Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida reveals he would have resisted Sony's controversial push into live-service gaming. Yoshida, head of SIE Worldwide Studios from 2008-2019, expressed concerns to Kinda Funny Games about the inherent risks involved in Sony's live-service investments.
This statement comes amidst significant challenges for PlayStation's live-service titles. While Helldivers 2 achieved phenomenal success, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, other ventures have faltered. Concord, in particular, stands as a major setback, shutting down after a short lifespan due to extremely low player numbers. The project, reportedly costing around $200 million in initial development (a figure that didn't cover the entire development, IP rights, or the studio itself, according to Kotaku), represents a substantial financial loss. This follows the cancellation of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer game and, more recently, two unannounced live-service titles.
Yoshida, departing Sony after 31 years, hypothetically placed himself in CEO Hermen Hulst's shoes, suggesting he would have resisted the live-service strategy. He highlighted the resource allocation dilemma, questioning the wisdom of diverting funds from established franchises like God of War to a high-risk genre. He acknowledged Sony's increased investment in live-service games after his departure, stating that the company likely understood the risks but provided resources to explore the market. The unexpected success of Helldivers 2 underscores the unpredictable nature of the industry.
Sony's financial call offered further insight. President, COO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki attributed Concord's failure to insufficient early-stage testing and internal evaluation, emphasizing the need for earlier checkpoints in the development process. He also cited Sony's "siloed organization" and Concord's unfortunate release window near Black Myth: Wukong as contributing factors.
Senior vice president Sadahiko Hayakawa drew a contrast between Helldivers 2's triumph and Concord's downfall, highlighting the lessons learned, which will be shared across studios. The company intends to balance its portfolio, combining its strengths in high-predictability single-player titles with the riskier, but potentially high-reward, live-service sector.
Despite setbacks, several PlayStation live-service games are still under development, including Bungie's Marathon, Guerrilla's Horizon Online, and Haven Studio's Fairgame$.
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