It’s known that Sony Bend has been working on an unannounced PS4 exclusive for a while, but it didn’t appear at E3. Yet SCE Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida talked about it during a livestream from the show floor .
Days Gone developer appears to be moving well outside its comfort zone in order to join Sony's ongoing foray into live-service games.
Admin note: Updated this to rumor. Job listings can be a good indicator, but let's remember nothing is final until officially announced. ~Christopher
This game will determine the fate of Sony Bend. Not looking to good if it's a live service game.
Days gone is an amazing game which I believe was unfairly criticized for things a lot of other games gets a pass for. The game is very good but had a few bugs on launch that was quickly patched the day of release. There are so many games that took months to iron out most of the bugs that are highly praised so I can understand if the dev team decides to go a different route.
It's a tricky thing to try to make a sequel of a game because I've seen sequels improve a lot over the first game with new worlds and mechanics and get lower review scores while other games sequel have the same world with minor changes but get better review scores. Whatever the days gone developers are making I believe will be a good game because I know they are a good game studio.
Helldivers 2 proves you can make fun live service games that don't feel like they're nickle and diming you. I am optimistic
No, Sony is not allowed to have LS. Everyone else yes, but Sony is not allowed. We wont allow it.
Why? It's obvious at this point of what not to do when making a live service game. Plus you can see from Helldivers 2 that fun games can be made that don't feel like Microtransactions are weighing you or the game down.
For every helldivers 2 there are so many that aren’t good. Let’s not assume every sony live service game is gonna be helldivers 2.
To be fair, while Helldivers 2 has been great and quite successful, its only been out for a month and a half.
Its success from a launch standpoint has already been proven, but whether it succeeds as a Live Service game (in particular as one to be used as a model for others) is not really something we know yet.
The whole point of devs and publishers going for live service is the consistent revenue they provide over several years, not just 1-2 months
It's been obvious for years though. That hasn't stopped dozens of live service games crashing and burning on release for making the same mistakes again and again. This industry doesn't learn.
Why is it automatically bad? Maybe its a good game. I reserve my judgement until we see it.
Unless it is a hit like Helldivers ||, the studio will not survive unfortunately.
That is a lie. They can make a single player that players would claim they want, but would not support. They can make a good live service game like Helldivers 2. As long the game is good and the mtx are not bad, the game will do well. Their last game was a single-player game, yet most only got the game when it was heavily discounted.
Quite unfortunate.
Sony really should not be asking their long time studios to be making these games. Haven, Bungie, fine. Not Bend.
"Not looking to good if it's a live service game."
It´s Amazing news!
It could be a spiritual successor to Syphon Filter with multiplayer/co-op mechanics.
Bring it on, Bend!
I'm going to say this as someone who really enjoyed Days Gone
Why would you go and create an open world, multiplayer game with live service elements if you're previous game which was only a single player title came out flawed?
Wouldn't you want to create a new single player game to refine and fix your last mistakes to master what you were going for the first time before jumping into uncharted territories with online, multiplayer and live service which is a completely different beast entirely.
I can't be the only who thinks this right?
Just seems like your setting yourself up for failure in my opinion, you're giving yourself and your team bigger challenges to overcome in an already oversaturated market, a market where live service games made by people who are used to online and multiplayer are even struggling themselves.
It might be good, who knows, but at the moment it just seems they are biting off more than they can chew.
Isarai is completely right. bend already had wanted to do the sequel which is why the one guy stepped down from their studio because he didn't get to. Their marching orders were to do this from Sony.
Phoenix
That doesn't take away from the fact that when this LS fails , that Bend will be dismantled whether Ryan gave the "marching orders" or not.
Though you are right like Isarai said sony wanted 12 live service games asap they have no say in the matter just work for there over lords like isomiac in there marvel slave factory.
honestly having to make marvel games isn't so bad, there's a diverse lineup of characters to choose from. what's really bad about it is that they have to consult with sweet baby inc about political crap to add to their games or take away from it
@pho
Its not making marvel games its about the leak were even into mid ps6 we wil still be getting spiderman/wolverine from a dev studio that once did infamous and of course the ratchet games.
But no everyday they go to work on 2 ips for the next 8+years
Yup as others mentioned, not up to them.
My only hope now is for Bend to hold on & make it to a time & state that will allow them to properly start working on Days Gone 2.
They just see their competitors profits and want to replicate. They ask all these studios to do something they've never done before and the results are exactly as you would expect (lacking). This has been happening for a decade in the industry. Dice and Battlefront/Battlefield are the best example.
I full expect to see this game announced at SGF.
It's definitely not Days Gone 2 it's a new LS IP. Hope it looks and plays good.
Yup I feel the same. I am never buying into LS crap, no matter how good the game is supposed to be.
If they drop it at 39.99 and a progression system that isn't entirely bogged down by MTX like Helldivers 2 they could have something in general moving forward. However I fell like HD2 may just be an exception to the rule.
You knew for a long time that Days Gone 2 wasn´t coming.
Your outrage makes no sense.
