PSがPCと出会う：PlayStationの長期的な持続可能性のためのマルチプラットフォーム戦略
ビュー | ただし、これには将来のより明るい未来につながることを願うコストが付随しています
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Xbox expands to multiple platforms while PlayStation focuses on PC gaming.
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If I had to describe the gaming industry in February 2024 in one word, it would be “multiplatform.” With recent layoffs across the industry, both Xbox and PlayStation are advocating for a multiplatform approach to ensure long-term sustainability. While Microsoft has already brought some of its games to PS5, Nintendo Switch, and even PC, PlayStation is now setting its sights on the PC market.
PlayStation has been gradually releasing its big PS4 and PS5 exclusives on PC about a year after their initial console debut. This renewed push towards PC is not surprising. Games like Returnal, The Last of Us, Marvel’s Spider-Man, God of War, and Uncharted have all made successful transitions to PC, gaining a second wind in the process. But it seems like this is just the beginning of Sony’s PC plans. Unlike Microsoft, however, Sony hasn’t revealed much about its future PC releases.
PS Meets PC
In Sony’s latest earnings report, chairman Hiroki Totoki stated that the main purpose of first-party titles, like those on PS4 and PS5, was to make the console popular. But now, Totoki emphasizes that these titles can flourish on multiple platforms. Sony is aggressively pursuing a multiplatform strategy, with a clear focus on expanding to computers.
These statements came just weeks before Sony shocked everyone with the announcement of laying off 900 people across its studios, including Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, and the complete closure of its London Studio. Microsoft had a similar story earlier this year, cutting nearly 2,000 people from its gaming division. Despite some remarkable games and sequels released in 2023, the past year has been challenging for the industry. It’s clear from recent developments that launching games on other devices is one way to turn things around.
“Delivering narrative-driven stories and maintaining the quality PlayStation Studios is known for requires a re-evaluation of how we operate,” explains Hermen Hulst, the Head of PlayStation Studios. “Launching games on additional devices such as PC and mobile requires a different approach and resources.”
Xbox boss Phil Spencer echoed similar sentiments during a recent Xbox Podcast, where they unveiled their multiplatform strategy. He stated, “Over the next 5 or 10 years, exclusive games, games that are exclusive to one piece of hardware, are going to be a smaller and smaller part of the game industry.” Clearly, launching games on multiple devices is essential for fixing the issues plaguing the industry.
The Only Good Bug Is a Dead Bug
While Sony hasn’t explicitly revealed changes to its PlayStation to PC strategy, it has already made a small start this year with the release of Helldivers 2. This multiplayer shooter is the first PS5 console exclusive to launch simultaneously on PC, and it has made a remarkable impact. Helldivers 2 became the biggest PlayStation Studios game launch on Steam within 24 hours, even surpassing the likes of Destiny 2 and Starfield, which were released simultaneously on Xbox and PC.
This seems like a strategy PlayStation can adopt moving forward, similar to Xbox’s approach of bringing smaller, social-focused experiences to PC to increase player counts and reinvestment potential. Helldivers 2, developed by Arrowhead Game Studios, isn’t owned by PlayStation, nor is it a definitive system-seller. Yet, the cross-platform demand for this shooter has been incredible. There’s clearly an appetite, not just for a fantastic multiplayer shooter (which we’ve been missing for a while), but also for Sony’s distinct experiences to be widely available.
Sony made its play for the PC market by launching the PlayStation Portal at the end of last year. While it may not compete with the likes of the powerful Windows/Linux-based portable PCs, such as the Steam Deck or Asus ROG Ally, it showcases PlayStation’s strategy of diversifying its previously walled-garden approach to releases.
Sony needs to shed more light on its plans soon. With confirmation that the PS5 won’t receive any major existing franchise titles before April 2025 and the cancellation of several unannounced titles due to corporate restructuring and layoffs, the future looks uncertain for the platform. As of now, PS5 exclusives for this year are limited to Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, Rise of the Ronin in March, Stellar Blade in April, and very few others. None of these are slated for simultaneous PC releases either.
If multiplatform is the key to saving the gaming industry, then Sony, PlayStation, and hopefully Nintendo too someday, need to embrace it wholeheartedly and without delay. Perhaps the silver lining in all this turmoil will be the end of the console wars and extreme territorialism. We can only hope.
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追加トピック: Q&A
Q: 他にPC向けに計画されているPlayStation専用ゲームはありますか？
残念ながら、ソニーは将来のPC向けリリースに関する具体的な詳細を提供していません。しかし、最近の戦略を考慮すると、PlayStationの独占タイトルがPCプラットフォームに登場する可能性は非常に高いです。ソニーからの発表や更新情報に注目してください。
Q: マルチプラットフォーム戦略はPlayStationゲームの品質に影響しますか？
PlayStation Studiosは知られている没入型で物語重視の体験を維持しつつ、他のプラットフォームに展開することを決意しています。これにはリソースやアプローチの調整が必要となるかもしれません。最終的には、彼らの目標は品質を損なうことなく、自らのゲームを広い観衆に提供することです。
Q: 任天堂も同様のマルチプラットフォーム戦略を取るでしょうか？
現時点では不確かですが、マルチプラットフォームのリリースの成功やゲーム産業の変化が、将来的に任天堂のアプローチに影響を与えるかもしれません。NintendoがXboxやPlayStationと同様のマルチプラットフォーム戦略を採用するかは、時間が経てばわかるでしょう。
Q: マルチプラットフォームゲーミングはプレイヤーにどう利益をもたらすのでしょうか？
マルチプラットフォームゲーミングにより、プレイヤーはお気に入りのゲームを異なるデバイスで体験でき、より柔軟性とアクセシビリティが提供されます。また、クロスプラットフォームプレイを促進し、異なるデバイス上のプレイヤーが一緒にゲームを楽しむことも可能となります。さらに、マルチプラットフォームでのリリースは、ゲーム開発にポジティブな影響を与え、より多くのリソースや再投資の可能性をもたらすことがあります。
参考文献
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