Double Down on First and Third-Party Exclusives
If there’s one thing that’s kept PlayStation above the competition this generation it’s exclusives, and boy have they delivered. Each and every year Sony has brought quality exclusives to the PS4, with a shortlist including Spider-Man, Bloodborne, Death Stranding, God of War, Uncharted 4, and more.
Yet, it’s not just Sony bringing exclusives as plenty of third parties have also been offering some hugely popular titles like Persona 5, Judgment, and Dissidia Final Fantasy NT.
In 2020, and looking into next-gen, Sony needs to continue to cultivate this content. Put marketing pushes behind third-party games like Final Fantasy VII Remake (timed exclusive) and Persona 5 Royal. Get games like The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima into player’s hands, and make sure to have at least one other exclusive announced at any given time for people to look forward to.
Sony has countless franchises to work with, and they need to have a healthy offering for both the end of the PS4 and the beginning of the PS5. It’s their biggest strength, and they certainly don’t want to lose that.
Bring Back Backward Compatability
It’s amazing to think that after all these years the PS4 hasn’t gotten any backward compatibility, not with any other generation of PlayStation.
Fans rejoiced when Xbox One added backward compatibility, and it continues to be a major strength for the system. With next-gen arriving at the end of the year, backward compatibility needs to be a focal point.
At the very least the new console needs to be able to play PS4 games, especially considering it looks like big PS4 releases are going to run right up to the PS5’s launch. Even better would be if some of the most recent PS4 titles, like Final Fantasy VII Remake or Ghost of Tsushima, get some kind of performance upgrade.
While it’d be great to see PS4 backward compatibility, Sony could really get ahead by making PS3 and PS2 compatible as well. Obviously, we don’t know the feasibility of that with the new hardware, but backward compatibility with some of the biggest games libraries out there would be a huge selling point.
Revamp PlayStation Plus
Microsoft has revolutionized digital services with Xbox Game Pass, coupled with its expanding services on Xbox Live. As we move into a more digital-focused generation, it’s quite likely Games Pass-like services could become the norm.
Because of this, Sony needs to take a hard look at how they could revamp the offering on PlayStation Plus, and the perceived value that it gives customers.
Although PS Plus can give out some decent games on certain months, the overall “value” pales in comparison to what Microsoft offers. Maybe they adopt a similar kind of Game Pass system, or evolve PS Now into something like it. Maybe they offer more games, and more timely games a month, especially if PS5 is backward compatible in any way.
It’s hard to say exactly what Sony should do, but something about PS Plus needs to change going forward.
Add Another Studio to the Sony Family
Late last year Sony announced that Insomniac would finally be officially joining the PlayStation family. It was a big move, and one that no doubt helps secure a ton of content for the PS5. With Microsoft buying up studios left and right, it’d be smart for Sony to think about doing the same.
There are many different ways they could go about this, of course, and any number of studios would only make the PlayStation ecosystem stronger. Indie studios like SuperGiant Games or Hello Games could flourish with support from Sony if they’re willing to give it.
They could go for a middle-size studio like CyberConnect2 or Frictional Games, both of which have seen success on Sony systems over the years.
However, a company like Sony definitely has money to throw around and they could potentially go really big, purchasing a megaton developer like CD Projekt Red or Bungie. Yes, I know that seems unlikely, but Sony has undoubtedly thought about making big moves.
The upcoming generation is going to be the most technically demanding, and possibly most competitive, in years. There’s no question that Sony will add someone to the PlayStation family, it’s just a matter of who.
Have 100% Clear Communication on the PS5
For those not in the know, the change to a new console generation can be confusing, especially if it’s not communicated well (looking at you Wii U).
Unfortunately, they haven’t exactly done this so far. Bafflingly, the big reveal for the PS5 happened through an interview with Wired. While there were plenty of details dished out, it’s strange to think that we have no idea what the system even looks like. Along with that, the company has been fairly quiet on details since that interview.
Next-gen starts at the tail-end of 2020, and leading into that we absolutely need to know anything and everything about the PS5. Even if Sony doesn’t launch their new system this year, with the Xbox Series X coming out, we still need to know the details.
Whether it’s at E3 or through one of their own State of Play broadcasts, Sony needs to have a big reveal where they lay everything out on the table.
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