The announcement of Death Stranding for the PC has sent shockwaves through select hardcore communities, despite the title technically being confirmed for computers back when Hideo Kojima signed his contract with Sony. It is, I suppose, an odd situation: this is a game trademarked by the Japanese giant, running on a proprietary PlayStation 4 engine designed and engineered by one of its flagship first-party studios.
The suggestion I’ve seen thrown around is this: why even continue investing in the PlayStation ecosystem when the exclusive software will make its way onto the PC anyway? It’s a conundrum that Microsoft itself has faced in recent years, as it continues its commitment to bringing all Xbox One software to Windows. Of course, the Redmond firm is compelled to support its operating system just as much as its console, so the situation is slightly different.
The confusion in PlayStation’s case has been compounded by recent comments coming out of the company: ex-Worldwide Studios chairman Shawn Layden admitted that the organisation may need to lean into a “wider install base” with some of its titles, while subsidiary Media Molecule has suggested that it’d like to release creation engine Dreams elsewhere. All of this makes for a somewhat muddied message that I agree upsets the status quo of what we know.
The thing is that it’s been clear for a while now that the Japanese giant doesn’t really see PC as a competitor; it owns the likes of Helldivers, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, and Detroit: Become Human, but it’s still allowed them to release on computer-based storefronts such as Steam. Why is that? There’s one common thread connecting all these titles: they were developed by teams not under PlayStation’s umbrella.
I think what we’re seeing with some of these games is an exception rather than a rule: Sony may not have been able to secure Hideo Kojima’s signature at all without compromising and eventually accepting a PC release. In the case of Quantic Dream’s titles, it will have had the option to block the Steam versions of Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, but that could have ruined a long-standing partnership with a long-standing developer, and lost it money in the process.
It’s worth remembering that in all of these instances, the manufacturer is either licensing the products out or publishing them elsewhere itself; as a result, it’s actually making money from allowing these titles to launch elsewhere. So why doesn’t it extend that philosophy to the likes of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Days Gone? The answer is simple: it still has a commitment to move as much PlayStation hardware as possible, as it’s through software sales and subscriptions that it earns the bulk of its bread.
The situation is complicated further by the recent alterations to PlayStation Now, meaning that titles like God of War and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End can now technically be streamed on computers. But the Japanese giant needed tentpole software to push this service back in the mainstream, and it’s worth remembering that every membership is money in the organisation’s back pocket – regardless of where the titles are played.
The bottom line is that the company is not about to throw away its unique selling point; the firm has iterated on multiple occasions that exclusive software is key to its success as a business. But not every game needs to be treated the same: Death Stranding is coming to the PC, but it may not exist at all without compromise. I think it’s important to look at things on a case-by-case basis, before jumping to conclusions about what some decisions may mean.
Do you think we'll see Sony bring more PlayStation exclusives to PC? Would this affect your investment into Sony's ecosystem? Load up Steam in the comments section below.
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Basically how I feel, they aren't going to be making the same transition Microsoft did. And a small thing to point out, though he is no longer with the company House did mention PC competition as a reason for the PS4 Pro: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/08/playstation-boss-andrew-house-ps4-pro-our-approach-isnt-reactive-this-time-around
Also I would like to point out, the fact 505 Games is publishing the PC version, rather than Kojipro itself, kind of says to me that part of the deal Kojipro was allowed to sign with another publisher for the PC version, as they likely had to pay a rather large licence fee the developer could not on it's own. Unlike Quantic Dreams which received a large investment from an outside company awhile ago, allowing it to publish it's previous exclusive titles to PC themselves.
I Wonder If People Remember That Up Until 2015 Sony Used To Have a Whole Division That Made PC Only Games Like Everquest And Planetside 2.That Division Prb Would Be Doing Alot Better If Sony Had Brought Games Like Everquest To The Ps4 And Had Crossplay With The PC Version
We rarely see 3rd party exclusive anymore because making games is so expensive now, with the exception of atlus, expect every games made by 3rd party studio (not on sony umbrella) that seems exclusive is a timed or console exclusives.
I still buy the game on console of course since I don't like playing on pc, I play on pc only for games that isn't available on ps4 like gears 5, or the games is "free" from gamepass like the outer world.
Sammy can you write an article without using "Japanese Giant" in it somewhere, that's 3 times in this one 😂
Also, I like the fact that they are willing to release some of their great games on other platforms, the more people that get to play some good games, the better.
As long the 1st party games stay on ps4/ps5 I will happy, they can then put them on Ps Now a year or two later when the sales have hit their peak if they want.
But like I said in the past, if they start putting their 1st party games day and date on pc, I am officially done with Playstation.
I own both for different reasons, I play a whole lot of PC but I have PS4 for the exclusives and for games I'd rather play on TV. I don't really know why fans would want exclusives, they're entirely anti-consumer. Must be some sort of fanboy thing.
@nessisonett Whats not to get? It is not something new when it comes to consoles and nothing to do with being a fanboy. Honestly when did you start gaming?
