Sony cancels two live service games, including a spin-off of God of War.

Recently, Sony has decided to cancel two online service games in response to the issues encountered with the launch of Concord. One of these cancellations includes a highly anticipated title in the God of War franchise. Despite these decisions, the company has assured that its two involved studios, Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games, are not at risk of closure. These two entities were working on different live service games, a model in which Sony has invested significantly.

The launch of Concord was one of Sony's most notable failures, although it also achieved great success with Helldivers II. Online service games can be risky, but when done correctly, they are extremely profitable. The cancellation of one of the projects has caused disappointment among fans who were looking forward to news in the God of War line, although there is a lack of information about the gameplay or narrative of the canceled game.

Despite the uncertainty regarding the potential labor impact of these cancellations, an internal memo from Sony indicates that they are in close contact with Bend and Bluepoint to plan future projects and minimize the commercial impact. Sony has been trying to replicate the success of titles like Fortnite and Destiny, but replicating that formula is no easy task.

In November 2023, the company decided to reduce its ambitious initial plan to launch a dozen live service games to half that number by March 2026. Meanwhile, other studios like PlatinumGames have also shown interest in this business model, although some fear that this may mean a departure from the single-player games that the company is known for.

The video game industry is constantly evolving, and while single-player games continue to generate revenue, the true potential lies in DLCs, microtransactions, and subscription models. Various analysts have demonstrated that a large portion of the revenue generated in video games comes from these methods. Despite the failures of some online service games, companies continue to pivot toward this model for its ability to generate long-term revenue.

It is crucial for the industry to remember that, when developing games, the quality of content should take precedence over the quantity of content. While it is clear that Sony and PlatinumGames are seeking profitability, they must also find a balance and not stray from creating games that are genuinely entertaining and maintain the loyalty of their player base.

This suggests that, while online service games are likely to feature in the future strategies of these companies, the legacy of single-player titles that have characterized their catalogs should not be forgotten.