PlayStation seems slated to compete with Microsoft on another battlefield – as a third party publisher.
What Did We Discover?
Sony has a new job opening for multiplatform and account management, as shared on the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit by user AlfredsChild. Sony declares their intention to publish games on Xbox and Nintendo, as well as Steam, Epic Games Store, and mobile.
What Does Sony Say Specifically?
The job opening listing says this:
Reporting to the Vice President, Commercial Management as Senior Director of Multiplatform & Account Management, you will play a critical leadership role in shaping and executing the global commercial strategy for PlayStation Studios software titles across all digital platforms beyond PlayStation hardware, including Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox, Nintendo, and mobile.
How Dedicated Is Sony To Multiplatform?
The new employee will also have these responsibilities:
- Oversee the out-of-year (mid-range) commercial strategy for PlayStation Studios titles across all non-PlayStation platforms, driving long-term revenue growth and audience reach.
- Partner with marketing, product, and global publishing teams to develop and execute cohesive launch plans and lifecycle strategies for multiplatform titles.
- Lead platform relationships across PC and console ecosystems (Steam, Epic, Xbox, Nintendo), ensuring strong collaboration, promotional effectiveness, and performance optimization.
The listing also says they already have two employees dedicated to Xbox and PC. There is a Senior Manager for Platform Sales, and a Manager for Platform Planning and Performance.
How Did Sony Get Here?
Sony has made a business of making games exclusive to the PlayStation. That includes both the titles their own studios make, and an even broader range of third party titles.
In 2020, Sony published Horizon Zero Dawn to Steam. This started Sony’s slow movement into publishing more of their games onto PC. It also started a month before Microsoft announced they would be acquiring Zenimax Media.
Sony also started allowing or licensing PlayStation exclusive games to be released on multiple platforms. Recently, Bandai Namco announced Patapon 1+2 Replay and Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots, both releasing this year. But, it’s possible this already started in 2018, when Bandai Namco released Lumines Remastered and Katamari Damacy Reroll.
Was Democracy The Final Straw?
But then, Sony did the unthinkable. They announced Helldivers 2 is coming to Xbox Series X|S next month. After Microsoft slowly revealed their big AAA exclusives were coming to PlayStation, gamers thought that it was over for Xbox as a platform. Sony’s seems to be signaling that they need the smaller player base in Xbox as well.
Don’t be surprised if Sony releases more of their own games, AAA and smaller scale alike, on other platforms in the future themselves. Maybe they’ll try to sell PlayStation Plus outside the console, the way Xbox does with Game Pass. And maybe classic PlayStation games will be rereleased on PC, Switch, and even Xbox in the future. We’re definitely worried about the circumstances that brought Sony here, but it’s also an exciting time for gamers.
