June 22nd 2025.
It's no secret that Sony's PlayStation 5 has been dominating the current video game generation. With runaway profits and a seemingly effortless path to success, it's no wonder that they've become complacent in their approach. In fact, it's almost like they've taken a page out of China's playbook, where their influence continues to grow by simply letting their competitors make mistakes while they sit back and reap the rewards.
I've been thinking about this comparison for quite some time now, but it became even more apparent to me this week when Microsoft stumbled through yet another lackluster hardware announcement while Sony remained silent. Well, almost silent. They did drop one bombshell - the PlayStation 5 has made more profit than all of their previous consoles combined.
Now, let's be honest, the PlayStation 5 is not going to go down in history as anyone's favorite Sony console. Its supposed increase in power has yet to be proven, and the promises surrounding it were sketchy at best. On top of that, it has fewer first-party games than its predecessor, the PlayStation 4, despite that being the peak of Sony's internal development. You would think they would build on that success for their next console, but instead, they seem to be focusing on live service games, which have not turned out well for them.
But here's the kicker - doing nothing has worked out incredibly well for Sony. By not discussing their plans in public, they've managed to make even more profit. It's almost as if the lesson the PlayStation 5 has taught them is that the less they do, the more they make. And with the success of PS Plus and microtransactions, they don't even have to bother with making proper games anymore.
It's a sad reality, but the majority of Sony's profits are coming from casual gamers who just want to play online multiplayer games and are willing to spend money on microtransactions. They don't need to cater to the more dedicated fans because they're already making so much money. In fact, it seems that ignoring their fans and their wants is more profitable than trying to appease them.
And let's not forget about Sony's obsession with live service games, especially online shooters. It's no coincidence that they need PS Plus for players to access these games, and they're the perfect platform for microtransactions. It's the complete opposite of single-player games, which is why we're not seeing more of those from Sony. And even though their recent acquisition of developer Housemarque shows they haven't completely given up on proper games, it's clear that they're not their main focus.
Unfortunately, this success has ruined the PlayStation 5. With no real competition in the high-end console market, Sony has become complacent and lazy. They don't need to work hard or take risks because they know people will buy their console regardless. And while good games will continue to be made, it's not by Sony. It's a bleak and depressing reality, but it's the truth.
But hey, at least we have Ghost Of Yōtei to look forward to this year. And who knows, maybe Sony will surprise us with another high-quality game in the future. But for now, it seems like they're content with sitting back and watching the profits roll in. As a gamer, it's disheartening to see where the future of gaming is headed. But as a business, it's a smart move. And unfortunately, that's all that seems to matter to Sony.
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