Now that the dust has settled after E3 2021, gaming enthusiasts have gotten some exciting news from two of the three major gaming giants, Microsoft and Nintendo. After some major announcements from both console manufacturers, all eyes were trained directly on today's State of Play. It was big for Sony, as the PlayStation 5 has gained serious momentum with the release of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and other first-party exclusives, so it wanted to capitalize on that with another hype-building State of Play. While much of the roughly 30-minute presentation was spent on more Deathloop footage, the showcase was packed with other third-party titles which is exactly what Sony should continue showcasing as the PS5 grows older.
Sony's First-Party Studios
Recently Sony acquired Housemarque, the makers of the PS5 exclusive Returnal, and rumor has it that the company has also acquired BluePoint Games with an announcement coming in the following weeks. Its current lineup of first-party studios is looking more solid than ever, but if there are going to be more State of Plays coming later this year, there might not be a whole lot to be shown from the company's first-party studios.
Sony has had some excellent releases over the last year with Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Japan Studios, Sucker Punch, and BluePoint all bringing exclusives to PlayStation consoles, so it's unlikely any of these studios have a lot to show so soon following their releases. Guerrilla Games, Sony Santa Monica, and Polyphony Digital all have games coming in the next year or so, but there's already been a State of Play dedicated solely to Guerrilla Games' Horizon: Forbidden West so it's less likely that the game will get more top-billed screen time in future State of Plays and showcases. That means that the future of major Sony announcements is likely to be revolving around the unnamed God of War sequel or Gran Turismo 7.
Footage of God of War 2 or Gran Turismo 7, however, might not be enough to capture the same attention that Sony's competition has following E3, and with seemingly limited options in terms of first-party studios, Sony should look to third-party studios to help fill out the PS5's somewhat limited library.
The Benefits of Showing off Third-Party Titles
When weighing the benefits of which consoles to buy, oftentimes exclusive first-party games are the only ones considered despite the many excellent third-party titles that exist on each platform. Sony proudly boasts its first-party exclusives as selling points for the PlayStation brand and, while they do produce quality titles, the "traditional" PlayStation exclusives are beginning to get stale for many fans. It's for this reason that Sony should look to the many third-party studios that are looking for the spotlight.
Today's State of Play is a perfect example of what the company can do to market both its newest console and third-party games that could really use the publicity. The State of Play exclusively showed third-party titles that are doing more than enough to sell the viewers on the PS5. Games like Sifu, Lost Judgement, JETT: The Far Shore, Tribes of Midgard, and Deathloop might not all be PlayStation exclusives, but everyone who saw them in today's State of Play is associating them with the PlayStation brand saying that each game is best on PlayStation consoles.
As Sony's first-party studios continue working on their next projects, it might do the company some good to continue showcasing third-party titles and billing the showcases as major events like today. Sure, announcement trailers and gameplay footage of upcoming first-party titles will also build excitement, but Sony has plenty of excellent games that could really fill out its library in the minds of the fans.
Making the PlayStation Brand Third-Party Friendly
The Nintendo Switch seems to be extremely popular for playing many third-party indie games because of how easy it is for studios to publish their titles on the platform. Unfortunately, reports seem to indicate that PlayStation makes it difficult for indie and other third-party studios to publish and receive any sort of marketing on the platform, putting Sony in a tricky situation. The company seems to be fine with using third-party games to market the PS5 but seems to have some issues with its third-party relationships.
Sony has already set a precedent that it wants to put third-party games front and center in its State of Plays and other announcements. In April's State of Play, alongside an extended look at Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Sony showcased Among Us and Subnautica: Below Zero, but it can do even more. In the initial reveal events for the PlayStation 5, the company showed off many third-party titles including games like Deathloop that have become synonymous with its newest console. Sony seemed to be taking steps toward supporting those studios in a way that they haven't before, but more than six months into the PS5's lifecycle and that support seems to have been put on the backburner with the recent allegations of poor business practices.
Bringing third-party studios back into the spotlight during the next era of PlayStation would help reinforce the idea that the PlayStation 4 and 5 are good ecosystems to pick up those games in. Long has the conversation surrounded PlayStation and its first-party exclusives, but expanding the consoles' worth as third-party platforms would do plenty of good. It's clear that Sony doesn't plan on slowing down with its first-party studios, but in a time when the company is being shown up by Microsoft and Nintendo in third-party support, Sony should take the time to invest in those studios by sharing the spotlight and making more third-party games synonymous with the PS5.
After the controversy surrounding PlayStation and indie/third-party studios, Sony is in hot water and needs to regain the trust of both consumers and studios. What better way to do that than to include a healthy dose of third-party games in all future State of Plays, giving screen time to studios that might need it while also showing the gaming community Sony does care about its third-party studios and games.