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[FF:Enhanced_Reality]

September 2021 was the last 'major' showcase. By this, I don't mean State of Play shows which I would class as 'minor' or perhaps 'filler' is the better term. I was in the camp that believed that Sony would have a showcase in 2022, though it may have been delayed for various reasons. Now we're almost in December.... I now think we won't have a show in 2022.

But there certainly has been enough to make a show out of, hasn't there? Realistically, assuming they had a show in June, they could have done the following:

• Silent Hill 2 Announcement (As per the Silent Hill showcase)
• Resident Evil 4 Remake Announcement (As per State of Play)
• Tekken 8 Announcement (As per State of Play)
• Rise of the Ronin (As per State of Play)
• Hogwarts Legacy trailer (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• God of War Ragnarok trailer (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• Yakuza... I mean, Like a Dragon... Isshin. (As per State of Play)
• Callisto Protocol trailer (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• PlayStation VR2 and Horizon: Call of the Mountain (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• Street Fighter 6 Announcement (As per State of Play)
• Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core Reunion (As per Square June showcase)
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Announcement (As per Square June showcase)
• Final Fantasy XVI trailer (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• Forspoken trailer (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• PC release talk such as Returnal/Miles Morales etc.

You fill that out with some indie titles, PSVR 2 titles and a word from some Sony internal studios and you've got yourself an excellent show case.

As much as I appreciate you can spread it out the way they have, it still feels weird not having a main showcase. I believe there are many reasons for it. I think Sony likely had a lot of Activision content to show there and after announcing Deathloop and Ghostwire to then find out Microsoft have acquired Bethesda, I don't think Sony wanted that to happen twice on the bounce. I mean it is kind of an egg on your face situation. I think we're coming to the tail end of COVID delays now so I think the third party deals are, in a way, making up for gaps from first party development. The move away from E3 is another. Which again, I'm personally sad about from the perspective that I used to turn E3 into an event rather than just a showcase. It was a time to get together with friends I rarely see due to, well, life. Jobs, families etc. We'd enjoy a few days of mindless gaming, laughs and takeaway's whilst enjoying the show.

Personally, I hope Sony go back to the style of E3 showcases such as 2015/2016 which were two of, if not, the best showcases I've watched in my lifetime. Incredible memories. I just don't feel like the Summer Games Show and The Game Awards really cut it. But Geoff clearly has a corner of the market now where he seems to have replaced E3 and any end of year events.

Equally, there are so many unknowns going forward, we've had all the information Sony can possibly give us as to what the future holds for games coming from the first party productions. We know of Factions but Naughty Dog clearly are doing much more than that. I don't consider The Last of Us Part 1 as a major release given VASG did most of the work. Sony Santa Monica have hinted at multiple projects. Ghost of Tsushima has been out a few years now and Sucker Punch are quiet. Similarly, Bend Studio have been working on a new IP for some time. San Diego studio was supposed to be working on something but nothing has come of it. I imagine Housemarque, Guerrilla and Polyphony will probably be quiet for some time after their recent releases, but Bluepoint have been quiet since Demon's Souls released. Nothing from Sony London on their so called project and there's no news from Media Molecule after Dreams. FireSprite apparently have multiple projects ongoing, including an unannounced horror title and a rumoured Twisted Metal title. Asobi Studio haven't really said/done much since the PS5 was released. No news on Haven Studio from their inital announcement.

Just a lot of silence. Kind of feels like something is holding things back for a proper showcase. Are Sony going to bottle it all for E3 2023, when they return? Is the ABK deal causing more stress that Sony are trying to plan for? Perhaps it's the tail end of COVID delays that have really pushed things back? Is this just the 'new' Sony that we've experienced for some years wherein, going forward, this is how they plan on communicating with fans? Just blog posts, the random drops and spontaneous State of Play videos?

 

[feynoob]

Didnt they have a showcase this year? They showed Ronin during that show.
Also game of the year is around. Wait for that too.

