Stick to Release Dates
2016 was a pretty great year to be a PlayStation fan. With the releases of Uncharted 4, The Last Guardian, all of the third-party titles releasing alongside the exclusives, and some fresh new hardware to play it all on, there was plenty to look forward to. Of course, players missed out on experiencing Horizon Zero Dawn in 2016 after being pushed into an early 2017 release window. But the problem didn’t stop there. Even with the games that did release in 2016, the PS4’s exclusive lineup, in particular, suffered pretty heavily from delays. Uncharted 4 was pushed back about a month, No Man’s Sky saw a two-month delay, and The Last Guardian did, too.
While there’s always the argument that a delayed game is better than a lackluster experience, there’s also the argument that release dates are being attached to titles far too early in order to appease shareholders. Such is the case with titles years away from releasing being shown at major industry shows such as E3. As we move into 2017, Sony’s primary focus should be on nailing down release dates for its major exclusives, and sticking to them.
Continue to Support PSVR
Sony did a great job in the tail end of 2016 ensuring that their fancy new virtual reality headset, the PlayStation VR (PSVR), was given plenty of day-one and launch window support. With a plethora of apps and games compatible with the headset hitting the store on launch day and a consistent trickle continuing to release until the end of the year, PSVR owners had plenty to keep them occupied. Moving into 2017, however, it’s important that Sony not only continue to bring a healthy number of titles to their VR headset, but that some of these are heavy hitters, too.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard shows PSVR’s 2017 is off to a great start, but Sony needs to work hard to ensure that the AAA support doesn’t stop there. While there’ve been plenty of titles coming to the headset so far, most of them have been shorter experiences that have allowed developers to learn this new tech. 2017 needs to be the year Sony’s PSVR support ramps up both in terms of the software they bring to it and its advertising campaigns. Failure to do so could see it relegated to the sidelines just like the Vita.
Work with Developers on the Pro
Sony’s supercharged PS4, the PS4 Pro released last November, and while it’s certainly got a lot of potential, results from developers have been mixed to say the least. While some titles such as Uncharted 4 and Rise of the Tomb Raider have seen significant improvements in their visual fidelity, others, such as Overwatch and Dishonored 2, fail to show much of a difference.
With developers getting behind Sony’s PS4 Pro, it’s now time that Sony worked with these developers to create some form of unified system to best utilize its extra processing power. With improvements being so hit and miss on the more expensive system at the moment, it’s hardly a tempting purchase. By ensuring that every developer and title work to a set new standard, the PS4 Pro will finally be able to realize its full potential and be a far more worthwhile purchase in 2017.
Bring AAA Titles to PS Plus
Last year’s PlayStation Plus Instant Games Collection titles were by no means bad. Players got their hands on a bunch of excellent indie titles, as well as some larger titles such as NBA 2K16, Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, and Tropico 5. These were few and far between, however, and with the PS4 having just passed its three-year anniversary, there are plenty other older games that would make perfect headline titles in 2017.
With the PS3 pretty much at the end of its life anyway, it’d be worthwhile cutting the free PS3 offerings each month and instead investing this back into their flagship system. Considering Xbox One’s Games with Gold service generally surpassed PS4’s PlayStation Plus offerings in terms of quantity and quality in 2016, this would surely help to turn things around in 2017 for Sony.
Maintain Good Form
This generation, Sony has done an excellent job in giving players exactly what they want- games, games, and more games. Announcements like Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Shenmue III show that the company has been listening to its fans, and titles like Uncharted 4 and The Last Guardian have delivered on fans’ expectations. Its VR headset was predicted to far outsell its PC competition by the end of 2016, and so far, there hasn’t been a huge eyesore on the PS4 horizon.
With such good form up until now, 2017 cannot be the year that Sony drops the ball. Microsoft is due to launch its Project Scorpio toward the latter half of the year, and Sony will need to have a couple of aces up its sleeve to grab the attention this coming holiday season. While the competition may be fierce, if Sony continues to announce blockbuster exclusives, release impressive hardware, and maintain excellent third-party relations, it’ll be an intense battle in 2017.
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