Sony Won’t Release First-Party Games on PS Plus at Launch
▼ Summary
– Sony will not release its first-party games on PlayStation Plus at launch, maintaining its current strategy of adding them later.
– Unlike Xbox, which adds major first-party titles to Game Pass immediately, Sony focuses on third-party games for day-one releases on PS Plus.
– Sony’s approach includes adding first-party games to PS Plus 12-18 months after launch, a strategy it claims is working well.
– PS Plus serves as a platform to introduce new players to franchises, but Sony remains non-committal about live-service titles like Concord.
– Sony may adjust PlayStation Plus pricing in the future to maximize profitability, as stated by its president.
Sony has confirmed its first-party PlayStation exclusives won’t debut on PS Plus at launch, maintaining a strategy that differs sharply from competitors like Xbox. The company prefers adding major titles to its subscription service months or even years after their initial release, focusing instead on a mix of third-party day-one additions and older hits.
During a recent interview, PlayStation’s vice president of global services, Nick Maguire, emphasized that Sony’s current approach, balancing select indie releases with delayed AAA additions, has proven successful. While Xbox Game Pass often includes high-profile first-party titles immediately, Sony opts to stagger its premium exclusives, ensuring full-price sales before introducing them to subscribers.
Recent examples like God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Forbidden West joined PS Plus roughly a year post-launch, reinforcing this model. Maguire noted that the right timing varies per game, with some titles benefiting from joining the service later to attract new players. However, he left the door open for adjustments, stating Sony would consider more day-one additions if compelling opportunities arose.
The discussion also touched on live-service games, though Maguire avoided specifics regarding Concord, FireWalk Studios’ ill-fated multiplayer title. Despite its abrupt shutdown, he highlighted PS Plus as a valuable tool for expanding a game’s reach, just not necessarily at launch.
This stance isn’t new. Maguire reiterated Sony’s 2023 position that delayed subscription inclusions align with the company’s profitability goals, a sentiment echoed by Sony president Hideaki Nishino regarding potential PS Plus pricing changes. Meanwhile, third-party and indie games like FBC: Firebreak continue to debut on the service, proving day-one releases aren’t off the table entirely, just reserved for the right projects.
While Xbox bets on immediate Game Pass drops to drive engagement, Sony’s patience-first strategy reflects its confidence in premium exclusives sustaining demand. Whether this balance holds as subscription models evolve remains to be seen.
(Source: EUROGAMER)
