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I feel like Sony's first-party titles have been losing their spark lately, and for me, it started with Horizon Zero Dawn.


Since then, it's been a constant stream of the same "cinematic experiences." We got Marvel's Spider-Man, then the samey Miles Morales expansion, followed by the "emotional" God of War and Ragnarok. Then Ghost of Tsushima, and now Ghost of Yotei... the list of formulaic open-world/action titles just keeps growing.


I've played through all of them, but they've become incredibly predictable and, frankly, boring. Sure, they sell well for now, but the genuine excitement is gone. Sony really needs to find a new direction for their single-player games instead of just churning out "Premium Ubisoft Slops."


In my opinion, Returnal is the only truly exciting and innovative game we've seen this generation. It felt fresh and pushed the medium forward. I'm really looking forward to Saros, and I sincerely hope Sony doubles down on games like that—titles that prioritize unique gameplay over safe, cinematic tropes.


What do you guys think? Is Sony stuck in a creative rut, or is this just what "AAA" has to be now?

 

[Deficit]

Sony first party has been garbage since 2021. Ratchet and clank and demon souls were pretty good games. It's been total ass since then. Yotei looks and plays like a PS4 game. It could have been a 30 dollar expansion for GOT.

Just my thoughts.

 

[hououinkyouma00]

Here we go again.

 

[vivftp]

So is this an assault of the Alts creating FUD threads now?

 

[Guilty_AI]

has been for the last 10 years

 

[HRK69]

Sony first party has been garbage since 2021. Ratchet and clank and demon souls were pretty good games. It's been total ass since then. Yotei looks and plays like a PS4 game. It could have been a 30 dollar expansion for GOT.

Just my thoughts.

Professionally miserable

 

[Deficit]

Professionally miserable

Ok

 

[PeteBull]

Im playstation fanboy back from mid 90s and sony first console, didnt feel any need to buy ps5/pr0 this gen, tells u all there is to it.
Will likely buy ps6 at launch and that way i will actually have few solid games(enhanced and backwards compatible) to play next gen but from pure value perspective sony lost(or rather didnt make) solid few k usd/euro on me.
What i will defo buy/play is- astro, demons souls remake and if we count xgen then gt7(obviously got ps4 but decided i dont wanna buy the game on that and rather wait to play it in full next gen glory) + w/e i like from upcoming games that wont get pc port/announcemnt of pc port by holidays 2027/2028.

 

[seb85]

Then Play something else

 

[saintjules]

Platform  Thread 'A look at the output of Sony Interactive Entertainment for 2026'

Yesterday at 11:12 PM

What do you think, GAF? Is it good enough or does it need more Ape Escape?

God of War Sons of Sparta | Santa Monica Studio, Mega Cat Studios - February 12, 2026

Marathon | Bungie - March 5, 2026

MLB The Show 26 | San Diego Studio - March 17, 2026

SAROS | Housemarque -...

• nial

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

 

[TexMex]

Just like this thread.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

"Premium Ubisoft Slops."

 

[LectureMaster]

Well, in Druckmann's defense, I would never have predicted the next Naughty Dog game will be like this

 

[LordCBH]

"all they make are open world cinematic games"

Like they aren't dropping Saros, Marathon, and MLB like right next to each other, almost immediately after dropping a side scroller.

I agree I wish their output was better. But come on. Not to mention Astrobot, Ratchet, Demon's Souls, and Sackboy as well.

 

[AlexAleste]

Sony has no real competitors, so they don't care. They also tried to make a bunch of live-service garbage, but eventually came to their senses and canceled almost everything. However, the time that was wasted can't be recovered.

 

[IntentionalPun]

They should definitely make more of the games you like, which don't sell particularly well, and not more of the games they have been making, which sell really well.

 

[crazyriddler]

"all they make are open world cinematic games"

Like they aren't dropping Saros, Marathon, and MLB like right next to each other, almost immediately after dropping a side scroller.

I agree I wish their output was better. But come on. Not to mention Astrobot, Ratchet, Demon's Souls, and Sackboy as well.

Man, this will be the console's sixth year on the market. Considering how long this generation has been around, that number of games is miserably low. There's even talk of the PS6 being released, and if it doesn't come out next year, it's because of memory shortages.

 

[Deficit]

They should definitely make more of the games you like, which don't sell particularly well, and not more of the games they have been making, which sell really well.

"McDonalds is the peak of cuisine."-This guy.

