Sony Stays Committed to Live Service Games Like Marathon, Fairgames
▼ Summary
– Sony remains committed to live service games like Marathon and Fairgames despite past failures and controversies.
– Helldivers 2 is highlighted as a major success, praised for its community retention and industry awards.
– Marathon faces criticism for player drop-off, design flaws, and an art plagiarism scandal, despite early engagement claims.
– Fairgames has seen delays, leadership changes, and mixed reception, with concerns over its development focus on AI tools.
– Sony has scaled back its live service ambitions from 12 to 6 games by 2026, while emphasizing single-player titles as a core strength.
Sony continues to push forward with its live service gaming strategy, doubling down on titles like Marathon and Fairgames despite recent challenges. During the company’s annual business presentation, PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst emphasized the importance of maintaining a diverse portfolio, pointing to Helldivers 2 and Destiny 2 as key successes driving future projects. While optimism remains high internally, both Marathon and Fairgames have faced significant hurdles that cast doubt on their long-term viability.
Hulst praised Helldivers 2 as a standout performer, calling it a critical and commercial triumph that has sustained an engaged player base. However, his comments on Marathon were notably more measured, describing the game as “innovative and bold” while highlighting “strong early engagement” as its primary achievement. Behind the scenes, the reality appears less rosy. The game’s closed alpha test saw an 80% drop in players, with criticism focusing on its restrictive three-player format, absence of solo play, and missing core features like proximity voice chat.
The situation worsened when Marathon became embroiled in an art plagiarism scandal, forcing Bungie to conduct an internal audit after admitting unauthorized assets were used in development. Reports suggest the controversy severely impacted team morale, raising questions about the project’s stability.
Meanwhile, Fairgames, a cooperative heist title, has largely flown under the radar since its announcement. Development setbacks include the departure of studio founder Jade Raymond and reported issues during external testing. Adding to the uncertainty, the game’s title was altered, dropping its original dollar sign—a seemingly minor change that sparked speculation about broader rebranding efforts.
Sony’s track record with live service games has been mixed at best. High-profile cancellations, including The Last of Us Online and a scrapped God of War live service project, underscore the risks of this approach. Originally targeting 12 live service releases by 2026, the company has since scaled back to just six, signaling a more cautious strategy.
By contrast, Sony’s single-player offerings, such as God of War: Ragnarok, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and the upcoming Astro Bot, have consistently delivered both critical acclaim and commercial success. Hulst acknowledged these titles as a “core strength,” reinforcing the notion that traditional narrative-driven experiences remain PlayStation’s strongest suit.
While Sony remains publicly committed to live service gaming, the road ahead looks increasingly uncertain. With player expectations higher than ever and competition fierce, the company’s ability to replicate the success of Helldivers 2 with its upcoming projects remains an open question.
(Source: Eurogamer)
