Studios, emphasizes that simply counting game releases is not their primary focus: “What is important to me is having a diverse set of player experiences and communities.” His statement came during an interview with the Financial Times, highlighting a commitment to evolving their approach even amidst setbacks.

Hulst acknowledges the challenges of live-service games, slyly noting, “I don’t want teams to always play it safe, but I would like for us, when we fail, to fail early and cheaply.” To ensure this, they are integrating more rigorous testing and fostering cross-collaboration among teams to avert future missteps.

Nevertheless, skepticism remains about whether Sony’s future strategy will replicate its former glory of blockbuster singleplayer games, especially with the recent disappointments like Concord and the cancellation of anticipated titles such as The Last of Us Online.