PlayStation Studios embraces a new path
Sony is looking carefully at the iOS and Android world, at least according to the search for a Head of Mobile for PlayStation Studios. The Japanese giant would in fact intend to push in the direction of tablets and smartphones, as evidenced by a job advertisement that appeared online during the Italian night and the description of the sought-after professional figure certainly does not leave room for imagination on the role he will play.The Head of Mobile figure of PlayStation Studios in fact will have to take care of coordinating the strategy for the "mobile game development" sector. The announcement also mentions the opportunity to work to adapt the famous franchises on consoles to the world of gaming on Android and iOS. It is therefore a clear declaration of intent: Sony is also looking at this sector with great interest, as well as the home sector which still remains the main source of income.
PlayStation has already landed on iOS and Android: in fact, in 2017 Sony launched some of its iconic brands also for smartphones and tablets, obviously in versions suitable for the two portable devices. Among these we find an Uncharted spin-off called Fortune Hunter which is nothing more than a puzzle game, an endless runner from LittleBigPlanet with the delicious Sack Boy and a VR app starring Mimir from God of War. At this point, however, it seems clear that Sony wants more and is looking for a figure able to embrace and propose new experiences for a decidedly large slice of the public.
Ignoring mobile gaming, on the other hand, would no longer make sense and on PlayStation they know this well. Nintendo also did some schooling, bringing games such as Super Mario Run, Pokémon GO and even a chapter of Fire Emblem to Android and iOS. And probably the job advertisement is just indicated in search of a figure able to propose experiences closer to home ones, exactly like the path taken by the Kyoto house.
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The Last of Us PS5 remake tipped as Days Gone 2 gets the cold shoulder
It may not be long before we see Sony and Naughty Dog release a remake of The Last of Us for PlayStation 5, as a new report today claims that such a game is currently in development at the studio. That new report also tells us whether or not Days Gone will get a sequel and gives us a look inside a fairly risk-averse Sony that is prioritizing blockbusters from its most successful studios while apparently turning away from smaller, unproven projects from other teams.
That report comes from Bloomberg, which spoke to several unnamed sources who have confirmed that a PlayStation 5 remake of The Last of Us is currently in the works at Naughty Dog. Bloomberg reports that work on the remake actually started when leadership from Sony’s Visual Arts Service Group – a studio that typically helps other first-party studios put the finishing touches on their games – took the initiative to create a new development unit of their own, apparently tired of having their work go toward finishing other studios’ titles.
Bloomberg states that Sony “never fully acknowledged the team’s existence or gave them the funding and support needed to succeed in the highly competitive video game market,” ultimately moving the remake of The Last of Us to Naughty Dog. Many of the group’s leadership left after Sony made the decision to transfer The Last of Us remake to Naughty Dog.
Bloomberg’s report depicts Sony as becoming increasingly conservative with its decisions about which games to fund and what risks to allow. For instance, we learn that while Bend Studio attempted to pitch Days Gone 2 to Sony, the pitch was rejected because of middling critical reception to the first game – despite the fact that Days Gone was profitable. Instead, one team comprised of Bend Studio employees was given the task of developing a multiplayer game with Naughty Dog, while another started work on a new Uncharted game under Naughty Dog’s supervision.
That caused some people to leave Bend Studio as well, so it seems that Sony’s recent decisions are causing some developers to pack up and depart. Be sure to read through Bloomberg’s full report, because it explains the complex relationships between Sony’s well-known and lesser-known studios pretty well, and suggests that Sony is looking to take the path of least resistance – and risk – in making exclusives for the PlayStation 5.