 

[PeteBull]

Well, in Druckmann's defense, I would never have predicted the next Naughty Dog game will be like this

After Abby it was very predictable, hopefully some1 trains cuckman at sony so he gets back to where he was with first tlou and u4.
He doesnt get high 7figures salary for just activism after all, need to show actual results here, high quality results at that.
Trailer has nasty like to dislike ratio on yt so tons of ppl are annoyed with that shit.

 

[Killer8]

It's just okay. As far as a typical PS5 user goes, much of the gap is being filled by third-party games this gen. This is mostly the fault of their failed live service push which has meant this is something of a lost generation for several first party studios. PS6 is almost guaranteed to be way better now the Japanese are back behind the wheel.

 

[ReasonBeing]

Well, in Druckmann's defense, I would never have predicted the next Naughty Dog game will be like this

I feel like this is the coolest thing they have in the oven. Gritty, lived in sci-fi is my jam.

 

[FoxMcChief]

I mean, it's been trending that way. They still have a few great teams. The team behind Astro Bot. Naughty Dog was great. I'll still give them a chance with their next game, despite the main characters awful design.

 

[TKOFromTokyo]

I have never really been a Sony 1st party fan. I think the output is fine from an outsider perspective. I like Demon Souls, Rachet, Returnal, and Astro Bot. I only wish they had a good shooter. I'm not a fan of open world or 3rd person adventure games.

 

[SlimySnake]

Only because they havent done a good job innovating on sequels like they did back in the day. Their sequels use to bring in new ideas, new mechanics, not just a new story. They were introducing new IPs every gen. Sometimes multiple in each gen.

I think they peaked around 2020. I thought TLOU2 was a brilliant game despite its story issues. A huge upgrade from the first game. Ghosts was absolutely fantastic. DS1 was something so original, it was like nothing ive played before. Days Gone was unique in its own way. Spiderman finally felt like an AAA game instead of some garbage Activision was churning out. GOW felt like a completely different game and not just thanks to the setting. Horizon also felt different from anything they had made before.

Since then? Safe, formulaic and cheap. Everyone loves Ratchet and im like its the most safest sequel ive ever played. Horizon 2, GT7, Ragnorak, Spideramn 2, DS2 and Ghosts of Yotei all feel like DLCs. There is no uncharted 1 to Uncharted 2 caliber leap despite these games taking 5 years to make. There is no massive visual upgrade like we saw when going from PS3 to PS4.

it's like they all just gave up after covid. These games all had the potential to have new gameplay ideas that shouldve innovated and set new standards for the rest of the gen. But nope, they literally copied and pasted the same game. Open world games are in dire need for a reboot and these guys being the best of the best shouldve put in more effort in trying to come up with new ways to keep things fresh.

The problem isnt the sequel, its the lack of effort put into those sequels. I never expected Kojima, Sucker Punch, SSM and GG to stop making sequels to extremely popular games. I just didnt expect them to make DLCs after taking 5 years.

Neil and Cory were supposed to show up yesterday with new original games but they dont believe in working anymore. Neil is more interested in hollywood and cory is just being lazy collecting his millions.

 

[LyricalShrike]

Sony has never been a first party powerhouse. It's consoles have always generated the bulk of their revenue from license fees for third party games. Sony's best years as a first party coincide with when it faces competition to it's ecosystem. PS3/PSP/Vita were crammed with memorable games because the company was fighting against Nintendo and Xbox on multiple fronts.

Sony now has little incentive to compete. Xbox is irrelevant now that its evolving into a SFF PC. Nintendo expanded into a different market and long left Sony behind as a competitor. A person who wants to play most games and doesn't want a PC has no meaningful choice in platform.

The company will still do an occasional tentpole game to generate interest but I doubt it ever becomes significantly more productive. It will continue making good games that follow it's successful template until the next disruption forces it to innovative again. It will also continue spending money on exclusivity since it's cheaper than taking on the full cost of games.

Personally, I don't have an opinion either way. Sony's first party lineup isn't for me and everything else is on PC. The lineup isn't relevant to the mainstream gamer who plays GaaS games, COD, and annual sports titles since they have nowhere else to go. Modern Sony fans seem to be mostly satisfied so it seems a non-issue all around.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Stale and predictable…like they didn't drop a random 2D god of war game 24 hours ago. Saros is not something they release a lot as far as i know.
Marathon is coming as well.

All this over the next 2 months but okay.

