The opportunity cost of Sony's live service pivot is enormous | Opinion

The opportunity cost of Sony's pivot to live service games is substantial, as detailed in Jason Schreier's reporting. One such casualty is Guerrilla Games, once a celebrated studio behind major exclusive titles for PlayStation. The company, famous for Horizon: Forbidden West, is now focusing its efforts on reworking the live service game, Hunters Gathering, into a conventional multiplayer title without live service components.

This strategic shift has had significant consequences. For starters, it means that there may not be a mainline sequel to Horizon: Forbidden West in development at Guerrilla Games for the PS5. With Horizon: Forbidden West launching at the end of the PS4's life cycle, its follow-up is likely to not appear until well into the lifespan of the PS6.

This is a significant loss for Sony, as the game was a major success for the company, contributing to a steady stream of must-play games for the PlayStation platform and showcasing the studio's ability to create both new franchises and continue revitalizing older IPs. The failure of these live service titles also casts doubt on other gaps in Sony's release schedule, leading many to assume that the company's live service focus is to blame for the lack of new major exclusive games.

This is particularly damaging for Sony at the moment, given the perception that the PlayStation 5 is lacking in noteworthy exclusive titles, a notion that is now practically common knowledge.