Sony Learned The Wrong Lesson From The PS5’s 2024 Success
Coming off the heels of a very up-and-down year for the PlayStation 5, the higher-ups at Sony have taken the console's biggest hits and misses into account when formulating their strategy for the future – but they may be taking away some of the wrong lessons. 2024 was a very mixed year for the PS5 overall, with a few high-profile successes like the Silent Hill 2 remake that drew in both lucrative sales and rave reviews, but they were marred by some very significant flops as well, most notably the failure of Concord.
Sony president Hiroki Totoki recently addressed the performance of some of the PS5's tent-pole releases from the last year and how they'll impact the company's current priorities in game development. In his comments, Totoki singles out two specific games from 2024 – Astro Bot and Helldivers 2 – as specific examples of the kinds of titles Sony hopes to build on going forward. And while both of those games are excellent and deserve to serve as inspiration for future projects, Totoki's comments raise concerns about how exactly Sony will go about trying to recapture their success.
Sony Is Pursuing More Games Like Astro Bot & Helldivers 2
Family & Live Service Games Will Be Large Focuses
In an earnings call on February 13 as reported by Video Games Chronicle, Totoki recapped the performance of the PS5's biggest games from the last 12 months and specifically mentioned both Astro Bot and Helldivers 2 as key successes for Sony and the PS5. In particular, he commented on Astro Bot's numerous accolades, including Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024, and also touched on the awards and praise for Helldivers 2, which also won multiple awards in the multiplayer and live-service categories. The games won a total of six awards combined, a highly commendable feat.
TGA Award Category | Winner |
|---|---|
Best Ongoing Game | Helldivers 2 |
Best Multiplayer Game | Helldivers 2 |
Best Family Game | Astro Bot |
Best Action/Adventure Game | Astro Bot |
Best Game Direction | Astro Bot |
Game of the Year | Astro Bot |
Both games have been an unquestionable success for Sony, both critically and commercially. Sales of Astro Bot had already surpassed 1.5 million units as of November 2024, enough to make it one of the best-selling games in the PS5's library, and currently sits at 94/100 on Metacritic. Helldivers 2 is the fastest-selling PlayStation game of all time as it has passed over 12 million units sold between the PS5 and PC versions and is rated at 82/100 on Metacritic.
10 Best PS5 Games Of 2024
2024 was a great year for PlayStation fans, as there were so many incredible exclusives that became either cult classics or award-winning gems.
As outlined in the earnings call, Sony will be using the concrete success of these two hits as a blueprint for its next slew of titles in development. Specifically, per Totoki's comments, this will mean a greater focus on family games like Astro Bot as well as live service titles in the vein of Helldivers 2. While capitalizing on the success of a big hit is a no-brainer move for anyone, Sony would do well to consider what exactly it should be capitalizing on when it comes to these games.
Astro Bot & Helldivers 2 Are More Than Their Genres
These Games Place Innovative & Polished Experiences At The Forefront
With both games being big feathers in the PS5's cap, it seems elementary that Sony would want to capitalize on their individual successes as they attempt to fill out their lineup for the coming years. But boiling down the merits of both Astro Bot and Helldivers 2 to nothing more than their genres and using that as a template for future games is reductive thinking, at best. The games didn't become popular with fans simply because they targeted the right genre, but because they were well-made, quality titles that were given a chance to succeed.
Astro Bot quickly endeared itself to longtime PlayStation fans with its inclusion of numerous cameos and references to many iconic games of the past, but it was more than just a quick hit of nostalgia. It was Astro Bot's creativity and innovation that made it a blast to play for fans new and old alike, as evidenced by the fact that over a third of Astro Bot players were completely new to Sony games. While its family-friendly aura and nostalgic vibes may have been points in Astro Bot's favor, it became a favorite for its charm and quality platforming gameplay.
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Helldivers 2 is at the opposite end of the spectrum from Astro Bot, a multiplayer-only online live service game aimed at a more hardcore, mature audience. Receiving rave reviews for its gunplay and darkly comedic setting, Helldivers 2 became the foundation for a dedicated and vocal community bolstered by a close relationship with the developers. The bond of the community was so strong that they were even able to reverse Sony's controversial PSN account linking decision, which was no small feat, and is also an indication that the game's live service elements were not the driving force of its success.
The PS5 Needs Variety & Quality Above All Else
Focusing On Limited Genres Will Hurt The PS5 Library
Despite the runaway success of games like Astro Bot and Helldivers 2, 2024 was overall a rough year for Sony and the PS5 marred by controversies and some embarrassingly big flops. Sony needs to support its flagship console with a strong library of new games, but those titles shouldn't be pigeonholed into the categories of being either family games or live service games. It needs games that are diverse in genre and style, made by passionate developers given all the tools they need to make something great.
There is a lesson to be learned from Astro Bot's sweeping success in terms of what fans want to see, but part of that appeal was the novelty of seeing a Sony-branded game in the platforming genre, one it hasn't touched on in a long time. And while Helldivers 2 proved the live service model can be a profitable one, it stands in stark contrast to Sony's other big live service gamble from 2024, Concord, which remains as one of the biggest financial losses in gaming history and seemingly sparked the cancelation of many other live service games in development.
Sony Has Cancelled Even More Live Service Games, Including One Fans May Be Upset About
Sony's live service plans take another blow with the cancellation of two more previously announced games, with one title fans were hoping for.
Totoki emphasized that family games and live service games are two key genres that Sony will be focusing on for its game development projects in the near future, but that's the wrong takeaway. Sony should be looking more at how games like Astro Bot and Helldivers 2 are being made – the creativity, the hard work, the community support – and recapturing that magic with more of its games. The PlayStation 5 needs to solidify its library with true heavy-hitters, but those are unlikely to come if Sony keeps its focus on the wrong place.
Sources: Video Games Chronicle, Metacritic (1, 2)
- Brand
- Sony
- Original Release Date
- November 19, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $399.99 (Digital Only), $499.99 (Disc Drive)
- Weight
- Digital Edition now weighs 3.4 kg & base version weighs 3.9 kg
The fifth flagship video game console from Sony Computer Entertainment, the PlayStation 5, is a part of the ninth generation of consoles. The console features full backwards compatibility with PlayStation 4 games and features a digital storefront that gives access to older generations. The console can output images at 4K resolution, with alternative options including 1440p at 120 frames per second for gameplay. This console is also known for implementing 3D audio, which allows headphones to be connected to the console for simulated spatially accurate audio.