 

[Hollywood Hitman]

There's so much shit to play every year it's like I couldn't even fit in any more so it's whatever, I litrelly never have a single dull moment in gaming these days

 

[KanKamAndNob]

Agreed. Aside from Astro Bot and Stellar Blade they haven't had anything interesting. There are upcoming games coming out I'm looking forward to (Tides of Annihilation, Crimson Desert, Beast of Reincarnation), but not a single one of those are exclusives. 3rd party is the only thing keeping me invested in my PS5.

 

[Jesb]

Sony needs to be better at management nextgen on Gaas and how much resources they put in it. You can't have a bunch of teams making Gaas games.

 

[adamsapple]

Well, in Druckmann's defense, I would never have predicted the next Naughty Dog game will be like this

What would have been your prediction otherwise?

 

[Cumulus]

Sony has no competition and they're making good money. There is no reason for them to do anything but cruise.
Especially considering how ridiculously expensive AAA production (at least Western AAA) has become and with how badly that GAAS push has fucked up their pipelines it's understandable to want to play it as safe as possible.
The opinion of a few vocal enthusiasts on boards holds no weight.

 

[GHG]

So is this an assault of the Alts creating FUD threads now?

The revenge of Punished Miku

 

[SlimySnake]

Sony has never been a first party powerhouse.

They literally topped goty awards in 2009, 2013, 2016, 2018, and 2020. almost all of their ps4 exclusives sold 5-20 million.

Its just this gen they have been mid tier aside from that one year where astro bot won due to a complete lack of competition.

 

[nial]

2022 called, it wants its argument back. Literally only one (1) of their 2026 games looks like what you described:

Spoiler

God of War Sons of Sparta | Santa Monica Studio, Mega Cat Studios - February 12, 2026

Marathon | Bungie - March 5, 2026

MLB The Show 26 | San Diego Studio - March 17, 2026

SAROS | Housemarque - April 30, 2026

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls | Arc System Works - August 6, 2026

Marvel's Wolverine | Insomniac Games - Fall 2026

Kena: Scars of Kosmora | Ember Lab - 2026

To say that it started after Horizon Zero Dawn is insane as they had even more variety back then. This is a first-party game that came out after HZD:

 

[Merline]

I feel like Sony's first-party titles have been losing their spark lately, and for me, it started with Horizon Zero Dawn.


Since then, it's been a constant stream of the same "cinematic experiences." We got Marvel's Spider-Man, then the samey Miles Morales expansion, followed by the "emotional" God of War and Ragnarok. Then Ghost of Tsushima, and now Ghost of Yotei... the list of formulaic open-world/action titles just keeps growing.


I've played through all of them, but they've become incredibly predictable and, frankly, boring. Sure, they sell well for now, but the genuine excitement is gone. Sony really needs to find a new direction for their single-player games instead of just churning out "Premium Ubisoft Slops."


In my opinion, Returnal is the only truly exciting and innovative game we've seen this generation. It felt fresh and pushed the medium forward. I'm really looking forward to Saros, and I sincerely hope Sony doubles down on games like that—titles that prioritize unique gameplay over safe, cinematic tropes.


What do you guys think? Is Sony stuck in a creative rut, or is this just what "AAA" has to be now?

Nope

2025

Even after the live-service disaster, Sony didn't just outperform the competition in single-player. They flat-out humiliated them.

Nintendo? Since the Switch 2 launch, mostly garbage. Microsoft Studios? Overhyped, underwhelming, forgettable. Big promises, weak execution.

The truth might be hard to swallow, but when it comes to single-player games, Sony is the industry leader. I'm already looking forward to the salty tears when Naughty Dog's Intergalactic ratings hit.

And before anyone says games like Kena don't count, they do. Being under the PlayStation Studios banner means Sony finances, co-develops, and backs the developers every step of the way.

 

[LyricalShrike]

They literally topped goty awards in 2009, 2013, 2016, 2018, and 2020. almost all of their ps4 exclusives sold 5-20 million.

Its just this gen they have been mid tier aside from that one year where astro bot won due to a complete lack of competition.

Powerhouse as in they could survive off their own IP. The games in your image have sold around 90 million copies combined. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and an annual Pokemon game alone produced similar numbers for Nintendo by comparison. Over half of Nintendo's units sold come from first party games compared to around 15% of sony's sales. Its why Nintendo's profit margin hovers at around double Sony's despite generating signficantly less revenue. Roblox alone has around as many MAU as all consoles sold combined. Sony would be under the biggest threat in a world where closed-ecosystem consoles lose relevance. Nintendo could transition to multiplatform easily on the strength of its IPs and Microsoft reached that point as soon as its games were on PC day 1.

