Sony Boss Says PlayStation Doesn’t Have Enough IP

Sony Boss Says PlayStation Doesn't Have Enough IP

As a lifelong PlayStation enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in the rich and diverse worlds of its exclusive franchises, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgic excitement at Hiroki Totoki’s recent comments about Sony’s need to focus more on its own IP. It’s not often that we get such an honest glimpse into the strategic thinking behind one of gaming’s most iconic brands.


For almost three decades, the PlayStation brand has thrived, hosting many prominent gaming figures on Sony’s consoles. Yet, according to Sony’s Chief Financial Officer, Hiroki Totoki, the company may not have adequately nurtured its own exclusive franchises. In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Totoki suggested that Sony has over-invested in intellectual properties (IP) belonging to other companies, instead of focusing more on expanding its own homegrown franchises. In his view, Sony’s portfolio lacks substantial self-owned properties and needs improvement

In simpler terms, Shigeru Miyamoto stated to the Financial Times that we don’t have as many original intellectual properties (IP), such as games, films, or anime, that we initially developed ourselves. This lack of early-stage IP is a challenge we are currently facing

Already, that comment has been drawing a lot of jeers across social media! While Totoki isn’t wrong that Sony hasn’t put enough focus on its own IP, the company has outright ignored a lot of well-regarded franchises that fans have been begging to see return. Franchises like Ape Escape, Killzone, Sly Cooper, and Ratchet and Clank have been allowed to languish for years, and even Twisted Metal has been MIA for more than a decade, despite getting a fairly successful adaptation. Instead, Sony has put a lot of focus on games starring characters that Marvel owns, VR headsets that no one is buying, and a live-service strategy no one likes.

It’s intriguing to consider whether Totoki’s vision could revive some of PlayStation’s forgotten series. Instead of starting fresh with a new project, it seems wiser to nurture IP that Sony already owns. Unfortunately, Firewalk Studios’ game Concord, developed over almost eight years, will be shut down on September 6th, despite only being available for two weeks. Given the abundance of popular franchises yearning for a return, Totoki might want to examine past successes before attempting to create something new to fill a gap

[PlayStation Lifestyle]

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2024-09-05 18:12