 

[GHG]

As far as I'm concerned they are delivering where it matters, so while it would be nice to get more frequent updates on what's upcoming if they continue to consistently release high quality games then I can't complain. The only reason to be concerned is if the game releases suddenly dried up and there were no showcases.

Most people are in this to play games, not act as hypemen. So to that end, games over showcases please.

 

[Pelta88]

Let the games do the talking.

 

[BennyBlanco]

They’ve been steadily releasing and announcing games. Not interested in CGI teasers for games that are 5 years off. I do miss e3 in general though.

 

[DarthPutin]

I think they might as well wait until they can put on a great show. No need for a show for show's sake.

They don't need to attach themselves to other companies' presentation. I don't need to see them all at once.

 

[CamHostage]

I mean, yeah, it sucks and I hate that this is possibly Sony's way going forward (they didn't even do a big GoW Ragnarok or TLoU1 State of Play, which is really weird in my book)...

...However, everybody's showcase season has been miserable this year (in part because of COVID delays and just general timeshifting in the game market.)

Look at MS's Xbox-Bethesda Games Showcase, XGX have announced at least 11 upcoming Xbox games (plus some PC/Mobile games like Ara and AoM Retold & Mobile) but we only got an update here on Forza (they also announced Minecraft Legends, and I can't remember if Dusk Falls was announced or re-announced here?), and then the rest of the show was their other publisher showing off its delayed games. At least they had a showcase, sure, but there were a lot of asterisks on the announcement of this show that it was only Holiday-2022/Early/Mid-2023 games, which didn't hide well that the next 12 months were going to feel a little light if you were looking for big exclusives.

If we're just playing a horse-derby betting game on which publisher is out in the lead with what they've shown of their product line, Sony didn't have a show (and for the most part have depleted their backlog of announced games, except for the two Marvel games and the new studios' titles) yet I don't feel they're significantly behind anybody else who did have a show this year. It just wasn't a great year to play the ponies.

 

[ReBurn]

They don't really want to show their first party and exclusive third party games right now.

 

[Danjin44]

Honestly after GOWR released I cant think single first party game from Sony I'm looking forward to. Most the game I'm hype about is from 3rd parties like FFXVI and Granblue Relink.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Tommi84]

Didnt they have a showcase this year?

Negative

Ronin was shown during a State of Play in September so not a full showcase (I'd expect a showcase to last for like 90min or more)

 

[FF:Enhanced_Reality]

Didnt they have a showcase this year? They showed Ronin during that show.
Also game of the year is around. Wait for that too.

Nope, sorry. It's been a bets on, bets off kind of thing. I think all bets are off now. Been a few State of Play shows, but not like a major showcase.

 

[CamHostage]

Honestly after GOWR released I cant think single first party game from Sony I'm looking forward to. Most the game I'm hype about is from 3rd parties like FFXVI and Granblue Relink.

Well, yeah... for one thing, because, like the OP said, Sony hasn't had a major showcase in over a year.

I believe the only known games made by Sony PlayStation Studios we have seen anything of are:

• Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games)
• Wolverine (Insomniac Games)
• The Last of Us "Multiplayer" (Naughty Dog)
• Horizon: Call of the Mountain (VR)(Firesprite)

They also have projects in the works from the Jade Raymond Haven Studio and that other studio, and we have all but confirmed the rumors of Helldivers 2, but it's hard to be excited for projects you only know from contractual documents. Also, they will be publishing externally developed titles such as:

• Firewall Ultra (VR) (First Contact Entertainment)
• Rise of Ronin (co-pub with Koei Tecmo, by Team Ninja)
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake (co-pup with Aspyr, by Sabre)
• Stellar Blade / Project EVE (Shift Up)
• Convallaria (China Hero Project title by Loong Force)
• Lost Soul Aside (China Hero Project title by Ultizero Games)

 

[Danjin44]

Well, yeah... because, like the OP said, Sony hasn't had a major showcase in over a year.

Even if they do I can’t think single first party Sony game I’m looking for next year? Marvel games?

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Feb 2023, I'm feeling lucky.

 

[feynoob]

Even if they do I can’t think single first party Sony game I’m looking for next year? Marvel games?

