Sony Interactive Entertainment has said that they will be focusing more on multiplayer with the Playstation 5.Chairman, Shawn Layden, has shed some light on his opinion about online multiplayer games like GTA Online, saying that he believes there is still a market for other types of gameplay such as couch co-op. Layden also mentioned that the PlayStation’s exclusive line-up has been lacking in the multiplayer scene in the past.
When Layden was asked about couch co-op:
“I mean that’s a whole category I think the industry needs to look back at, we have that with sports titles, and some racing titles, but not with much else. And I think that speaks to the power of the internet on the one hand, but otherwise we might wanna revisit that to get more family engagement in the gaming experience.”
Sony has been a trailblazer in the single player experience for years. From classic titles early on such as Metal Gear Solid, Crash Bandicoot and Resident Evil (all getting later ports to other consoles) eventually paving the way for the PlayStation 4’s continued success with titles such as Uncharted, God Of War, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and many others. While other publishers such as EA have stated that single player games are a dying art, Sony continues to prove that logic wrong.
However, Sony’s goal going forward is to continue producing spectacular single player experiences with stories that rival some big screen productions, but also offering engaging multiplayer experiences for the PlayStation 5. As the gaming community continues to grow, the desire for multiplayer gaming will also continue to grow. Sony hopes to try and cater more to the multiplayer community in their next generation of consoles.
Layden went on to say:
“Worldwide Studios, like I say, we’ve been going really heavy into story-driven gaming. The power of the narrative. Big, spectacular experiences. But not a whole lot in the multiplayer side of things, I think. That’s an area where you will likely see us start to make more noise in the new term.”
Is this a good move by Sony, to focus more on their multiplayer? Or should they stick to their roots and dominate the single player world? Let us know what you think in the comments!