Sony has built an impressive reputation for itself as an ecosystem for some of the best experiences available in gaming. That has been made possible, in part, through Sony's catalog of exclusive games that have drawn gamers to the PlayStation platform for decades. Popular examples include the Wipeout series which has gamers racing down neon-lit racetracks in antigravity ships, and the Uncharted series, which features the daring treasure thief Nathan Drake. In recent years, Sony has begun changing its strategy by making its games available to more players. This has been seen with MLB: The Show, a series of baseball games, that began as PlayStation exclusive titles but are now available on multiple platforms. Consequently, MLB: The Show 22 will available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo.
MLB: The Show 22 represents Sony's new commitment to making its games more accessible and expanding the reach of its IPs. Even with the company's recent acquisition of new studios, it has assured gamers that they can expect more multiplatform releases. It seems Sony, looking into the future, has determined that investing solely in PlayStation console gaming is not the best route, and that it will need to engage with multiple gaming markets to ensure its longevity.
MLB: The Show Goes Multiplatform
Major League Baseball has worked with PlayStation for many decades when it comes to the official game series of the sports organization. The first game in the series, MLB 06: The Show, was released on the PS2 and the PSP. The games have consistently received good reviews, and they have also attracted baseball fans thanks to their inclusion of real-world baseball players and brands, and with MLB: The Show 20 even Minor League Baseball players were featured.
Things changed in 2019 when Sony announced that MLB: The Show would be getting released on other platforms too. This was a shocking revelation to many, considering the series is developed by Sony's first-party studio San Diego. This choice was likely fueled by Major League Baseball noticing how much potential for monetization there is with multiplatform sports games, as seen with the phenomenal financial success of video game sports franchises like FIFA and NBA 2k. Gamers saw the effects of this deal with the release of MLB: The Show 21, which was released on PS4 and PS5 as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Notably, the game was available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.
MLB: The Show 22 will be the second multiplatform title in the series, and it will show up on Xbox Game Pass on day one yet again. However, this time the game will release on the Nintendo Switch as well. With Microsoft offering Xbox Game Pass to play MLB: The Show 22, and the Switch having the unique advantage of portability, the game may be available to more players, but the appeal of purchasing it on PlayStation has certainly been reduced.
Sony Acquires Bungie
In 2022, both Microsoft and Sony seem to be intent on making many huge acquisitions. Microsoft made the game-changing announcement that it is in the process of acquiring the powerhouse Activision Blizzard, which houses some of gaming's most popular franchises including Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft. With the acquisition, Microsoft will become the world's third-largest gaming company by revenue, sitting behind only Sony and Tencent. Not wanting to be upstaged, Sony recently announced that it will be acquiring Bungie for $3.6 billion. Bungie is the creator of the Halo franchise which has now become synonymous with Xbox, although in recent years the studio is more associated with Destiny, a popular online FPS series.
With all the acquisitions that have been occurring, many have speculated that gamers can expect to see multiplatform franchises go exclusive soon. However, although Sony has been open with its plans to acquire even more studios, it does not want gamers to fear increased exclusivity. According to Jim Ryan, who is the president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Bungie will continue to be an "independent and multi-platform studio and publisher."
Sony's approach to Bungie is in line with its recent acquisitions, which are centered on expanding the reach of PlayStation beyond just console gaming. Other recent acquisitions by Sony include Firesprite, a studio with plenty of experience in VR gaming, and Nixxes Software, which specializes in making PC ports of games. Rather than build a roster of irresistible games on PlayStation consoles, Sony is instead trying to find gamers on whatever platform they may be on to give them a taste of what its studios are cooking up.
Sony's Multiplatform Future
It is easy to understand Sony's perspective, as there are many difficulties that come with selling consoles. Although the PS5 has been a hit, the global semiconductor shortage has meant that not all gamers who want the console can purchase it. Furthermore, the growing popularity and viability of cloud gaming could mean more gamers foregoing purchasing consoles in favor of a completely cloud-based gaming solution. By diversifying the ways gamers can access games made by PlayStation studios, Sony ensures that wherever the future takes gaming, the company will be in a prime position to take advantage of the situation.
Some benefits come with console exclusivity, however. Studios that get to focus their attention on one platform can produce games that take full advantage of the hardware, leading to technical masterpieces. Nevertheless, there is a myriad of issues that come with exclusivity, especially the fact that some gamers are left out in the cold when anticipated games do not release on the platform of their preference.
Sony's multiplatform approach to the ninth generation of gaming is being made more apparent with MLB: The Show 22, which will have the series appearing on more platforms than ever. As such, gamers should get used to seeing the PlayStation Studios logo appearing in unexpected places, whether it be on an Xbox console, PC monitor, or Nintendo Switch screen.
MLB: The Show 22 is scheduled to release on April 5, 2022, on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.