Even if it is, my question is who is going to play all these live service games constantly? Doesn't matter if they are all Helldivers 2 quality, there is only so much time and people tend to dedicate themselves to maybe a couple of service games at a time ( if that ).
Well...yes. however, once you're more or less topped off on one you really only go back for the updates. Or in some cases even once a season starts.
Couldn't care less if it was, I wouldn't be buying it either way. LS is an instant deal breaker for me.
"Couldn't care less if it was, I wouldn't be buying it either way. LS is an instant deal breaker for me."
And Sony couldn´t care less about you or your feelings.
That’s the thing. Why does Helldivers 2 get praised but then this has everyone doomin’ and gloomin’? If we start getting GaaS as a majority of releases people don’t have anyone to blame but themselves for opening this door. I hope most of these GaaS games fail so we can get back to traditional games.
I always ask this question: Why do publishers choose to develop a game with a GaaS design vs just making a traditional game? There’s only one answer and it’s all centered around continual monetization with a dev budget spread thin over many years.
"If we start getting GaaS as a majority of releases people don’t have anyone to blame but themselves for opening this door. I hope most of these GaaS games fail so we can get back to traditional games."
In Sony's case if these LS games fail, major lay offs, studio down sizes and even possible studios shut downs (worse case)
I said this already but if these LS games fail it won't be a glamorous as going back to what they do best. There will be casualties and slow production, shifts and changes. If they succeed, they can make traditional SP games while supporting the LS game. That's the best case scenario.
Buy Bends new game if it looks good, plays good and fun. If it doesn't then don't buy it, no need to force yourself for some agenda.
I think Bends game is releasing next year tbh. I think it's closer than we think.
History says probably not. Almost every live service game fails. Realistically if HD2 is successful the other games likely won't be. Traditionally people dont jump from live service to live service. They find one game they really click with and invest their time and/or money into that.
Shuhei Yoshida chats with FINAL FANTASY XVI Producer Naoki Yoshida.
PlayStation boss Shuehei Yoshida wants the gaming industry to continue to chase its creative dreams.
"Got that one right, Shu!"
Kind of ironic when Sony is focused on GaaS like never before.
Companies evolve overtime. Sony has implemented themselves in the single player space relatively well. Now they can expand further by doing more all while still giving us single player experiences. Obviously Shu is speaking on GaaS games being the main dominance of the gaming space and if that’s the future then that indeed sucks.
You can have that mindset all while still creating some GaaS titles.
Absolutely! Man all the freaking gaas games theyve been releasing...wait. Not a single one.
kinda ironic when it comes to xbox you xboys can even defeat einstein in explation why its good, when it comes to ps you guys became dumb and dumber..
How so? They're only after one or two good GaaS games, they're throwing crap at the wall until something sticks, alot of those games in development are going to languish and die shortly after release. They're still predominately focused on their core strategy of great single player games (look at the previous interview where they admit they cancel alot of games).
God why do Xbox gamers always love the thought of PlayStation being as crappy as Xbox.?
"Like never before" regarding GaaS is like saying "PS3 is a console that launched with HDD space like never before": it's a very low bar to clear because there isn't much precedent.
I happen to agree with Shu here. I don't think being a GaaS title is a scarlet letter, but I can't think of any live service games that have been great at launch either. Naughty Dog is looking likely break that trend. I'd say two love service titles at a time is the sweet spot. I suspect people can only deal with a limited number of live service games contemporaneously.
Lmaooo
People always criticize Sony because 90% of their exclusives are single player games. People say they are too expensive because of low replay value.
And you wanna pretend like Sony is focusing on Gaas? Their biggest games aren't Gaas unlike MICROSOFT.
How are Sony focused on GaaS?
They own Bungie and have Destiny but the majority of their titles are far from GaaS.
Why, if you are such a die hard Xbot, do you rush to comment on Sony related articles?
@obscure
Are you ok now we was worried about your mental health state when you disappeared for almost a week from bashing PlayStation articles.
Is the word DENIED still triggering you?
I haven’t read the article as my spam blocker always red flags that site and I don’t t want to risk it so a general comment it is 🤦🏿
We all know live services game and quality rarely goes together but some of them are fun to play
@Obscure, Sony is starting from a place of zero which requires a big initial investment to establish themselves in the live services market.
It's very much the opposite, Shu said this damn well knowing Sony is going hard on GaaS. This is Shu confirming that Single player games won't be effected at all despite them going into Live service.
Except they aren't really- they have what may be a live service game from Haven studios and firewalk studios, they have another from a second party dev and an fps game with multiplayer focus by deviation games, they counted Gt7 as a live service game but really it's not much different to how recent GT titles were treated, they have the last of us factions, a Horizon multiplayer game in production at guerilla alongside horizon 3, a new ip from Bungie. The rest of their studios seem to be hard at work on traditional singleplayer games that may also have a multiplayer mode or may not. So their live service titles are mostly in development from either new teams setup at existing studios or from acquisitions they have made which really just replace the capabilities they once had through Sony Online Entertainment until they sold it half a decade ago. Only I'd argue their new capabilities in this space would appear to be better and have higher quality talent than it did back then.
