Sure!
So here’s the problem - gaming is becoming increasingly ubiquitous. MS, Amazon, Google, perhaps Apple and others are looking to producing subscription based gaming services across multiple platforms. Not to mention the explosion of mobile gaming.
Consoles are becoming marginalised in the gaming space and going forward there’s every reason to believe that will continue.
Ultimatey that will make PS custom hardware and brand unsustainable.
Here’s my suggestion to address this problem.
Sony should make a deal with MS (and/or Amazon, Google, Apple) to put Sony 1st party games on gamepass (or equivalents)
Yeah controversial I know but hear me out.
If you look at subscription services like Netflix or Spotify - they don’t make money. MS won’t make money from gamepass and neither will amazon, google or anyone else. Those services need continual new content and that siphons off all the cash they make from subscriptions.
The companies that make the content that goes on those subscription services .... they make money. They make money for the same reason movie production companies make money but cinemas don’t.
So, wait until PS5 is a proven sales success and again dominating the gen - I don’t see why it wouldn’t. That should be evident about 12 to 18 months into the gen.
Then Sony can sell that content to MS (or indeed Amazon or Google or even epic - just start a bidding war) and let them do the marketing and delivery. Sony can just sit back and watch the cash roll in.
If they want they can say non Xbox hardware only - there won’t be any further custom hardware from MS after this coming gen. If Sony want they can say 1 year+ after PlayStation launch along with other restrictions to maintain the PlayStation the “best place to play” but not the only place.
Sony should do it to position themselves for the future. Trying to draw the wagons round and protect the PlayStation eco system in the face of completion from Amazon, Google, MS and even Apple, isn’t going to generate the revenue they need long term to keep PlayStation relevant.
At the same time they can introduce a form of gamepass onto the PlayStation platform if they do the deal with MS and charge MS for the access.
TLDR - Sony should keep producing high quality content and sell it across multiple platforms in return for licensing/royalty fees.