It’s no secret that Sony is desperate for a smartphone success story. Companies like HoYoverse have proven that titles can transcend different devices, with the likes of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail huge on PS5, PC, and mobile. PlayStation has been scrambling to set up a mobile subsidiary within its business for years, acquiring developer Neon Koi and going through some leadership changes. We’re yet to really see the fruits of its efforts.
But it’s not giving up! A recently discovered job listing for a Mobile Platform Architect reveals that Sony is still very much committed to the plan, and is actively looking for someone who can spearhead the development of an infrastructure which will allow it to better “develop, publish, and operate free-to-play mobile games”. While it’s hard to glean too much information from the recruitment post, it sounds like the successful candidate will be building internal tools to help streamline management of PlayStation’s proposed mobile catalogue.
Ultimately, it means that, for now, the company is still committed to the idea of making smartphone games. While we’re sure there’ll be criticism in the comments, it makes sense: mobile makes up a huge proportion of the gaming industry’s income these days, and with the current line of smartphones available, there’s no real reason why Sony can’t develop for PS5 and mobile like many Chinese and Korean developers are doing. At the end of the day, though, for this strategy to actually work, it needs to publish some games – and on that front, we’re still waiting.
[source boards.greenhouse.io, via tweaktown.com]
Comments 21
I love the picture of Ratchet and Clank on mobile as if Sony is in any way going to deliver a single mobile game even close in quality to a console game. It’s not like it’s impossible, there’s some great stuff on mobiles. I just very much expect 2012 Facebook games with a Horizon skin. I’d rather take Ratchet and Clank Going Mobile and that’s rubbish.
The world I grew up in is gone😅
It’s the free to play bit that puts me off. And the current lack of trophy support
I still think going to mobile gaming is a bad decision for PS. I understand that as a gaming company, you don’t want to be dependent on only one platform. That’s the reason for the PSP, the Vita and all former Nintendo handhelds. And that’s the reason why Nintendo started making mobile games when they switched from 2-platform-model (console + handheld) to a single-platform-model with the Switch, to unify „big game“ development. Even the risk-averse Nintendo ditched the mobile gaming, in favour of films and amusement parks.
Nowadays, Sony established a second platform with the PC, which allows the aforementioned unified „big game“ development and lowers the risk for the company.
So Sony, please stay focused with your big titles, and forget about mobile gaming!
I don't get what the hell is Sony trying to do with smartphone games market and why they really insist on investing money for this market when all their previous effort was a failure.
I mean. They already tried when they released games like Run! Sackboy Run! or when they created ForwardWorks, a studio exclusives for making "full fledge" mobile games which they did with Everybody's Golf and Disgaea RPG. But Sony moved the studio under Sony Music for whatever reason.
There's also Wild Arms: Million Memories and Arc the Lad: R exclusives for mobile but both games got shutdown back in 2020 and 2021. Or GOW Betrayal back in 2007 which almost no GOW fans give a finger or remember it exist.
Now Sony dip their toes into smartphone market again after they acquired Neon Koi, a German-Finnish studio and so far they didn't released a single game either under PS studio.
Idk, mobile market can really be a golden mine but at the same time is totally another story than console market. I can't really think of PS IPs that could be a mobile hit at the moment.
Just look at Mighty Doom: strong IP, very fun game (really, it was almost a drug for me) aannnnd they're gone.
If i remember correclty they'are developing an AAA mobile gaming with Neon Koi and that scares me a lot. Imo the best way to succeed in mobile gaming is creating simple games that can go viral, just like Helldivers 2 did on console and pc.
@PuppetMaster their previous efforts with live service games were also a failure and then Helldivers II came out. You never know.
And when you're successful, the profits can be insane. It still blows my mind that Genshin Impact alone made more profit that playstation (last year, I think).
Add trophies and ill think about it.
They probably should have acquired mihoyo.
I doubt I'll interact with them unless there's a way to enhance or unlock things in the more mainline games by doing so, and even then it's unlikely. I am just yet to find any mobile game that I wouldn't rather play on PS5, if I enjoyed it in the first place.
Wherever there's a good possibility of making some serious profit, company's will try, makes sense. Couldn't care less about PlayStations approach to mobile phone gaming tho, as long as PS studios 1st party releases on PS5 eventually deliver the goods, that's all that matters
@naruball Yes it was FY 2022 and HoYoVerse (Genshin's parent company) made $2.26 billion in profit compared to Sony's Game & Network Services (PlayStation) division's $1.84 billion.