Its funny we never see the same outcry for Nintendo games, why can't I play nintendo games on my ps4 or xbox or pc, its anti consumer.
With out exclusive games for the said console then what is the point? You need software to move the hardware, its pretty simple.
I know I sound harsh, but this didn't need explaining. The profits their exclusive software make is enough to tell them how dedicated exclusives matter, and if it isn't, the slide the Xbox One has had for years will convince them. With this and how they can still make money even if it's not on PlayStation itself, I don't see anything worth worrying about.
None of their games should be on PC period and Kojima said it was not going to PC a few years ago. PSU posted an article about it whete he claimed he never said there was a PC version and you had the person who interviewed him saying he never said that either. No matter how you slice it, Sony made a mistake letting this game go to PC and I hope Jim Ryan never lets this happen again like Shawn Layden did. Its not good business period and people should raise questions about other games since this has never happened before.
@Areus SOE existed before PlayStation and had nothing to do with SIE. They were a seperate company that eixted strickly for PC development of MMOs.
@nookie_egg They can buy a PlayStation to play those games. I really don't care about other people getting to play something that they are not willing to buy the console to support. People like me built PS since we been there day one and everything the company does should only be for us. People outside of PS talk crap on the games yet port beg. Just last month Death Stranding was called a movie or walking simulator by PC fanboys. They don't deserve any of Sony's games and its that simple.
@nessisonett What a ignorant comment. These games only exist because they are exclusive. Sony is not a third party company. Consoles would not exist if not for exclusives. All of the best games have always been exclusive anyway.
@nessisonett So if I walk into McDonalds and ask for a Burger King burger is that anti consumer?
I mean why don't they offer all foods at that place..........
@nessisonett It's not rocket science my friend. It's not a fanboy thing at all. If you understood business, you'd know the reason why exclusives exist.
@GodGamer Not Really The PS1 Had Already Been Out In Japan For a Year Before Sony Created SOE. Their Involvement With The Playstation Started With The PS2 With Their Everquest Spinoffs Sony Would later Put Them Under The World Wide Studios Banner in 2005 This Was When Released Untold Legends On Both The PSP And The PS3 Umong Other Games Like Free Realms Dc Universe Online And Later Planetside 2
@Areus You are right about SOE being there before, but they had nothing to do with SIE. They were a seperate company. It was the main company that had them work PS, which made since because Sony slso makes consoles. Putting PS games on PC is a bad decision no matter how its sliced.
@GodGamer I Know This Is One Of The Reasons I Wish They Still Had SOE That Way They Could Keep Their Console Games On The Playstation And With SOE They Could Make Both Console And PC Games Like They Were Planning On Doing With Everquest 3 Before It Was Cancelled
Even as a big fan of PlayStation if they release their games on PC like Microsoft does I see no point in buying a PS5 anymore unless it can play all generations otherwise I rather buy a new PC and play everything there this generation was the worst when it comes to exclusives for Sony compared to previous ones and I know it's gonna get worse because of the price that games require now and then they allowing things like the deal with Kojima or loosing exclusives like Detroit it really hurt the console
Basically you see some multiplayer and second party stuff from Sony come to pc but first part single player focus games like last of us spider man god of war would Never be playable on pc natively.
This is the future.
I'd be very surprised if PS6 is an actual box.
PS Now was frowned upon a few years ago but it will become the norm soon. Gaming as a service.
Digital downloads were barely used in the PS3 days and yet it has now overtaken physical sales.
Adapt or perish. Sony gets it.
@GKO900 yea losing those really hurt the second best selling console in history, some of you are delusional .
Not really a fan of third party exclusives, but first party exclusives are important. Being primarily designed to engage player interest in a console instead of being as profitable as possible, they often feature more daring game design, bigger budgets, and eschew predatory microtransactions that plague many big third-party franchises. Additionally, they help to keep the market competitive, so that one system doesn't run off with all of the business.
@Netret0120 Eh. I'd be surprised if there's another dedicated Xbox, but Sony's very traditional focus on selling home consoles has worked out extremely well for them, and they're not going to compromise that so long as the approach remains wildly successful for them.
basically, if Sony does not own the studio it might go elsewhere I thought this was always understood?
I always thought Death Stranding would not because it uses Guerilla Games Engine guess Sony wanted Kojima to feel free after Konami.
@nessisonett First party exclusives are important.
The Last Guardian would've been cancelled if it was a third party game. You know why? Because it probably didn't make Sony any money. But that's not the point. The point of first party games isn't to make money, they exist to sell consoles (and make money indirectly of course). It's the reason why first party games hardly have MTX in them. Far more consumer friendly than most third party games.
@get2sammyb PS Now is a very different kind of thing. Because of the nature of streaming pc players don't get the actual code of the game, so they cannot have it forever. Sony can remove (and as the announced GOW example shows they will) some titles from the offer with subscribers deffinitely losing access to them. With native port once the game is published it will stay with the platform forever with the already made purchases or thru the hacking/piracy.
The biggest blow with streaming is pc players habitually abusing free trial to play exclusive games.
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