Following the contrasting outcomes of Astro Bot’s success and Concord’s failure, PlayStation is recalibrating its strategy to prioritize fewer live service games, cultivate more major franchises, and implement stricter oversight across its owned studios, according to PlayStation CEO Hermen Hulst.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Hulst emphasized the company’s aim to mitigate significant financial risks associated with game development. “I don’t want teams to always play it safe, but I would like for us, when we fail, to fail early and cheaply,” he stated, highlighting the importance of identifying and addressing potential issues early in the development process.
The failure of Concord, estimated to have cost Sony around $250 million, led to the game’s shutdown shortly after launch and the subsequent closure of its developer, Firewalk Studios. This contrasts sharply with the success of Astro Bot, which has sold 2.3 million copies as of March 2025 and garnered critical acclaim.
Hulst acknowledged the need for enhanced supervision of Sony’s owned studios to identify and address potential issues before they escalate into costly failures. “We have since put in place much more rigorous and more frequent testing in very many different ways,” Hulst said. “The advantage of every failure . . . is that people now understand how necessary that [oversight] is.”
According to the Financial Times, this increased oversight involves greater emphasis on group testing, enhanced communication between internal Sony studios, and closer collaboration among studio executives. Jason Connell, art director at Sucker Punch (the studio behind Ghost of Yōtei), noted the importance of information sharing to avoid redundant development efforts. “If we’re heading towards a giant landmine, like there’s another studio making exactly the same game, that’s good information,” Connell said.
The failure of Concord, attributed to factors such as an oversaturation of multiplayer, live service shooters, has prompted PlayStation to reassess its focus on this genre. Hulst indicated a shift away from churning out live service games, though Bungie’s Marathon, slated for release before March 2026, remains in development. The game has stirred concern among Bungie fans due to delays, staff layoffs, and a lack of detailed information.
In addition to refining its approach to live service games, Hulst wants to focus on developing more significant Sony IP. The success of Astro Bot, cultivated over multiple games, serves as a model for building enduring franchises. According to the Financial Times, Hulst is encouraging studios to consider how their IP can evolve into larger franchises, similar to The Last of Us and Uncharted. “We take a very intentional approach to IP creation . . . understanding how a new concept can turn into an iconic franchise for PlayStation, that can then again become a franchise for people beyond gaming,” he said.
PlayStation’s upcoming releases include Ghost of Yōtei and Lost Soul Aside this year, followed by Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls and Housemarque’s Saros in 2026. Other projects in development include Fairgames, Marvel’s Wolverine, Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and Marathon.