But what's crazy about Genshin, and similarly successful F2P games, is the ratio of revenue to profit. HoYoVerse made that $2.26 bn profit on just $3.83 bn revenue almost 60%, whereas PlayStation was nearer 6% which is a very delicate position financially.
I'm not saying Sony should change and put all their eggs in that one basket, but they would be foolish not try and get some of that action and improve their profit margins.
Surprised Sony hasn't ported any of their first party titles over yet, like the last of us.
@Americansamurai1 The mobile market only accepts FTP games, the traditional model of buying a game doesn't work well there.
@themightyant thanks for that! I greatly appreciate it. And, once again, I couldn't agree more.
PlayStation has tried to do this on a couple of occasions, and it's just not their strength, not to mention, mobile as a platform is really weak. The games all suck, unless you live in Japan, and in the U.S. a large part of that is monetization, it's Microtransactions up the wahzoo so..... Here we go again?
thankfully, over the next 4 years when playstation is in the red due to the mess jim ryan left behind (and after multiple GaaS cancellations and/or failures), the first thing to go will be the mobile division. nobody will care that it is gone and it will free up resources in the future for sony's core games. stick to your strengths and other publishers will stick to theirs. sony was not destined to be in the mobile space. they got into gaming in a very different era and clearly do not have the foresight nor the resources or curated talent to break through. at best, they could invest in some korean or chinese mobile studios perhaps. that would make a hell of a lot more sense than sony attempting and failing to develop mobile content on its own.
I'm not a fan of mobile games but if they made games like the PSP and Vita then I could be interested. I just don't want to see them using their main studios to make games for it and would prefer to see them partnering with others to use their IPs
@naruball Helldivers 2 is an exception. One success doesn't mean their other live service games will get the same success as Helldivers 2.
Imagine the resource that has been wasted for flop / cancelled live service and mobile games but used for making single player games. I'm sure you will be more excited hearing a new Wild Arms, Legend of Dragoon, Ape Escape, or Dark Cloud game in development over live service games like Fairgame$ or Concord.
Also, gatcha games with anime waifu like Genshin Impact always did well because they attract weebs and whales. It's the same for Fate GO, Nikke, or Azur Lane. But based on the history, i don't think what Sony trying to do with mobile game is producing gatcha anime waifu games.
I'm interested but from the Ratchet Going Mobile or God of War Betrayal to the Vita PS Mobile era they killed off in 2015 and we got PS Allstars Island or others.
To now with WipEout Rush (would have competed better on consoles then an idle game that flopped because GT4 B Spec or other manager games are just better than WipEout Rush was.
There is tons of mobile racing games but not good enough for Sony to offer a revival of sci-fi racers on console and Redout was made by ex WipEout staff. Fast Racing series, or in a different direction Inertial Drift, Distance many in that sort of arcade flashy way as well like come on), Fate GO (yes Sony gets Fate GO money) and Sackboy Run unless that was earlier and more I mean sure. The quality needs to be there.
I'm never into mobile games to me the closest I cared for was experimenting with a few on Windows Phone 8.1 and these days PS Minis on Vita or PS3 that are still up so trialing there, early emu I discovered, some close to flash games. Because they were 2010 era mobile style not business models of now types.
Like many things these days are completely different with mobile and not compelling. Flash games sure. Handheld games sure. But current mobile pass the compelling ideas of console games just aren't there.
@PuppetMaster "Helldivers 2 is an exception. One success doesn't mean their other live service games will get the same success as Helldivers 2."
But that's exactly my point. If you release one live service game, it doesn't mean that it will be a success. But if you release several, it's more likely that one of them will. So, most of them obviously won't but you don't know which one it will be. There was no indication that Helldivers II would be such a success, yet it was.
"Imagine the resource that has been wasted for flop / cancelled live service and mobile games but used for making single player games. I'm sure you will be more excited hearing a new Wild Arms, Legend of Dragoon, Ape Escape, or Dark Cloud game in development over live service games like Fairgame$ or Concord."
As someone who only plays single player games, that would be ideal for me. But I'm a realist. I understand that the profits from even one live service game can fund the development of several other games. The profits from single player games tend to be much lower. They cost too much and, after people are done with them, they move on.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...