I want a true RPG game from them. Like skyrim, the outer worlds or the witcher 3.

 

[SlimySnake]

It’s not just absurd. Its pathetic. They built or rather rebuilt their name on first party games setting standards and all they have released this year are last gen games and all they have next year are third party moneyhats. I guess Spider-Man 2 is literally the only game they have for their next year but seeing as how we didn’t see it this year i highly doubt its coming out next year. Im sure they will blame it on covid or the Twitter layoffs or something equally outrageous.

For a year now on this board i was told Sony would never skip a showcase this year. I was called chicken little. Now i see that the goalposts have shifted. Until Sony receives actual pushback from their fanbase they will continue to phone in year after year. They are selling out ps5s, last gen games sell 5 mil in a week, Last gen games like tlou are passed off s as next Gen games. With zero pushback from their fanbase. Why would they change anything?

Expect more of the same next year. Ssm, gg, pd and nd have just shipped a game each. Took them 4-5 years aside from tlou which took 2 years for a last gen graphics touch up. Expect to wait 4-5 years for their next games which means no new conferences until 2024 at best.

 

[Lupin25]

Well, it’s clear they’re CERTAINLY holding back. We know it’s a lot as well considering the amount of 1st party studios they have now.

Leaks and other issues have played a part in disrupting the momentum for a “surprise” announcement too.

I think games like Silent 2 Remake, Tekken 8, FF7 Rebirth and Rise of the Ronin we’re preferrable for a State of Play or even a PS showcase…
But given the timing around everything else (GTA VI leaks, The Russian-Ukraine War, The Queen’s death, other annual events) those trailers may have been more convenient.

Plus, the competition hasn’t released much all year long.

Sony is basically chilling atm.

 

[ByWatterson]

Honestly after GOWR released I cant think single first party game from Sony I'm looking forward to. Most the game I'm hype about is from 3rd parties like FFXVI and Granblue Relink.

I mean that's the point, isn't it? We know so little about what's coming.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

They are prepping the nukes.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Now that Ragnarock has dropped I’ve got zero idea what is coming from Sony.
Only 3rd party.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Now that Ragnarock has dropped I’ve got zero idea what is coming from Sony.
Only 3rd party.

Spiderman.
Factions
VR Horizon.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

really doesn’t matter, they release what they release.

they already have the hightest output

 

[Chronicle]

Ahahahahah!

I'm playing God of War Ragnarok atm. It's fucking absurdly amazing and fun. Who needs a stupid showcase? The games are here.

 

[Topher]

Now that Ragnarock has dropped I’ve got zero idea what is coming from Sony.
Only 3rd party.

This is what we've gotten the last few years as far as major titles go...

2017 - Horizon Zero Down
2018 - God of War
2018 - Spider-man
2019 - Days Gone
2020 - TLOU 2
2020 - Ghost of Tsushima
2020 - Spider-man Miles Morales

Same pattern....

2022 - Horizon Forbidden West
2022 - God of War: R
2023 - Spider-man 2

And I would guess after that...

2023 - Factions
2023ish - Wolverine
2024 - New Sony Bend game
2024 - New Naughty Dog game
2025 - Ghost of Tsushima 2

 

[EDMIX]

Sony has stated years ago they are no longer announcing games that way.

GOWR's record sales show no one fucking gives a shit, the care about what they can play soon and i'd argue more evidence shows forcing those early showings can hurt development and expectations more then help. They are right to say nothing until they have something solid to show and let those developers work in peace. I want a trailer only on their terms and if its a year and a half release window to market. Wanting to know badly what game is being made isn't a fucking deal breaker for most sane consumers, who the fuck is buying a game based on WHEN its being released years in advance? lol

We play games, we don't play trailers and I don't think this crying or whining really translates into a loss of sales as why would you getting the trailer now, determine if you buy it 6 years for now? If anything that might get you upset on how long its taking, nitpick the initial trailer, exaggerate the hype etc. Thus, they have little to benefit showing you anything now, what matters is its quality upon release and it existing at all.

