Sony has a track record of experimenting with new franchises and properties with every new console generation, and that’s very much been the case over the course of the PS4 era as well. Though we certainly got sequels in established franchises with the likes of God of War, Uncharted 4, and The Last of Us Part 2, Sony also took leaps of faith with several new properties such as Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, and Days Gone.
If there’s one thing all publishers in the industry can agree on, it’s that new IP launches are always risky ventures. Speaking recently in an interview with GQ, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan talked about that as well, remarking that though Sony plans to continue its current first party approach, introducing new properties is always a very risky move, owing to the investment they require on the publisher’s part.
“We’re making great games now and we certainly plan to continue making great games,” Ryan said. “The thing with those blockbuster games is that they need a box office release. They cost more than $100m dollars to make these days and in order to be able to do that and bring new IP to the market – which is a very risky thing and and we did four times in the PS4 generation – you’ve got to have a box office release.”
Sony’s track record with new properties this generation speaks for itself, with Horizon Zero Dawn and Ghost of Tsushima in particular having been massively successful in terms of both critical and commercial performances. While it goes without saying that Sony will want to keep investing in established properties, it should be interesting to see what new ideas their studios come up with in the coming years.