Your image supports what I wrote after the portion you quoted; Good games that follow a successful template. Games which look great, play well, and most importantly, review well to keep eyes on the brand. I think Sony stays its course now that it has effectively no competition in its segment.

 

[AGRacing]

Well, in Druckmann's defense, I would never have predicted the next Naughty Dog game will be like this

Then you didn't play LOU2

 

[nial]

PS3/PSP/Vita were crammed with memorable games

Vita first-party discussion suffered from the same trolling PS5 discourse is having right now (before Sony did actually abandon the platform, of course). But also, I don't think I'd ever argue that PS3 had a stronger lineup than PS2 in that aspect.

 

[ByWatterson]

Time for this thread again!

 

[LyricalShrike]

Vita first-party discussion suffered from the same trolling PS5 discourse is having right now (before Sony did actually abandon the platform, of course).

The system was a clusterfuck in terms of execution starting with its memory cards. Games like Gravity rush, Helldivers, Tearaway, Soul Sacrifice, Wipeout 2048, and a decent Ico/SotC port were all amazing games despite Sony's hardware choices.

 

[nial]

The system was a clusterfuck in terms of execution starting with its memory cards. Games like Gravity rush, Helldivers, Tearaway, Soul Sacrifice, Wipeout 2048, and a decent Ico/SotC port were all amazing games despite Sony's hardware choices.

Add Freedom Wars and Oreshika, good games that were largely ignored while people were trolling over Vita having no games (just like PS5 has a lot of good first-party games that people largely ignore for the sake of trolling!).
Ico and SOTC were not released on PS Vita, though. You're confused with the PS3 remasters.

 

[Plague Doctor]

has been for the last 10 years

Checking my calendar.

Yeah, 2015 is before that.

I can agree with this.

Now if you said the last 11 years, those are fighting words.

 

[LyricalShrike]

Add Freedom Wars and Oreshika, good games that were largely ignored while people were trolling over Vita having no games (just like PS5 has a lot of good first-party games that people largely ignore for the sake of trolling!).
Ico and SOTC were not released on PS Vita, though. You're confused with the PS3 remasters.

Probably. I think I must be confusing it for the remote play patch. Speaking of PS3, Sony was producing madness like Tokyo Jungle and Fat Princess, experimenting with multiplayer using games like M.A.G. and Warhawk, while also releasing games like Uncharted and TLOU. What am I missing on PS5? I can't think of more than 8-9 first party games this gen and Astro Bot is the only standout new idea which comes to mind. Nintendo has released 4-5 Switch 2 exclusives so far by comparison which is already considered a light launch.

 

[Guilty_AI]

Checking my calendar.

Yeah, 2015 is before that.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Weekend Gaf is upon us !!

 

[nial]

Probably. I think I must be confusing it for the remote play patch. Speaking of PS3, Sony was producing madness like Tokyo Jungle and Fat Princess, experimenting with multiplayer using games like M.A.G. and Warhawk, while also releasing games like Uncharted and TLOU. What am I missing on PS5? I can't think of more than 8-9 first party games this gen and Astro Bot is the only standout new idea which comes to mind. Nintendo has released 4-5 Switch 2 exclusives so far by comparison which is already considered a light launch.

uhh, there are around 30 new first-party games released on PS5 so far

 

[LyricalShrike]

uhh, there are around 30 new first-party games released on PS5 so far

List? And do you include games which are cross gen?

 

[nial]

List? And do you include games which are cross gen?

List of Sony Interactive Entertainment video games - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Of course I did, it's not like we're associating 2022 AAA games with the PS4 generation. You can also add Metroid Prime 4 and Pokémon on Switch 2 lists, no reason not to. Heck, the single most critically acclaimed first-party Switch game is cross-gen with Wii U.

 

[Sooner]

 

[LyricalShrike]

List of Sony Interactive Entertainment video games - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Of course I did, it's not like we're associating 2022 AAA games with the PS4 generation. You can also add Metroid Prime 4 and Pokémon on Switch 2 lists, no reason not to. Heck, the single most critically acclaimed first-party Switch game is cross-gen with Wii U.

Excluding them is fair if you're talking about the library of a console which is why I did it for both of them. A switch user doesn't need to upgrade to switch 2 if the four exclusives don't appeal to them. PS5 active users only surpassed PS4 users last may according to Sony. Even then PS4 accounts for over 40% of Sony's active users. Cross-gen and a lack of true exclusives probably contribute to the phenomenon.