Hermen Hulst Brings in his First Change as PlayStation CEO, Thanks to Helldivers 2’s Ridiculous Success, But It’s Not a Good One (or is it?)
More platforms, more players.
It’s an interesting time for Sony Interactive Entertainment. With Hermen Hulst taking over its reins from Jim Ryan, the company is now set to go all-out in bringing new players into the PlayStation fold with a multi-pronged approach to live service titles like the massively popular Helldivers 2 and first-party titles like Uncharted and God of War.
When a Game Becomes a Game-Changer
Sony’s new pivot into cross-platform compatibility may have something to do with the meteoric success of Arrowhead Studios’ Helldivers 2. It seems that the company is ready to move on from the unfortunate events surrounding cross-platform play that caused several problems for both companies.
Despite its relatively simple premise, gamers simply cannot get enough of Helldivers 2. It is a gift that keeps on giving, with Arrowhead committed to delivering the best possible experience to their loyal fans, and a showcase of how lucrative it could be for Sony to deliver on its promise of releasing live service games from its roster on both PlayStation and PC on the day of their release.
It’s a move that lets fans of either platform come together to enjoy games that they may not have been able to play in the past considering Sony’s rigid stance on console exclusivity – a long-standing pain point among gamers.
Making Products that Work as Advertisements
While Helldivers 2 may have influenced Hulst’s decision to pivot into same-day releases on live-service titles, his strategy with Sony’s in-house games adds a layer of nuance to the debate on cross-platform play.
The recent success of Horizon Forbidden West’s release on Steam is a great indicator of how Hulst’s new approach could very well bring more PC gamers into the PlayStation fold. PlayStation exclusives have been a mainstay of the platform’s success over the years, and Hulst’s looking to build on that success carries a lot of potential for the platform.
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Through PlayStation exclusives being released on other platforms like Xbox and Steam after they enjoy an exclusive presence on the PS Store, Sony could capitalize on their critical and commercial success while using them to sell more of their consoles to gamers who cannot wait to begin playing sequels on other platforms.
It is an interesting approach to Microsoft’s stand on new games, seemingly leveraging the best of cross-platform play and console exclusivity to get the best of both worlds. It’s evident that the future of gaming has many interesting trends on its horizon – and it is gamers who are going to reap the benefits.
While time will tell if this new direction works out for Sony Interactive Entertainment, we can only hope that the elusive Bloodborne remake finally sees the light of day!
