Sony Interactive Entertainment co-CEO Hermen Hulst reaffirmed PlayStation Studios’ commitment to new IP and allowing developers to take creative risks. However, he acknowledged that PlayStation needs to tread carefully and make sure it gives players what they want.
PlayStation Studios’ new IP is as important as ‘sustainable finance’
In a press release explaining the closure of Concord developer Firewalk Studios and mobile developer NeonKoi, Hulst said he was a “big believer” in “creative experimentation and the development of new IP.” He added that while there are benefits to “embracing” both, “sustainable finance” is equally important to growth.
Hulst cited economic challenges as the main reason for PlayStation’s renewed focus on evolving its revenue streams. As previously reported, the executive made it clear that single-player games alone are not enough to support PlayStation’s financial health.
Firewalk’s closure wasn’t a surprise, but mobile studio NeonKoi shut down without releasing a single game, raising questions about whether Sony had been too ambitious in its pursuit of expansion. Ta.
“We need to be strategic in bringing games to new platforms and recognizing when games aren’t meeting player expectations,” Hulst concluded.
