Shawn Layden Doesn't Expect PlayStation to Release Games Day One on PC - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 04 October 2021 / 2,300 Views
Sony Interactive Entertainment has begun to release some first-party PlayStation titles on PC, however, the company has to release a game the same day on PC as it has on PlayStation consoles.
Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden in an interview with YouTube channel, What's Up Channel, said he doesn't believe Sony will release PlayStation games on PC day one.
"I don't think you’ll ever see PlayStation do a day and date with PC, but you know, never say never," said Layden. "But the strategy as we were developing it when I was there was that we need to go out to where these new customers are, these new fans could be.
"We need to go to where they are because they've decided not to go to come to my house so I’ve got to go to their house now. And what’s the best way to go to their house? Why don't I take one of our top selling games, which has already blown up the marketplace, it's already been out there for 18 months or 24 months, there's no real retail activity against that title.
"I'm not trading off one sale for another, and bring that to the personal computer platform and let them have an idea. you guys choose not to come to PlayStation but let me show you what you’re missing."
First-party PlayStation games that have been released on PC on include Horizon: Zero Dawn and Days Gone.
PlayStation recently acquired Nixxes Software, a company who has worked on porting games to the PC including multiple Square Enix Games.
Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan recently said he was looking forward to working with Nixxes to port PlayStation games to PC.
"We are also happy with our efforts to provide our IP to PCs, although it is still in its infancy, and we look forward to working with Nixxes to help with that," Ryan said at the time.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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I never thought Sony was going to. I figured they would hold off about a year or two before porting a game to PC once they've gotten most of their sales on console. Port it to PC and suddenly an older game is making a ton of money again without the need to put a lot of work into it.
I can't wait to see what other games will be ported since Sony is still in the beginning stages. For some reason I don't feel the Marvel games will ever come to PC :( but I'll take Ghost of Tsushima or God of War 2018 next though after Uncharted!
I mean... No shit, why would it work any other way?
Because gamers on PC would like to play the game on Day 1 as well? Idk lol
How would that benefit Sony, though? Sony is not Microsoft, they don't have nearly the same interest in the PC market MS have, and taking steam away from their system sellers when they are at their hottest would be a horrible move if they want to sell consoles.
I don't think it really matters all of that much now that Sony has opened pandora's box. Now that PC gamers know that they will eventually get PS first-party games at some point, most will just wait it out. Very few gamers are going to be interested in double dipping a $70 game or however much it'll be by the time it releases on PC, on top of most people can't afford both a PC and a new console. Some will double dip for sure since there are those with that much disposable income. Either way, Sony is going to make a ton more money regardless of day 1 releases or not.
The only advantage Sony has against the competition is their exclusives, it would be dumb to hand them out on day one. Two years is a good solution because it's too long for some people to wait, so they will get the console, and on the other hand, those that won't get the console will still make for additional sales afterwards and maybe a little incentive to get on board.
It actually could, because they can then gain retention from both sides at the same time, instead of full retention from their original platform and some retention from PC (which could be stifled if the port turns out to be both bad and expensive).
If you apply your question to MS, what benefit does MS get?. Why don't MS just hold off PC releases for years as well?. There must be some core and important reason why MS is doing day and date with PC/Xbox (not because it's the same ecosystem, because Windows has been a part of that since the very beginning and still got ignored for years on end).
How does that benefit Sony? Simple, more money.
I don't think they will but I would like to see them port games to PC more often and quicker. Like a year or two after they release on PS instead of the 4/5 years they seem to wait now.
Not Day 1. Day 1,046 maybe. But definitely not Day 1
the advantage of selling ps5 /ps4 consoles would be lost if they did release day one on pc so its a no brainer
Technically Predator Hunting Grounds was day and date. But no i don't see it happing with triple A ps5 games.
Obviously. They're going to port them at the end of the generation.
Sony wouldnt have invested into Nixxes if they werent interested. If it takes Nixxes a year to port the games over by including extra polish and removing the bugs than sure, its no problem.
But specialists on VGC swears it will.
That will change once Sony sees that day-n-date PS and PC releases won't affect console sales and will only just increase software sales.
Well he ain't running the show anymore, and times change, plans change and if Sony want to be like MS in making money on PC, things will most definitely have to change.
Last thing you want is a dumbass CEO sticking to the same drip feed plan for decades, while your competition is making money on two different platforms, day one.
Also yes, "never say never", because you look like a clown if you do, and tbh, it was already foolish to dare suggest they wouldn't, because that's ignoring many factor that lea to a change in strategy.
"you guys choose not to come to PlayStation but let me show you what you’re missing".
But I'm not missing anything, because for one, I'm only interested in a very small selection of titles, and for another, I know they'll come to PC, and I know that the company wants to make money on PC, so they will come to me, but I will not to them, because I'm not that kind of guy anymore.
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