At the same time that Concord collapsed in on itself in an epic fashion, Sony’s CFO said that the company was lacking IP. He said that across the board, in games, films, and anime, Sony doesn’t ‘have that much IP that we fostered from the beginning’. This statement comes as the outlook for PlayStation in particular dwindles somewhat.
We could be mere months away from the release of the PlayStation Pro, but the chief concern amongst players worldwide is that there aren’t really any games to make buying an upgraded console ‘worthwhile’.
With that being said, should Sony invest in creating new IP and risk another Concord scenario, or should it dip into the wealthy pool of somewhat forgotten franchises sitting on the back burner and bring back something with an existing fanbase?
We’re All Waiting
Plenty of PlayStation-centric franchises are quietly waiting in the wings, some of which have been abandoned for more than a decade. Could it be that revitalising one or more of these sunsetted series might be enough to Make PlayStation Great Again?
From my wishlist, I’d do malicious things to see another Killzone game from Guerrilla, which abandoned the series in 2013 to focus on Horizon. As we see a rise in tactical shooters, perhaps another SOCOM game would be a good choice, or as everyone loves an apocalypse, why not reinvest in Resistance?
Soulslike games are doing phenomenally well, so perhaps Sony could flush some cash back into FromSoft’s pocket and produce a Bloodborne follow-up (or even a remaster).
Superheroes and ‘enhanced individuals’ are universally appreciated, but since pivoting to develop Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch left Infamous in the dirt in 2014.
What about Uncharted? It’s no big secret that Naughty Dog is busy with other projects, but that’s always a huge winner for PlayStation fans. Then we’ve got Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter, Syphon Filter, The Order… It’s a lengthy list.
Concord, which was a $100 million mistake, is a perfect example of what happens when you release something completely new with almost no marketing and a premium price point in a world where free-to-play games are doing so well. Not every new IP can be as successful as Black Myth: Wukong, after all.
Ultimately, it’s a complex topic to broach, as it takes several years to develop games these days. Even if Guerrilla announced a tools-down move on Horizon and started piecing together the first Killzone title in 11 years tomorrow, we likely wouldn’t see that game emerge until 2030.
We can dream, though.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Undead Labs is ending support on State of Decay 2
Easy remake Ico, Dark Cloud, God Of War 1-3 and Ghost of Sparta, Siren, Rogue Galaxy, Jak 1-3, Rules of Rose, Extermination, Legend of Dragoon, Tsunagai, Okage, Primal, Soul Sacrifice, Fredom Wars, and a ton of others. Then new installments Sly 5, Jak 4, Siphon Filter, Killzone, Resistance, Sunset Overdrive, Ape Escape, Parappa, and they could finally make a big AAA open world Twisted Metal. They own a percent of From Software have them make a new Tenchu or Shinobido they own Acquire now, remake Otogi 1-2 and a 3, Kuon, Echo Night, Shadow Tower, Lost Kingdoms, Forever Kingdom, Evergrace, Eternal Ring, Kings Field, Frame Gride, there’s a ton of stuff they’re sitting on. I think they own Clock Tower too make a new one. Bring Wipeout back add more to it.
Sony’s paying for Silent Hill 2 remake they should pay Konami and Eighting to bring back Bloody Roar.
Sony’s run by idiots Jim Ryan was the first one to be in charge now they don’t know how to clean his mess up.
Concord is an example of new IP not selling. I’ve been saying it forever bring back the classic stuff stop with this garbage and didn’t Days Gone underperform too and that Destruction All Stars racing game they had. I wonder how Fair Game$ does.