Two Years Later, the Last PlayStation Showcase Hasn’t Aged Well

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Exactly two years ago marked the last major PlayStation Showcase event held by Sony. Since then, numerous State of Play presentations have been staged, but none have matched the grandeur and excitement of that day, filled with first-party announcements, AAA game reveals, and more. Highlights included the confirmation of a remake for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and an extended demonstration of the gameplay for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. However, upon reflection, it appears that the event has not aged gracefully at all.

At this particular PlayStation livestream, the company’s emphasis on live service games was evidently strong. The main unveilings were live-service games: Fairgame$, Helldivers 2, Concord, and Marathon. In retrospect, only one of these titles proved to be a hit, while the others either flopped or appear destined for failure upon release. The PlayStation Showcase 2023 stands out as one of Sony’s most notorious presentations in the last ten years, symbolizing the various live service risks that Sony attempted during this console generation.

The PlayStation showcase started on a disappointing note by featuring the game Fairgame$. This cinematic trailer aimed to demonstrate the loop of the PvEvP shooter, but failed to impress with its world or aesthetic, offering nothing particularly unique or eye-catching. Given that Sony was developing games like Astro Bot, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and Stellar Blade at this time, it’s surprising that they opted to begin the showcase with a CGI trailer for an untested multiplayer new IP, especially when more promising titles were available.

Since then, Fairgame’s predicament hasn’t shown signs of improvement. The only instances where we’ve gotten updates from Sony have been when they’re advocating for machine learning and AI, which isn’t exactly music to the ears of dedicated gaming enthusiasts. A recent report from Bloomberg hints that Haven Studios co-founder Jade Raymond departed after Fairgame underperformed during playtesting, implying that even two years later, Haven hasn’t quite hit on what makes Fairgame fun. Given this, I’m not overly optimistic about Fairgame making a significant impact when it eventually launches.

Following the unveiling of Fairgame$, PlayStation subsequently presented Helldivers 2, which turned out to be the successful live service game among them. Looking back, it’s a bit awkward that Helldivers 2 was relegated to second place after Fairgame$ in the announcement, considering its eventual success. The reveal trailer for Helldivers 2 is enjoyable, but it seems Sony underestimated how popular this sci-fi shooter would become, which is almost as concerning as some of the live service blunders displayed during this broadcast.

During the recent PlayStation Showcase, Bungie’s Marathon was the following first-party game revealed. At first glance, the reveal trailer made Marathon seem quite intriguing. However, as time has passed, interest in this game seems to have dwindled. The revelation that it’s an extraction shooter with hero shooter aspects dampened enthusiasm, and when people got their hands on the game, the consensus was that it didn’t offer enough unique features to make a mark among the live service competition.

After discovering that the visual appeal showcased in the initial trailer was reportedly influenced by an artist not employed at Bungie, I find myself unable to admire it as a stunning animation creation any longer or trust in the success of Marathon when it is released.

Discussing well-documented issues with Sony’s live services, it’s crucial that we acknowledge the last new first-party game shown in this stream before the unveiling of Spider-Man 2’s gameplay: Concord.

At this juncture, the rocky debut and de-listing of Concord is hardly unfamiliar news. Yet, even from its initial unveiling, there were indications of trouble ahead. Despite being touted as the most promising shooter next to Helldivers 2, it was only given a cinematic trailer showcasing a spaceship traveling at warp speed, offering little insight into its gameplay. This could suggest that Sony had doubts about the appeal of Concord’s uninspired character designs and game modes. However, such signs should have set off alarms if they were accurate. Instead, it served as the final warning signal in what should have been a grand display of Sony’s capabilities.

Reflecting on the past, the standout moments were mainly in the realm of solo games or independent titles. This was our initial hint at just how spectacular Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 would turn out to be, and I’m thrilled about the teaser trailers for games such as Phantom Blade 0, Sword of the Sea, and Revnant Hill. However, Sony primarily utilized this event to promote their live service games, and even in that regard, their execution could have been improved.

In simple terms, Helldivers 2 stood out as the only game that demonstrated gameplay during the event, and I believe its positive reception can be attributed to its air of certainty and openness. On the other hand, most of the other live service games presented were not yet ready for public viewing, which has resulted in negative press and player discontent for Sony.

The 2023 PlayStation Showcase struggled to clarify Sony’s initiatives regarding live services, and its explanation didn’t exactly paint a positive picture. It leaves one questioning whether this may be the reason behind Sony’s decision to avoid hosting large-scale PlayStation Showcases in the past two years, and if we can expect this format to make a comeback in the future.

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2025-05-24 18:40