Shu I agree but right now Sony themselves are working on more than 5 live service games
He never said they were not working on any. He said, he doesn't want to see Gaming's Future dominated by live-Service Games. Sony currently has 25 games in development. 10 being live service games, with the other mostly likely being single player games and that is honestly a very good balance
I agree I just hope their live service games are not simple money grabs and try to do some good interesting things
"and that is honestly a very good balance"
The issue is, whether people want to admit it or not because it's Sony, but once a company gets a taste of that money GaaS games make the chances of them going money crazy becomes super higher
I know what you'll probably say
"bu bu but Sony wouldn't do that"
NO COMPANY is immune, even the best can fall and I really don't want to see that happen here.
The fact people will completely blow that off and pretend it's not even a possibility is worrying to me because that's how we end up shits creek.
They might be fine...they might go too far but at the moment I don't think it's a bad thing at all to be sceptical with the shit this industry has gone through in the past 10 years alone.
The thing is most of those 10 games won't even be viable, out of the 10 that actually get released, probably only 1 or 2 will make the big bucks worth continuing support. I think Sony even knows that, look at all the other GaaS games that release and die shortly after. Personally I'm okay with that because I don't want the market dominated with these games.
I'd actually rather the resources go on to making some more top-tier JRPGs, I feel like we don't get enough of those in the last couple of gens.
Final Fantasy
But keep in mind when those games fail many of the studios are shut and there are layoffs
I don't want a Gaas game. I just want a new socom. A strong multi-player title with no purchases beyond the initial purchase.
Yeah exactly what I was thinking
Not 1
Not a cheeky 2
But freaking 5
Like it’s not even a “we’ll try doing one and see how it goes”
@-Foxtrot What do you have against live service games. I’m not a fan of live service games, but multiplayer games can be done right just look at Titanfall before EA killed it. As long as PS’s core studios keep making single player games, everything should be fine.
Sony said they have 25 games in development. 10 being live service games, with the other mostly likely being single player games. They have more single player games in development
@__SteakDeck__
Urm....that they are a cancer in this industry
That the majority of them fail and the developers have then wasted years on them rather than other things.
They turn developers and publishers into thirsty little money grabbers where that big money is still not enough for them.
I could go on, defending GaaS games is not a hill to die on man, it's really not
"done right just look at Titanfall before EA killed it"
Titanfall 2 was not really a GaaS type of game compared to what we are getting now so that's a really bad example.
@-Foxtrot Yeah it seems like you just have a hatred for multiplayer games. I’m not the biggest fan of multiplayer games, but like I said they can be done well. Also Titanfall 1 had no single player it was multiplayer only and it’s now a dead game, but it was still good. So yes that is a good example.
@_SteakDeck_,
I'm still salty about Titanfall 2, it was one of the only multi-player games I actually liked.
Multi-player games don't have to be Gaas games. Look at Mario Kart, Splatoon. Nintendo's games most likely don't have Gaas because they're behind the times, but this is one area where it's better to be behind the times.
And? They still have single player games. Domination would completely ruled with live services which Sony should know to still do single player. On a side note they should also do a few 1st party smaller games like indie or AA. By the way is indie a single A game.
To be fair, so has many other companies aka Ubisoft for example and many of them they decided to end development on. Just because something is in the works does not mean it will release if they do not feel it will pan out. ATM all of the GaaS we know of from Sony are The Last of Us Factions, and some kind of Horizon (Monster Hunter like) game. Also keep in mind, they do own Bungie, and Destiny and there new project be it Destiny 3 and there new IP will likely be that. So just that on its own is near half of what we can best assume.
Main issue with GaaS now days is that its very over saturated. Keep in mind as well Battel Royal games are GaaS by nature also, hell CoD is GaaS. Halo Infinity, ditto. Really now days unless something is an honest to god single player game only the GaaS term gets over used.
Not sure if many played it (I loved it) Gun's Up was a GaaS for a long while, it was going to shut down till some youtubers gave it a bit of new life for another half of year. We know Sony Mobile is working on things and it not shock me if some of this stuff is targeted to the mobile market.
Right now Sony's biggest weakness I'd say is MP games. With that Firewalk studio from lots of vets they just acquired its quite likely there game will have GaaS stuff as part of it, that is still years down the line. I think everyone needs to chill out some and just wait and see what comes. We have not really got a real honest GaaS from Sony before this or even last gen really... At least as we know them now days. Such a broad term now.
I really hope it's not a game for Morpheus.
People complain about Sony not showing many first party games at e3...they don't need to. They have a commanding lead, they have more first party support than ever before, and their games have quality.
No need to show games that are currently ovulating, especially after they secured and brought back hugely requested ips that good back for more than a decade... Those 3 megatons still have me of my chair.
SOCOM
still need to see Quantic Dream's, Sucker Punch, Santa Monica (as their main team is making God Of War, another part of their team is helping on Everyone Gone To Rapture, who knows what that other part of their team is actually making)
Some more events this year so no worries.
Paris Games week is where we may see this.