Not you knowing about 5 years from now. Even those crying over how PS5 was announced, record sales folks....most don't fucking give a shit and merely want a PS5, so them showing it first on Wired and trickling out info worked and got people hype, I don't see any evidence that this advance flood gate of bombarding consumers with game announcements is actually helpful, more data suggest its harmful for those games and the publisher alike.

This waiting and concentrating on a few games at a time allows those games to get the attention needed, allows developers on other projects to work focusing on the fucking game and not countless preview builds and not have titles get lost in the shuffle.

So If I ask any of you to put your fucking livelihood on the line, your entire life savings in a project and ask you, do you want to have your game announced randomly by itself dominating the media cycle for weeks...ooooorrr do you want your game announced with 300 other AAA games?

 

[John Wick]

While the ABK investigation is ongoing Sony will not do a showcase in the traditional sense. They don't want to give ammunition to their competitors. That's why they are showing only a limited amount of games every State of Play.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

I bought a PS5 at launch. Only PS5 game I bought was Ratchet. Otherwise, it's been a FFXIV machine.

 

[DeadOblivion78]

Sony has stated years ago they are no longer announcing games that way.

GOWR's record sales show no one fucking gives a shit, the care about what they can play soon and i'd argue more evidence shows forcing those early showings can hurt development and expectations more then help. They are right to say nothing until they have something solid to show and let those developers work in peace. I want a trailer only on their terms and if its a year and a half release window to market. Wanting to know badly what game is being made isn't a fucking deal breaker for most sane consumers, who the fuck is buying a game based on WHEN its being released years in advance? lol

We play games, we don't play trailers and I don't think this crying or whining really translates into a loss of sales as why would you getting the trailer now, determine if you buy it 6 years for now? If anything that might get you upset on how long its taking, nitpick the initial trailer, exaggerate the hype etc. Thus, they have little to benefit showing you anything now, what matters is its quality upon release and it existing at all.

Not you knowing about 5 years from now. Even those crying over how PS5 was announced, record sales folks....most don't fucking give a shit and merely want a PS5, so them showing it first on Wired and trickling out info worked and got people hype, I don't see any evidence that this advance flood gate of bombarding consumers with game announcements is actually helpful, more data suggest its harmful for those games and the publisher alike.

This waiting and concentrating on a few games at a time allows those games to get the attention needed, allows developers on other projects to work focusing on the fucking game and not countless preview builds and not have titles get lost in the shuffle.

So If I ask any of you to put your fucking livelihood on the line, your entire life savings in a project and ask you, do you want to have your game announced randomly by itself dominating the media cycle for weeks...ooooorrr do you want your game announced with 300 other AAA games?

The only person in the thread making sense.

 

[semiconscious]

it's really quite simple: twice as long to make the damn games = half as many showcases needed...

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

They did have a major showcase. It was for their gaming phone though not the PlayStation.

It's probably just that they don't have games ready to show yet until next year.

 

[MarkMe2525]

They dominated these shows most years. You could arguably say that they built their brand and position in the marketplace through trade shows. I understand that they cost a lot to participate, but the proof is in the pudding, they absolutely paid off for Sony.

 

[Arsic]

Probably waiting to have enough worth a damn for something like that. With things sprinkled throughout the year it’s harder to have a giga event since everyone wants some exclusive thing to showcase.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

I also have a feeling that TGA will have quite a few things from them. Maybe Horizon DLC, Helldivers 2, TLOU PC release date, FFXVI, Death Stranding 2, Forspoken. All these are possible.

That show is getting bigger each year. Last year alone it got over 80 million views. That’s more than any conference anyone ever gets.

Sony doesn’t have to do those conferences since most people just check YouTube videos and that’s it.

Look how they promoted God of War. One State of Play, one trailer inside another State of Play, a few random videos and that’s it. The rest was traditional promo: outdoors, tv ads, etc.

These companies don’t need those conferences anymore when they can spread their announcements in a full year whenever they want. It’s an outdated concept.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

Well, yeah... for one thing, because, like the OP said, Sony hasn't had a major showcase in over a year.

