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[Unknown Soldier]

The entirety of Astro Bot is centered around celebrating the beloved games which are associated with PlayStation history

Sony: "we don't have any IP's"

What about all the IP's you've seemingly abandoned over the decades, Sony? Like the 7 million selling Bloodborne?

 

[demonstr8]

Finally FINALLY someone at PlayStation has realised their biggest fucking problem especially in Japan it has taken basically 25 years but it's finally been recognised. He didn't use the term but what they lack is LEGACY IP because they drop everything they have in an instant that didn't sell well because that is typical corporate culture. Now the question is how long until they realize that they actually need to BUY a publisher like Square Enix, Capcom or SEGA to actually become relevant in the IP space and have some that are actually progenitors of genres that defined part of gaming culture at the time and have an eternal ingrained fanbase.

 

[JaksGhost]

Here is the full quote:

“Whether it’s for games, films or anime, we don’t have that much IP that we fostered from the beginning,” said chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki, who is widely seen as Yoshida’s successor, in a separate interview.“We’re lacking the early phase (of IP) and that’s an issue for us,” he added, noting Sony has historically been better at finding a global audience for content that have already become popular in their home market.

Jefferies analyst Atul Goyal said the new focus is a natural part of Sony’s evolution into a fully integrated media company but investors have also called on the company to present more concrete plans for it to deliver higher returns as its next phase of growth.“One thing that you need is IP, that is step one,” Goyal said. “And if you don’t start creating or buying in those that do, then the risk is someone else will do it. So the risk is not doing anything.”

Here's the link to the full article https://www.ft.com/content/307f7a2e-a755-4f6e-badc-9bc119f185df

 

[Jinzo Prime]

Look at this:

List of highest-grossing media franchises - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

This is the kind of IP Hiroki wants more of: billion-dollar evergreen IP that us always relevant. Sony owns Demon Slayer, but that franchise won't stand the test of time like Dragon Ball or Anpanman. They want a Mario Bros, Transformers, Pokemon, Marvel, Halo, Warcraft, or Barbie. Horizon and Ratchet ain't enough.

 

[DeadOblivion78]

You have Bloodborne, Demons Souls, and Gravity Rush. Your argument is invalid.

Gravity Rush? The franchise where there was a quiz at the PlayStation booth at Paris Games Week 2019 where Kat was shown and no one could name the character? That popular franchise?

 

[LimanimaPT]

Uncharted
TLOU
Twisted Metal
Ratchet
Horizon
GOW
Ghost Of Tsushima
Infamous
Jak and Daxter
Killzone
Resistance

3 of those are already movies/tv shows.

I dont think this guy knows wtf hes talking about.

I can add a few more to this list:
Gran Turismo
Motorstorm
Dayz Gone (it's criminal this one doesn't have a sequel)
Sack Boy
Wipeout

And I'm sure I can think of more...

 

[ReBurn]

CEO: "Sky is blue."

NeoGAF: "What?! The sky can be grey! Orange! Black! Kill him!"

Sony Director, President. COO, CFO and PlayStation chairman:

• Company insider
• Has worked at Sony since 1987
• Has access to all financial and strategic data across all Sony businesses
• Knows all of the IP that Sony and PlayStation own
• Thinks Sony needs to do more to foster new, original IP's from the beginning

Forum members who stan for plastic boxes:

• Get offended
• Make endless lists with IP's that PlayStation abandoned a decade ago to prove that Sony already has all the IP's they need
• Beg for endless sequels instead of new IP
• Insist the guy who actually knows how Sony works doesn't know anything

It's a toss-up on who to believe, really

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Look at this:

List of highest-grossing media franchises - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

This is the kind of IP Hiroki wants more of: billion-dollar evergreen IP that us always relevant. Sony owns Demon Slayer, but that franchise won't stand the test of time like Dragon Ball or Anpanman. They want a Mario Bros, Transformers, Pokemon, Marvel, Halo, Warcraft, or Barbie. Horizon and Ratchet ain't enough.

Before Genshin existed, there was (and still is) Fate Grand Order. That would be Sony's wildcard if they weren't dumb as a brick. It takes a very special kind of incompetence to not exploit that IP.

"As of July 2021, the game grossed $5.4 billion worldwide, making it the seventh highest-grossing mobile game of all time. Total revenues reached $7 billion by September 2023".

 

[kevboard]

Sony doesn't have many valuable IPs anymore mostly due to neglecting everything that isn't convertible into a shitty cinematic experience AAA game.

so only the hardcore audience even still knows the IPs that aren't God of War, Uncharted and Last of Us at this point.

PaRappa? dead IP

Motorstorm? Dead IP

Killzone? Dead IP

Resistance? Dead IP

Genji? Giant Dead Enemy Crab

Patapon? Dead IP

Wipeout? Dead IP

Twisted Metal? Let's make a TV show and cancel the game!

MediEvil? Dead Skeleton

LocoRoco? Dead IP

Gravity Rush? Euthanized Kat

Syphon Filter? Dead IP

 

[Oof85]

I still think playstation should own metal gear

Wut?

Did they offer to buy Konami?

