Sometimes, you have to wonder why people say what they say. After all, we all know a “stupid thought” when we hear it or see it written down, and when something is “just plain wrong” in the factual sense, we call it out. Or, at least, we’re supposed to. This latest “Why did they even say that?” statement comes from Sony, who was asked recently about the state of its various brands, including the video game space. The reason that this irritated many was the statement that, according to them, they “don’t have enough original IPs” across their line.
You can check out the official quote below:
Focusing solely on the gaming side of things for the moment, this is both true and untrue at the same time. The “true” element is that they honestly don’t have enough IP to do what rival Nintendo does by cranking out all sorts of 1st party titles within a year while they work on the “next wave.” That’s a big reason why the Nintendo Switch has done so well versus the PS5, which is dragging a bit behind, especially in the software department. The “untrue” part, though, is that Sony has plenty of IP that they haven’t touched in a long time that many gamers would love to see a return of.
In fact, just recently, there was a reveal about a potential crossover between two of the biggest icons in the history of PlayStation, and yet it was canceled. Just to name a few of the series that people would love to see come back, there is Resistance, Sly Cooper, Jak & Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, and others along those lines. Even if they brought back just a few of those to bolster its lineup, the PS5 would be in a better state, and gamers would be hyped for what is coming.
Another irony of this statement is the “focus” that Sony has been taking in recent years gaming-wise and how that’s played out in the last week. They tried to “go big” with a certain live-service team shooter, and it failed on all fronts and shut down in 11 days. At the same show where the game was announced, they dropped a trailer for a simple, adorable, single-player platformer, and that game was given one of the best Metacritic scores of the year!
So, if the company truly wants to “get more IP,” the answer is simple: stop focusing on big, expensive live-service products, and just make great quality games that people will love to play.
