Sony remains firm on its decision to bring PlayStation first-party games to its subscription service, PS Plus Extra, 1 to 2 years after their launch.
Speaking during an interview, PlayStation’s Vice President and Global Head of Subscriptions, Nick Maguire, revealed that the company remains firm on its decision to bring PlayStation first-party games to PS Plus Extra 1 to 2 years after their launch.
Maguire stated that the company is happy with its ongoing strategy. According to him, putting games in a bit later in the life cycle has meant that they can reach more customers 12, 18, 24 months after they have released. He added that customers still get excited about those games and are jumping in, therefore the strategy is working for Sony.
The Global Head of Subscriptions mentioned that, occasionally, there will be an opportunity to invest in a day-and-date title, such as Stray, and the company will take such opportunities when they arise. However, as far as first-party games are concerned, the company remains firm in letting them launch exclusively at retail and on the digital storefront, outside of the service. He added that this strategy is working and it will, therefore, continue to be the company’s strategy moving forward.
Sony makes a significant investment in its AAA titles, and, therefore, prefers to see them reach their sales potential before putting them on the subscription service. While some may consider it anti-consumer, it does make sense from the company’s perspective. It was recently revealed that Sony aims for a Metacritic score of 90% for its first-party games. This was stated by former Santa Monica Studio art director, Rafael Grassetti during a recent episode of Flow Games L.A. Grassetti revealed that Sony sets a high standard for its major studios like Santa Monica and Naughty Dog. To ensure the achievement of such scores, the console maker has established a dedicated division that focuses on this matter.