Or do you think Konami should've just sent them Metal Gear in the mail, as a thank note?

 

[RoboFu]

Bring back arc the lad, ape escape, or jack and daxter. A open world jack and daxter would be cool. Sly cooper mother f#%^*ers!!

 

[AGRacing]

Uncharted
TLOU
Twisted Metal
Ratchet
Horizon
GOW
Ghost Of Tsushima
Infamous
Jak and Daxter
Killzone
Resistance

3 of those are already movies/tv shows.

I dont think this guy knows wtf hes talking about.

Yeah. Thats an interesting list because only one franchise on it that was given a developed for PS5 exclusive title (that later went to PC).

Maybe he should have said they haven’t leveraged their IP properly.

 

[simpatico]

Ressurect 989 Studios and make a new Syphon Filter please.

 

[ReyBrujo]

Like the 7 million selling Bloodborne?

I guess he's just thinking beyond games. 7 million is a nice number but what else did it sell? Toys? Magazines? Movies? I think he wants IPs that are able to transcend the limited hardcore audience. Maybe the reason they stop working in those IPs is because they realize they are going to hit a wall sooner than later.

 

[onnextflix5]

Bloodborn, demon souls, uncharted, kiilzone, maybe do something with these, before talking nonsense

 

[kazuyamishima]

Sony has so many dead and beloved IP's that every time they remaster or remake one it sells like Shit.

But yeah, it's Sony's fault.......

 

[intheinbetween]

Time to bring back Mr Mosketoo to boost sales

 

[MrRibeye]

Despite my Horizon joke earlier, Totoki-san's opinion here is correct. When you are given a budget and a team and get to choose any Sony IP to work on, there aren't that many IPs with established mass appeal that would be guaranteed hits to justify a $100,000,000 budget and then you have to play to your team's strengths too - if your artists and programmers have never worked on a cinematic action-adventure before, you can't just hand them Uncharted and expect it to go well.

Santa Monica has had a position open for Sr. Technical Combat Designer for over 12 months at this point. During that time some ~30 game studios went bankrupt and closed, flooding the talent pool with hundreds of designers, none of which have been able to get that position yet. You're going through approx 6 interviews to get in and so far no-one has fit the bill. All the money and IPs are worthless if you can't find the right talent.

 

[Kerotan]

Uncharted
TLOU
Twisted Metal
Ratchet
Horizon
GOW
Ghost Of Tsushima
Infamous
Jak and Daxter
Killzone
Resistance

3 of those are already movies/tv shows.

I dont think this guy knows wtf hes talking about.

He's just being humble.

 

[MALpractice311]

Gravity Rush? The franchise where there was a quiz at the PlayStation booth at Paris Games Week 2019 where Kat was shown and no one could name the character? That popular franchise?

The statement wasn't "we have no popular original IPs." It was "we have no original IPs." My point was they have a variety of IPs that they choose not to promote.

 

[Toons]

Hes not wrong, but it speaks to the current capitalistic tendencies pushes these companies to be aiming for bigger; bigger bigger IP which has led to the well becoming slim for anything other than pre established stuff. Being decent successes isn't good enough anymore and if it isn't a billion dollar earner its not considered priority.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Guys....you are thinking too much.

He is just public shaming for these people to get their act together.

 

[DeadOblivion78]

Sony has so many dead and beloved IP's that every time they remaster or remake one it sells like Shit.

But yeah, it's Sony's fault.......

If they were beloved, they wouldn't be dead. The audience has chosen the ones that survive and the ones that didn't.

 

[sendit]

I'm pretty sure he meant IPs that could be mass marketed outside of gaming, In this case, he is right.

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

It's quite ironic that everytime this guy opens his mouth, he devalues something - and him being the CFO - lol!

Yeah, he seems to be quite negative about the company in some of his comments. Weird!

 

[Elginer]

This man must be drunk as fuck.

 

[kazuyamishima]

If they were beloved, they wouldn't be dead. The audience has chosen the ones that survive and the ones that didn't.

That's my point, but a lot of people keep bringing the dead IP's.

 

[DeadOblivion78]

That's my point, but a lot of people keep bringing the dead IP's.

I think it's healthier for the studios to move on from their old IP's than being chained to one franchise for the rest of existence, but not a lot of people don't share that sentiment.

 

[OuterLimits]

Kind of true. Sony has a bunch of good IP, but many of them don't last multiple generations. Unlike Nintendo that has many that did start at the very beginning with the NES and still are massively popular decades later.

What are the big Sony IP from original PlayStation that are still huge? Gran Turismo. PS2 is God of War

 

[Roronoa Zoro]

Finally FINALLY someone at PlayStation has realised their biggest fucking problem especially in Japan it has taken basically 25 years but it's finally been recognised. He didn't use the term but what they lack is LEGACY IP because they drop everything they have in an instant that didn't sell well because that is typical corporate culture. Now the question is how long until they realize that they actually need to BUY publisherS like Square Enix, Capcom AND SEGA to actually become relevant in the IP space and have some that are actually progenitors of genres that defined part of gaming culture at the time and have an eternal ingrained fanbase.

FTFY

 

[HogIsland]

That would be the dumbest way to view his statement. I'm really liking Hiroki Totoki over the last 6 months. He's good for Playstation.

It's not how he meant it, it's how all the producers at Sony publishing arms interpret it over the next 5 years.

 

[Jesb]

They have many ip’s their just sitting on to rot.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

I think it's healthier for the studios to move on from their old IP's than being chained to one franchise for the rest of existence, but not a lot of people don't share that sentiment.

I think it's maybe more natural to use new IP as an opportunity to grow while still retaining the old IP and cultivating it.

Persona is one of the most popular RPG franchises on the market today, but that was certainly not the case in the beginning.

FromSoftware started the souls genre with Demon's Souls which didn't do all that well. Then they did Dark Souls which did moderately well, and eventually they did Elden Ring which was a massive hit. Would Dark Souls have done worse if it was called Demon's Souls? I don't think so, but maybe...

 

[Astray]

...they have even more than that. So yeah, he has to clarify exactly what he means when he says don't have enough IP.

Having read the actual piece on Financial Times, he's clearly talking about Sony as a whole.

Sony's film, anime and tv divisions are almost completely reliant on licensing properties like comics novels etc.

Playstation is actually the exception to that, and the film and tv division has gotten good to great hits out of their IP (Uncharted did much better in box office than the latest Indy film, Last of us was a massive success on HBO Max.. Even the Gran Turismo film did ok iirc). They could stand to make more, but they are actually the only Sony division doing anything in that regard.

Totoki wants more original IP out of the entire organization. The more original IP you make, the more margin you make on your successes and you could actually license things to others if you want. You have more profit and optionality, but at higher risk.

Look at this:

List of highest-grossing media franchises - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

This is the kind of IP Hiroki wants more of: billion-dollar evergreen IP that us always relevant. Sony owns Demon Slayer, but that franchise won't stand the test of time like Dragon Ball or Anpanman. They want a Mario Bros, Transformers, Pokemon, Marvel, Halo, Warcraft, or Barbie. Horizon and Ratchet ain't enough.

Sony doesn't own Demon Slayer, that's a Shueisha property (they publish Weekly Shonen Jump). They don't even own Ufotable, who are the animation studio doing the films and anime shows.

Sony's animation studio is Aniplex, which is successful, but it almost entirely does adaptations of existing properties like Mangas and Light Novels.

 

[cman]

they should make new games with old Ips with new gameplay stuff that's possible with the current gaming tech. Much less risks rather than what they are doing now, making totally new game IPs, like the recently bombed super hard, Concord. Even Zelda before BOTW was never BOTW's sales level, but Nintendo managed to turn it into a major cash cow with BOTW, with an old IP. imo.

 

[EDMIX]

Uncharted
TLOU
Twisted Metal
Ratchet
Horizon
GOW
Ghost Of Tsushima
Infamous
Jak and Daxter
Killzone
Resistance

3 of those are already movies/tv shows.

I dont think this guy knows wtf hes talking about.

This, either this is a massive mistranslation or he smoking Japanese crack (much finer in quality, triple sifted and cut from steel from Hokkaido prefecture)

 

[Blackage]

It's crazy to think Uncharted 4 was like 8 years ago.

 

[FunkMiller]

What he really means is they don’t have enough original IP that can be turned to ongoing, live service money making.

They have plenty of unused IP otherwise.

 

[DR3AM]

Paying for 3rd party exclusives isn’t cheap and licensing Disney properties adds up in fees.

 

[Hypereides]

PlayStation has a ton of original IPs.
It's just that most of them are dormant because Sony is fucking retarded.

Its sad, but true. Totoki doesn't understand/see the value of those dormat IPs from the gaming community pov. Guys like him don't think in the playful/imaginatively lane.

 

[SplunkyMunkey]

Get ur candy ass to partially buy ea Entertainment

Command & Conquer
Road Rash
Titanfall
Apex
Theme park
Sims
Need For Speed
Battlefield
Dead Space
Medal of Honour
Mass Effect

So many more great ips that could revive or remake/remaster
Expecially for esports

 

[xiskza]

Not surprised this tweet went viral

 

[RCX]

I always wonder what they could do with their dormant IP.

I'd love a Colony Wars space-sim along the lines of Star Citizen or Elite.

 

[mayham2199]

I think it's healthier for the studios to move on from their old IP's than being chained to one franchise for the rest of existence, but not a lot of people don't share that sentiment.

I agree. It's one thing I like about Playstation is they don't just keep pumping out the IP and run it into the ground. I guess he see's what Nintendo is doing though and wants that. I just don't want that and frankly I tried the NS and I just think all their games are ok at best but I get it people love the switch and the IPs and he wants that for Sony as well. Can't blame him.

 

[LiquidRex]

Simple, just reboot these excellent ips... Killzone, SOCOM, Wipeout, GPolice, Colony Wars, Motorstorm, Syphon Filter, Resistance.

Imagine GPolice with the technology available today, imagine the Killzone Universe as a live service game, imagine a new Wipeout playable on the PSVR2.