The PlayStation Showcase has come and gone. Although reception has been mixed, many fans were left unimpressed with what they saw. After all, this is the first major PlayStation event in almost 2 years. Despite the criticism here are 6 things we learned from the 2023 PlayStation Showcase.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is this Year’s Tentpole
Make no mistake, Spider-Man 2 looks impressive. From the slick animations, new villains, and cast members, to improved web-swinging mechanics, Spider-Man 2 is firing on all cylinders. It will undoubtedly be PlayStation’s biggest offering this year and will lead the charge when it releases this fall. Expect a State of Play a couple of months ahead of its launch this fall.
Sony Goes All in on Live Service Games
Sony’s recent earnings call seemed to foreshadow this new development, but the company is going all in on live service games. The company expects to increase its budget on live service games from 12% in 2019 to 55% in 2023. In fact, live service games budget will then increase to 60% of PlayStation’s total game development by fiscal year 2025. We can already see games as a service foundation being set with the announcement of FairGame$, Concord, and Helldivers 2.
Source: Sony earnings call FY 2023.
Bigger Emphasis on Trans-Media Content
Some fans were outraged that the trailer of the Gran Turismo movie was featured during the PlayStation Showcase. But this goes to show that transmedia is going to be huge. Expect more video game tie-ins and related content. After all, we’ve seen how the Cyberpunk 2077 Edgerunners did gangbuster numbers on Netflix and revitalized the game after a controversial launch. So, everyone wants a piece of that pie.
PS VR 2 Support is Strong
Source: Sony Earnings Call FY 2023
Despite what seems to be a lackluster launch, Sony themselves noted that the PS VR 2 is already outpacing its predecessor by 8%. The Showcase shows that Sony intends to provide significant content for its latest VR outing with titles such as Beat Saber, Resident Evil 4 VR, and Five Nights at Freddy: Help Wanted 2 shows that Sony is serious about making VR part of the PlayStation 5 ecosystem. Speaking of which…
New Accessories, and Peripherals to Expand the PlayStation Ecosystem
Premium hardware is a big part of the PlayStation ecosystem. With the announcement of Project Q handheld device (rumored to be remote play-centric) at the PlayStation Showcase, it shows that hardware is increasingly becoming a major part of the brand and experience. That is why we’re seeing premium hardware and accessories receiving a regular release cadence. Best of all, all of the accessories and tech have a unified design that fits beautifully with the design of the PlayStation 5 console and Dual Sense controller.
PlayStation Showcase Will be a Learning Experience
Let’s not beat around the bush, but many PlayStation enthusiasts were left disappointed with the showcase. That may due to a plethora of reasons from too much emphasis on previously shown games or the emphasis on live service games or VR games. Or perhaps because there was an actual movie trailer shown during the showcase. Regardless, I expect Sony to gather fan feedback and fine-tune their next big event.
Keep in mind that these showcases are a lot of work and require tons of coordination for months ahead of the event. So these plans are set well ahead of time. But I expect Sony to gauge how to best maintain a showcase’s flow in future events.
What did you think about the things we learned from the PlayStation Showcase? Do you have any takes of your own? Sound off in the comment section below.