I believe the only known games made by Sony PlayStation Studios we have seen anything of are:

• The Last of Us "Multiplayer" (Naughty Dog)

Please don't call the multiplayer portion that was supposed to be included from day one, a new game. Its just multiplayer, this aint Warzone levels of popular or like an arena shooter.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Please don't call the multiplayer portion that was supposed to be included from day one, a new game. Its just multiplayer, this aint Warzone levels of popular or like an arena shooter.

They literally mentioned this has evolved a lot since then snd that’s the reason why it wasn’t included.

If you’re expecting the same type of online experience as the first game had then forget it. It’s a lot more ambitious.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Please don't call the multiplayer portion that was supposed to be included from day one, a new game. Its just multiplayer, this aint Warzone levels of popular or like an arena shooter.

You just wait.

 

[Shifty1897]

I always get hate for saying this, but Sony has at least 13 game development studios and only one of them has announced games (Spiderman 2 and Wolverine). Jim Ryan is cancelling game announcements and holding things back in an attempt to draw sympathy from regulators in Europe regarding approval of the Activision / Microsoft deal. An attempt, mind you, that anyone with a brain can see right through, it's just pathetic and childish. Just have a real state of play and show us what these studios are working on already.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

I always get hate for saying this, but Sony has at least 13 game development studios and only one of them has announced games (Spiderman 2 and Wolverine). Jim Ryan is cancelling game announcements and holding things back in an attempt to draw sympathy from regulators in Europe regarding approval of the Activision / Microsoft deal. An attempt, mind you, that anyone with a brain can see right through, it's just pathetic and childish. Just have a real state of play and show us what these studios are working on already.

. You don't even knows the actual reasons. You are speculating thinking is the truth

 

[lh032]

i have a feeling they are waiting after the actiblizz deal is done.

 

[remember_spinal]

 

[Warablo]

I think because a lot of them are trying to make service games.

 

[ChiefDada]

Yeah, it sucks. Not much else to say. I'm very surprised they are exiting 2022 without major showcase. Q1 2023 it is then, I guess.

It’s not just absurd. Its pathetic. They built or rather rebuilt their name on first party games setting standards and all they have released this year are last gen games and all they have next year are third party moneyhats. I guess Spider-Man 2 is literally the only game they have for their next year but seeing as how we didn’t see it this year i highly doubt its coming out next year. Im sure they will blame it on covid or the Twitter layoffs or something equally outrageous.

For a year now on this board i was told Sony would never skip a showcase this year. I was called chicken little. Now i see that the goalposts have shifted. Until Sony receives actual pushback from their fanbase they will continue to phone in year after year. They are selling out ps5s, last gen games sell 5 mil in a week, Last gen games like tlou are passed off s as next Gen games. With zero pushback from their fanbase. Why would they change anything?

Expect more of the same next year. Ssm, gg, pd and nd have just shipped a game each. Took them 4-5 years aside from tlou which took 2 years for a last gen graphics touch up. Expect to wait 4-5 years for their next games which means no new conferences until 2024 at best.

Lol, you're so extreme and we all LOVE you for it.

 

[AJUMP23]

It would be nice to have a big showcase but you are getting the game awards.

 

[Jigsaah]

September 2021 was the last 'major' showcase. By this, I don't mean State of Play shows which I would class as 'minor' or perhaps 'filler' is the better term. I was in the camp that believed that Sony would have a showcase in 2022, though it may have been delayed for various reasons. Now we're almost in December.... I now think we won't have a show in 2022.

But there certainly has been enough to make a show out of, hasn't there? Realistically, assuming they had a show in June, they could have done the following:

• Silent Hill 2 Announcement (As per the Silent Hill showcase)
• Resident Evil 4 Remake Announcement (As per State of Play)
• Tekken 8 Announcement (As per State of Play)
• Rise of the Ronin (As per State of Play)
• Hogwarts Legacy trailer (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• God of War Ragnarok trailer (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• Yakuza... I mean, Like a Dragon... Isshin. (As per State of Play)
• Callisto Protocol trailer (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• PlayStation VR2 and Horizon: Call of the Mountain (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• Street Fighter 6 Announcement (As per State of Play)
• Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core Reunion (As per Square June showcase)
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Announcement (As per Square June showcase)
• Final Fantasy XVI trailer (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• Forspoken trailer (Multiple sources, State of Play and otherwise.)
• PC release talk such as Returnal/Miles Morales etc.

