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The CEO of PlayStation, Jim Ryan, recently discussed the details surrounding the new PlayStation Plus tier-based system. Ryan interestingly noted that he believes that live service games have more of a future in the gaming industry than gaming subscription services do. Ryan and PlayStation seem to believe this wholeheartedly as the company recently acquired a couple of studios in this sector.
Around two weeks ago PlayStation acquired Haven Studios following on the heels of the Bungie purchase earlier in the year. Haven Studios was formed by Jade Raymond, who has previously worked on the Assassin's Creed franchise, and it was seemingly already working on a live service PlayStation 5 exclusive game. PlayStation seemingly has a lot of faith in the live service sector of the industry, and also believes that the Raymond-led Haven Studios is the right company to help take it further into the live service market.
Ryan recently mentioned in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz that he believes that the large amount of growth the industry has seen over the past 10 years can be attributed to live service games. Ryan went on to note that he believes that live service games will continue to be supported, as the model encourages sustained engagement from consumers over long periods of time. Ryan concluded this statement by acknowledging that he believes live service games capture the attention of players better than subscription services do.
Ryan's engagement with the press was owing to the recent launch of the new tier-based PlayStation Plus subscription service. While changes to PlayStation's subscription services have been requested by fans for a long time, the reception to the announcement has been somewhat mixed since more details about the service have been revealed.
One of the main details regarding the service that drew ire from fans was the fact that new Sony games will not be coming to the PlayStation Plus tiers on day one. Many fans were unhappy about this detail due to the fact that Xbox Game Pass subscribers receive many first-party and third-party games on day one. Jim Ryan stated that the reasoning behind this decision was because the company is happy with its current business model, does not want to make any changes that could mean less funding for its games.
Another aspect of the service that upset some fans is the fact that only PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers will be able to stream games on PC. PlayStation Now formerly allowed PC users to stream games, however, that service cost only $10 per month, whereas a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription costs $17.99 per month.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz