• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Sony has lost its PlayStation Mobile boss, 2 years after launching

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Sony Interactive Entertainment has lost its PlayStation Mobile boss, 2 years after the division was established.

IMG_2059-1024x765.jpg


Nicola Sebastiani was a high-profile appointment when he joined in 2021, having previously led Apple’s business management team before becoming Apple Arcade’s head of content, in an eight-year stint at the iPhone maker. Sebastiani was responsible for building PlayStation’s mobile team and was key in Sony’s acquisition of Savage Game Studios. However, less than a year after that deal was announced, he’s now left the company, according to MobileGamer.biz. It’s not yet clear why the exec decided to leave or if he’s directly joined another company.

Over the past 2 years, SIE has quietly built a team of experienced mobile talent, hiring people from Apple, Kabam, Meta, Tencent, Super Evil Megacorp, Samsung, Niantic, Zynga, Riot and more. Speaking during a business briefing last year, SIE president Jim Ryan said the company expected half of its annual releases to be on PC and mobile by 2025.

Commenting during the acquisition of Savage Game Studios, PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst was keen to emphasise mobile’s role within PlayStation as an “additive” to its core console business. “As we assured you before with our plans to bring select titles to PC, our efforts beyond console in no way diminish our commitment to the PlayStation community, nor our passion to keep making amazing single-player, narrative-driven experiences,” Hulst said. “Our mobile gaming efforts will be similarly additive, providing more ways for more people to engage with our content, and striving to reach new audiences unfamiliar with PlayStation and our games.”

Source: https://www.videogameschronicle.com...ystation-mobile-boss-2-years-after-launching/
 
Last edited:

Jinzo Prime

Member
Commenting during the acquisition of Savage Game Studios, PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst was keen to emphasise mobile’s role within PlayStation as an “additive” to its core console business.

Speaking during a business briefing last year, SIE president Jim Ryan said the company expected half of its annual releases to be on PC and mobile by 2025.

Hermen Hulst as the PS Studios head is a huge mistake.
 

dotnotbot

Member
I wish I could be upset about it. Has Sony released any mobile games recently?

Their recent release (Ultimate Sackboy) was developed by Exient, don't see anything made in-house recently.

Can the higher ups in sony remove hermen hulst and jim Ryan
These 2 will destroy the Playstation

They seem to be one of those braindead execs who just chase latest trends, copy and paste without any new business ideas. For a sucessful brand it works for some time - until it doesn't (for example another competitor appears like Microsoft who can easily outspend them).
 

Celine

Member
Playstation has a mobile division?
For some quite time.
PlayStation Studios Mobile is Sony’s third attempt to break into the mobile market after the failure of PlayStation Mobile and ForwardWorks (the latter of which was responsible for the sad revival of Arc the Lad and Wild Arms on smartphones).

Announcement of the formation of ForwardWorks:
 
Last edited:

yurinka

Member
I wish I could be upset about it. Has Sony released any mobile games recently?
As I remember they released a Sackboy autorunner, and announced a Wipeout card game which I assume it's in soft launch.

They bought Savage, who is working in an unannounced shooter.

Then they also have mobile games outside PlayStation/SIE, under Sony Music: one of them is Fate/Grand Order, a game that generated them over $4B.
 
Last edited:

gothmog

Gold Member
As I remember they released a Sackboy autorunner, and announced a Wipeout card game which I assume it's in soft launch.

They bought Savage, who is working in an unannounced shooter.

Then they also have mobile games outside PlayStation/SIE, under Sony Music: one of them is Fate/Grand Order, a game that generated them over $4B.
This is good info. I knew they got a ton from Grand Order but didn't know about how that was set up. So might be a big deal but probably not.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
To clarify some stuff above, Sony has that Grand Fate Order game, which is oddly under their Sony Music division. It's made billions of sales since launch. You dont hear about it because that game (and division) do their own thing. And mobile games typically arent talked about in game forums like console or PC games.

Part of their GAAS strategy is also striving for mobile games as those kinds of games go hand in hand with handheld devices. The games division is trying to replicate what Grand Fate Order has done. But for the PS division.
 
Last edited:
Hermen Hulst as the PS Studios head is a huge mistake.
To clarify some stuff above, Sony has that Grand Fate Order game, which is oddly under their Sony Music division. It's made billions of sales since launch. You dont hear about it because that game (and division) do their own thing. And mobile games typically arent talked about in game forums like console or PC games.

Part of their GAAS strategy is also striving for mobile games as those kinds of games go hand in hand with handheld devices. The games division is trying to replicate what Grand Fate Order has done. But for the PS division.
I would like to see quality mobile games, I know it’s almost impossible to make money on that because mobile users don’t want to pay for games, only for predatory mtx.

But wouldn’t it be nice to see great Sony and other big studio full games on mobile? The phones are certainly powerful enough nowadays, more powerful than Switch, unfortunately the phone users don’t like quality releases and go for gacha.

Biggest issue of course is the controls but you have some great 3rd party phone holder/controllers now that make the phone look like a Switch.
 
Last edited:

nial

Member
Their recent release (Ultimate Sackboy) was developed by Exient, don't see anything made in-house recently.
As I remember they released a Sackboy autorunner, and announced a Wipeout card game which I assume it's in soft launch.
They didn't publish those games.
I wish I could be upset about it. Has Sony released any mobile games recently?
Their last one was the Japan-exclusive Nyorokko in 2021, made by ForwardWorks. In the West it was Lemmings, released in 2018.
 
Last edited:

Three

Member
So I'm a little confused here. The Mobile Division of Playstation Studios was only set up a year ago after an acquisition because they didn’t have mobile studios before. Nicola joined 2 years ago. Playstation Mobile Inc had existed way before that though which I suspect is what Nicola had joined and left after 2 years. Playstation Mobile Inc has been making Playstation mobile apps and games for a long time.
 

Loomy

Thinks Microaggressions are Real
Hermen Hulst as the PS Studios head is a huge mistake.
This is a dangerous road for them. Sony's empire is crumbling.

I don't get these takes.

You all seem to be under the impression that Sony is cutting their current investment in game by half and replacing it with mobile/PC.

They are spending more on the types of game they've always made, and increasing their investment in games by spending more money on mobile/PC/GAAS.

At the end of the day, when Hermen, Jim, Phill, Matt, etc are being evaluated, the things being looked at won't be what games they put out. It will be how much revenue their departments generated. That number will be very low if they're only releasing 3 single player games a year.

These guys all need money to keep doing their jobs.
 

Crayon

Member
I don't get these takes.

You all seem to be under the impression that Sony is cutting their current investment in game by half and replacing it with mobile/PC.

They are spending more on the types of game they've always made, and increasing their investment in games by spending more money on mobile/PC/GAAS.

At the end of the day, when Hermen, Jim, Phill, Matt, etc are being evaluated, the things being looked at won't be what games they put out. It will be how much revenue their departments generated. That number will be very low if they're only releasing 3 single player games a year.

These guys all need money to keep doing their jobs.

I was joking but I think the other one was serious.
 

yurinka

Member
What in God's green earth were they doing?
I wish I could be upset about it. Has Sony released any mobile games recently?
They didn't publish those games.

Their last one was the Japan-exclusive Nyorokko in 2021, made by ForwardWorks. In the West it was Lemmings, released in 2018.

The most recent PlayStation mobile gaming published (worldwide) game in the west is Ultimate Sackboy, released February 23:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.exient.sackboy

Wipeout Rush was soft launched a year before:
https://gamingonphone.com/news/wipeout-rush-available-selected-regions-android-and-ios/

Soft launch is when a mobile game gets released in a few countries only before the worldwide release, to make some changes, tweaks and fixes according to the results they get in these countries which are representative of bigger regions of the world. Once they make sure the game is good enough, maybe after a year or more they make the big push to release it worldwide. Or not.

They were handled by the PlayStation mobile gaming team that they are building inside SIE, who bought Savage and plans to both develop games internally and also make deals with external developers and publishers with the idea of bringing some IPs that fit to mobile and when make sense even release some games (think Fortnite or Genshin Impact) release some of these games not only in mobile.

Sony has more mobile gaming teams focused mostly in Japan. The most successful one is Lasengle (known as the gaming division of DelightWorks before being bought by Sony Music), known for the megahit Fate/Grand Order game that generated around $4B until now and also publishes the fighting or visual novel Type Moon games for console and PC.

For Japan Aniplex (under Sony Music) released recently Infinity Souls in 2022, and in December 2021 Tarot Boys: 22 Apprentice Fortune Tellers. Aniplex also makes console games

It's also worth mentioning that these companies have older games that still are alive and get updated. As an example, Forwardworks released Everybody's Golf back in 2017 but it got updated this month.

Sony now also owns Crunchyroll, who owns Crunchyroll Games. They published Street Fighter Duel (published February 2023 worldwide, was softlaunched in China before), and before Tarot Boys: 22 Apprentice Fortune Tellers (from Lasengle), Bloodline: The last royal vampire or My Hero Academia: The strongest hero.

I think it would make more sense if Sony would group all their mobile games under a single company under SIE, in that new PlayStation Mobile team they are building now. And also put all these non SIE console and PC game teams under SIE too.
So I'm a little confused here. The Mobile Division of Playstation Studios was only set up a year ago after an acquisition because they didn’t have mobile studios before. Nicola joined 2 years ago. Playstation Mobile Inc had existed way before that though which I suspect is what Nicola had joined and left after 2 years. Playstation Mobile Inc has been making Playstation mobile apps and games for a long time.
Yes, the new team and structure they are building for PlayStation Mobile, the one that handled Ultimate Sackboy, Wipeout Rush or bought Savage Studios is a new team.

They had a previous PlayStation Mobile company, the one who made the PS app, the companion apps of games like Driveclub, GT Sport and so on, or published a few games like Run, Sackboy Run and a Ratchet runner game.

Even before that PlayStation Mobile company Sony published mobile games for Java phones like 20 years ago, as the God of War game mentioned above.

Super Evil Mega Corp?
Yep, it's the funny name of the biggest mobile gaming publishers.
 
Last edited:

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
PC boxes back in the day. The game was a NARC rip off with cut scenes and a sleazy actress (I dont think the one on the cover is even in the game. The one in the game was brunette and wore skimpy red clothes)

MV5BOWRhZDY1YTYtMjJhOS00ODQzLWEwMjYtNDZmZjAzOWJiZTI4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzM4MjM0Nzg@._V1_.jpg
 

nial

Member
The most recent PlayStation mobile gaming published (worldwide) game in the west is Ultimate Sackboy, released February 23:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.exient.sackboy

Wipeout Rush was soft launched a year before:
https://gamingonphone.com/news/wipeout-rush-available-selected-regions-android-and-ios/

Soft launch is when a mobile game gets released in a few countries only before the worldwide release, to make some changes, tweaks and fixes according to the results they get in these countries which are representative of bigger regions of the world. Once they make sure the game is good enough, maybe after a year or more they make the big push to release it worldwide. Or not.

They were handled by the PlayStation mobile gaming team that they are building inside SIE, who bought Savage and plans to both develop games internally and also make deals with external developers and publishers with the idea of bringing some IPs that fit to mobile and when make sense even release some games (think Fortnite or Genshin Impact) release some of these games not only in mobile.

Sony has more mobile gaming teams focused mostly in Japan. The most successful one is Lasengle (known as the gaming division of DelightWorks before being bought by Sony Music), known for the megahit Fate/Grand Order game that generated around $4B until now and also publishes the fighting or visual novel Type Moon games for console and PC.

For Japan Aniplex (under Sony Music) released recently Infinity Souls in 2022, and in December 2021 Tarot Boys: 22 Apprentice Fortune Tellers. Aniplex also makes console games

It's also worth mentioning that these companies have older games that still are alive and get updated. As an example, Forwardworks released Everybody's Golf back in 2017 but it got updated this month.

Sony now also owns Crunchyroll, who owns Crunchyroll Games. They published Street Fighter Duel (published February 2023 worldwide, was softlaunched in China before), and before Tarot Boys: 22 Apprentice Fortune Tellers (from Lasengle), Bloodline: The last royal vampire or My Hero Academia: The strongest hero.

I think it would make more sense if Sony would group all their mobile games under a single company under SIE, in that new PlayStation Mobile team they are building now. And also put all these non SIE console and PC game teams under SIE too.

Yes, the new team and structure they are building for PlayStation Mobile, the one that handled Ultimate Sackboy, Wipeout Rush or bought Savage Studios is a new team.

They had a previous PlayStation Mobile company, the one who made the PS app, the companion apps of games like Driveclub, GT Sport and so on, or published a few games like Run, Sackboy Run and a Ratchet runner game.

Even before that PlayStation Mobile company Sony published mobile games for Java phones like 20 years ago, as the God of War game mentioned above.


Yep, it's the funny name of the biggest mobile gaming publishers.
Look at your own links, lol. Ultima Sackboy, published by Exient. Wipeout Rush, published by Rogue Games. SIE just licensed the IPs to them.
 

Ar¢tos

Member
PC boxes back in the day. The game was a NARC rip off with cut scenes and a sleazy actress (I dont think the one on the cover is even in the game. The one in the game was brunette and wore skimpy red clothes)

MV5BOWRhZDY1YTYtMjJhOS00ODQzLWEwMjYtNDZmZjAzOWJiZTI4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzM4MjM0Nzg@._V1_.jpg
I remember playing that!
It was so bad, but I kept playing until I got another game.
 

Ronin_7

Member
You can only miss something if you knew of its existence. I knew nothing of a PS Mobile division.

What in God's green earth were they doing?
To be real here, they've been recruiting insane top talent from Meta, Apple, Zynga etc.

From what i see, they're building a dream Team where salaries must be insanely high.

So it must be something they're ready really invested on and think will be absolutely massive in the future (2026+ would be my guess).
 
Top Bottom