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[yurinka]

Seems that other than games, Jimbo has a number of things that seems to be released this sping. According to different oficial announcements, leaks and rumors around this Spring 2022 -on a case maybe before- we'd get:

• Discord integration: 'early 2022'
• PS5 VRR support: Spring
• Project Spartacus: Spring, PS Plus + PS Now merged adding a 3rd GamePass-like tier plus PS1 and PSP games
• PlayStation VR2: Spring, but I understood the leaker was talking about the PSVR2 lenses, not the whole PSVR2 product
• PlayStation Tournaments: PS5 version coming 'this year', may follow previously seen patents. Will be ready before EVO?
• EVO: Sony bought the biggest fighting game tournament with the guys who handle UFC, the 2022 edition will be Early August and last year Sony made several warm-up pre-E3 online tournaments, so pretty likely the PS5 version of the PS Tournaments feature would be ready before summer and they would start late Spring or early Summer.
• E3 2022: Traditinally an early/mid June (so late spring) event. Maybe Sony wants to announce and release some of these things for their E3 conference/separate Sony event?

Assuming all these things get released together in Spring, why they do it all together instead of spreading them across the year, which maybe would make easier to get more attention in terms of marketing and PR for each thing?

Maybe their E3 alternative event is going to be the fan focused PlayStation Experience event they trademarked around the E3 of last year and want to announce or showcase all these things there (plus games, obviously)? Maybe they know that will be able to have a huge shipment of consoles around that time and will want to have these things ready? Maybe they wanted to line-up these things with the release of certain specific games?

Or maybe is to celebrate that the best game ever was released 8 years and a half before?

 

[Con_Z_ǝdʇ]

It is not like they would release their whole games catalog for 2022 in spring. The things you listed are quite distinct from one another and appeal to a broad audience. I don't think they need to be stretched out in terms of release to benefit from a better marketing. But ultimately they will be because some aren't even confirmed.

And yes the answer is Knack!

 

[arvfab]

Why not release things when they are ready you ask?

 

[PropellerEar]

Jimbo stuffing those french hotdogs now. with a well oiled wiener

 

[yurinka]

It is not like they would release their whole games catalog for 2022 in spring. The things you listed are quite distinct from one another and appeal to a broad audience. I don't think they need to be stretched out in terms of release to benefit from a better marketing. But ultimately they will be because some aren't even confirmed.

Why not release things when they are ready you ask?

I mean, I understand sometimes is better to save thing they have ready for marketing reasons. As an example, to release the U4 PC+PS5 port/remaster just before the Uncharted movie, or to release TLOU2 DC (bundle of TLOU2 PS5, TLOU1 remake and TLOU MP game) just before the tv show.

Or when they plan their roadmap of exclusives and spread the releases across the year to make sure they aren't released at the same time, making sure they provide great stuff the whole year and that they also avoid internal and external direct competition.

But in this case, they seem to be releasing a big chunk of things (not counting games, even the PSVR 2 launch ones or the ones added to Spartacus) at more or less the same time. Sure, each one is to address a different thing and to appeal a different type of player or niche.

But I wonder whay they all seem to be released more or less at the same time when in terms of marketing and PC it's better, easier and more effective to announce and release the things separatedly, one by one. Sure, Spartacus isn't oficially confirmed but matches stuff we officially knew are coming and common sense. The other ones are confirmed, but in some cases not Spring launch but also seems credible and/or seems pretty likely. Or is it just a coincidence?

As mentioned, I don't consider the games for this topic, since I assume that as always they have a good amount of great big and small, exclusive or multi games spread across the year. Or who knows, maybe it's related. Maybe they don't have a lot of big PS5 games in Spring/early summer and want to cover that part of the year with Spartacus games and PSVR2 games?

 

[arvfab]

I mean, I understand sometimes is better to save thing they have ready for marketing reasons. As an example, to release the U4 PC+PS5 port/remaster just before the Uncharted movie, or to release TLOU2 DC (bundle of TLOU2 PS5, TLOU1 remake and TLOU MP game) just before the tv show.

Or when they plan their roadmap of exclusives and spread the releases across the year to make sure they aren't released at the same time, making sure they provide great stuff the whole year and that they also avoid internal and external direct competition.

But in this case, they seem to be releasing a big chunk of things (not counting games, even the PSVR 2 launch ones or the ones added to Spartacus) at more or less the same time. Sure, each one is to address a different thing and to appeal a different type of player or niche.

But I wonder whay they all seem to be released more or less at the same time when in terms of marketing and PC it's better, easier and more effective to announce and release the things separatedly, one by one. Sure, Spartacus isn't oficially confirmed but matches stuff we officially knew are coming and common sense. The other ones are confirmed, but in some cases not Spring launch but also seems credible and/or seems pretty likely. Or is it just a coincidence?

Well for one, as you said, different things for different audiences. For example, spreading out games maybe makes sense. Sitting on produced hardware, doesn't.

Furthermore, many of the things you listed are still only rumors.

And last, but not least: IF all you listed is really slated for spring, MAYBE they have just as much for the second half of the year.

 

[yurinka]

Furthermore, many of the things you listed are still only rumors.

No, all these things aren't rumors, they are oficial. What are rumors or assumptions are dates or details, but that I find pretty credible or make sense:
-Discord PS5 integration is oficially coming early this year
-Several Sony investor documents shown PS Now will receive an overhaul, and mention a big push for this fiscal year. With also patents backing up, we know it's coming to smartphones, tablets or smart tvs, that they will add PS5 games and increase the catalog, will work over 5G and more. All this is oficial. What it's a rumor is the 3 layered service Spartacus adding PS1+PSP as extra that would be released this Spring.
-PSVR2 is oficially annouced, the rumor is that a very credible analyst mentioned shipment will start this spring (everyone mentioned that but I understood he was talking about the shipment of its lenses and not the whole product)
-PlayStation Tournaments coming to PS5 this year is also oficial, and that they bought EVO and did use the PS4 version of PlayStation Tournaments for pre-EVO online tournaments last year is a fact. This part is what it's only my personal opinion/prediction: I think they will want to have ready the PS5 version of this feature on time for the pre-EVO online tournaments. They shown both EVO and PS Tournament at CES, seem to be important for them, and that will be something else than to only repeat the same they did last year but with a simple port of the feature to PS5, I think they will add extra sauce (part of it mentioned in the patents).

And last, but not least: IF all you listed is really slated for spring, MAYBE they have just as much for the second half of the year.

Well, if they release PSVR2, Spartacus, Discord, PS Tournaments for PS5, VRR during H1 then for H2 they would only have basically games, which is ok. I don't see what other big OS features, services and accesories would remain for H2.

In the OS side, maybe 1440p and folders, but basically nobody cares about it (as happens with VRR). In terms of accesories, maybe new colors for Dual Sense and plates? Regarding services, maybe to scale worldwide that movies service they were testing/prototyping in some country (Poland, I think)? Basically nothing.

I think that 2022 is going to be a super huge year regarding big PS5 games considering all the exclusive and multi games coming, plus the ones we still don't know. So maybe H2 is specially packed regarding games, so maybe they decided to put instead all their accesories/OS/services stuff in H1.