Sony's ambitious games-as-a-service strategy has hit a major snag. The company's plan to launch 12 game services by 2025 has faltered, resulting in the abrupt cancellation of nine projects, sparking significant backlash from gamers.
In 2022, then-president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Jim Ryan, unveiled the ambitious 12-service initiative, a response to the evolving gaming landscape. However, this strategy faced immediate criticism from players concerned about a potential shift away from single-player titles. Despite assurances to the contrary, Sony has now confirmed the cancellation of nine of the twelve planned services.
While Helldivers 2 proved successful, high-profile projects including The Last of Us: Factions, Spider-Man: The Great Web, and a God of War title from Bluepoint Games, have been scrapped, along with others such as Concord and Payback.
Sony's Canceled Games:
- Concord (failed to meet expectations)
- God of War (Bluepoint Games)
- Bend Studio's multiplayer game
- The Last of Us: Factions
- Spider-Man: The Great Web (Insomniac Games)
- Twisted Metal (Firesprite)
- Unannounced fantasy game (London Studio)
- Payback (Bungie)
- Networking project (Deviation Games)
The cancellations primarily affect Sony's push into the games-as-a-service market. The response from gamers has been overwhelmingly negative, with many accusing Sony of chasing trends at the expense of its core strengths and established franchises. Projects from Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games, in particular, face significant delays.