You fill that out with some indie titles, PSVR 2 titles and a word from some Sony internal studios and you've got yourself an excellent show case.

As much as I appreciate you can spread it out the way they have, it still feels weird not having a main showcase. I believe there are many reasons for it. I think Sony likely had a lot of Activision content to show there and after announcing Deathloop and Ghostwire to then find out Microsoft have acquired Bethesda, I don't think Sony wanted that to happen twice on the bounce. I mean it is kind of an egg on your face situation. I think we're coming to the tail end of COVID delays now so I think the third party deals are, in a way, making up for gaps from first party development. The move away from E3 is another. Which again, I'm personally sad about from the perspective that I used to turn E3 into an event rather than just a showcase. It was a time to get together with friends I rarely see due to, well, life. Jobs, families etc. We'd enjoy a few days of mindless gaming, laughs and takeaway's whilst enjoying the show.

Personally, I hope Sony go back to the style of E3 showcases such as 2015/2016 which were two of, if not, the best showcases I've watched in my lifetime. Incredible memories. I just don't feel like the Summer Games Show and The Game Awards really cut it. But Geoff clearly has a corner of the market now where he seems to have replaced E3 and any end of year events.

Equally, there are so many unknowns going forward, we've had all the information Sony can possibly give us as to what the future holds for games coming from the first party productions. We know of Factions but Naughty Dog clearly are doing much more than that. I don't consider The Last of Us Part 1 as a major release given VASG did most of the work. Sony Santa Monica have hinted at multiple projects. Ghost of Tsushima has been out a few years now and Sucker Punch are quiet. Similarly, Bend Studio have been working on a new IP for some time. San Diego studio was supposed to be working on something but nothing has come of it. I imagine Housemarque, Guerrilla and Polyphony will probably be quiet for some time after their recent releases, but Bluepoint have been quiet since Demon's Souls released. Nothing from Sony London on their so called project and there's no news from Media Molecule after Dreams. FireSprite apparently have multiple projects ongoing, including an unannounced horror title and a rumoured Twisted Metal title. Asobi Studio haven't really said/done much since the PS5 was released. No news on Haven Studio from their inital announcement.

Just a lot of silence. Kind of feels like something is holding things back for a proper showcase. Are Sony going to bottle it all for E3 2023, when they return? Is the ABK deal causing more stress that Sony are trying to plan for? Perhaps it's the tail end of COVID delays that have really pushed things back? Is this just the 'new' Sony that we've experienced for some years wherein, going forward, this is how they plan on communicating with fans? Just blog posts, the random drops and spontaneous State of Play videos?

Good poll. I feel the same way. Sony has lost its sense of showmanship. The State of Plays are great for small announcements, but there really needs to be a yearly event for Sony fans to celebrate.

 

[Iced Arcade]

Can't cry poor me and have a monstrous show of exclusives.

Wait for the ABK deal is over with and we will probably get one.

 

[AmuroChan]

Looks like XBox will be the lone platform still doing annual big showcases. Nintendo has been doing exclusively just Nintendo Directs for a while now, and Sony may be following suit with doing just SoPs moving forward.

 

[Captain Toad]

Sony has actually been releasing games over the year. I'll take that over seeing the same games such as Hellblade shown four years in a row at "showcases".

 

[tommib]

Wake me up when Bluepoint and Housemarque have cooked their joints.

 

[bentanchorbolt]

Weird thread. A bunch of guys that talk all day everyday about video games trying to say they don’t care and never cared about games showcases, these same people that spend dozens of posts daily talking about the most inane details of the industry, suddenly don’t care if games are being announced or shown, because they are only interested in playing games.


Something isn’t adding up.