An ex-Sony executive went on record this week saying that PlayStation launching games across multiple platforms would not be a worthwhile move for the company. This comes after Xbox’s move to third-party releases this year. The entire catalog was opened up to a broader audience.
As reported by Tech4Gamers, Shawn Layden recently spoke to Eurogamer on Xbox’s recent change in strategy. He felt that opening up the PlayStation catalog to a wider audience and other platforms wouldn’t work for Sony. In fact Layden feels that doing so would upset the existing fanbase.
While upsetting the existing fanbase may be a valid point, it has long been an accepted fact that most of the big console companies sell their consoles at a loss. They make their money back on the games and licensing of those games. Therefore logic would dictate that selling more games without the loss incurred from selling consoles would net a higher profit. While some fans might initially be upset by changes, it would open up the industry and make gaming more lucrative, accessible and competitive. Which would be good for everyone.
So it feels like Layden’s take is a lukewarm one at best. He is a former CEO of Sony, so perhaps he has some piece of pertinent information we are not privy to. He downplays the effects of selling more games on another console because PlayStation is a market leader. But if companies make more money on game sales, then selling more games to a wider audience can’t possibly be a bad strategy. Can it?
If you’d like to read the full interview you can do so here. Xbox seems to be more interested in selling a service than selling a console. If you’d like to find out more click here.
