PlayStation Indies head Shuhei Yoshida has revealed more details on Sony’s approach to first-party games and its strategy towards releasing its biggest titles through its subscription services PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium.
According to Yoshida in his interview with Games Industry, Sony still believes in the “premium release of a title at launch” and that when those games are made available on the new PS Plus tiers, the aim is to give those titles an additional revenue stream much later in their lifecycles. There are exceptions to the rule, such as the day-one launches of multiplayer-centric games such as Rocket League and Fall Guys, so that they could quickly establish an online audience.
“In the same kind of way, we believe in the premium release of a title at launch and after maybe six months, or three months, or three years, when the game’s sales come down, inclusion into this service, PS Plus Extra, can help introduce these games to new, broader audiences,” Yoshida explained.
The former PlayStation president added that when executed properly, the opportunity to build positive word-of-mouth for a game could help grow an audience, especially when that title has new DLC or a sequel coming out. “We are encouraging publishers to make use of these services in managing the lifecycle of each title,” Yoshida said.
Yoshida went on to mention that Sony’s revamped subscription service is still “kind of experimental” for the company, although it has considered the day-and-date launch of Stray to be a good example of what its service can offer. The PS Plus library has begun to expand since its overhaul earlier this year, having added Deathloop, Spiritfarer, and several other titles to its Extra and Premium libraries this month.
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