Hardware
Sony is going to have an interesting year ahead of it thanks to moves being made by the competition. A large part of that is due to the PS4 manufacturer not bringing out any new console (that we know of). The only hardware we will see releasing within the next 12 months is the PSVR Aim Controller which will release alongside Farpoint. It tracks your gun in real time, providing 1-to-1 movements and allowing players to really immerse themselves in first-person shooters.
Outside of that peripheral, the focus will be on both the PSVR headset and the PS4 Pro. Both released late last year with the former hitting the streets in October and the latter being made available in November. While both have begun to hook their claws into the industry, neither is without its issues, which is why you can expect Sony to do something about that in order to combat the rumbling giants looking to make waves in 2017.
For the PSVR, it’s going to be all about messaging and continuing to push the future that is virtual reality. While it is leading in sales among other premium headsets, it still has a ways to go to be comparable to more traditional gaming setups that require just a console and a television. One way to help this new hardware make the transition would be a stronger advertising push as well as supplying more units to areas with high demand (they are difficult to find in many areas) and having a stronger focus on big games, not just small VR experiences.
For the PS4 Pro, the messaging is out and quite clear. Unfortunately, developers aren’t exactly delivering on the capabilities of the beefed up PS4, which isn’t doing Sony any favors. When creating the console, the company gave freedom to developers in regards to how they utilize the stronger GPU, faster CPU, and extra RAM, but nobody is forced to do any of that. That means many games are still running just as they would on a standard PS4 making the extra $100 necessary to own one a tough choice. While the company can’t and shouldn’t force anyone to make games a specific way, they can incentivize developers in some way to create some sort of consistency across titles. This won’t mean that every game will be playable in 4K, but at least we’ll see improved visuals, load times, and possibly even smoother framerates across the board.
This will definitely be a strong focus going forward, so expect to see a lot of talk revolving around last year’s hardware.
Games
Sony has helped the PS4 soar thanks to some intelligent scheduling of major exclusives, as well as leveraging strong third-party relationships to fill in any holes that their own developers can’t meet. You can definitely expect the same in 2017, and it’s already beginning in January.
The PS4 already has a few exclusives lined up this month ranging from a rhythm game that has you singing hundreds of songs as a cute protagonist, to new entries in two beloved RPG series (Tales and Kingdom Hearts), and even something for those into a bit more of a gangster approach (Yakuza 0). Even the major third-party, multiplatform release of the month has a Sony exclusive component. You can play Resident Evil 7: Biohazard completely in VR only on the PS4. Why you would want to terrify yourself that way, however, is none of our business.
The rest of the year is looking quite similar, too. Sprinkled over the next 12 months are a few first-party exclusives such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Knack 2, but Sony’s real strength lies in third-party development. Square Enix is bringing NieR: Automata exclusively to PS4 when it comes to consoles, Bandai Namco has Nioh, Digimon World, and some other releases, Activision still has its timed exclusivity deal with Sony so expect more Call of Duty and Destiny news in the coming months, and there are many Japanese developers who don’t have an audience on Xbox One so Sony gets to pull those over as exclusives.
Not much will change in this regard in 2017, so expect another strong lineup to help Sony stay on top.
Dealing With the Switch and Project Scorpio
The biggest hurdle for Sony will be dealing with the Nintendo Switch and Microsoft’s Project Scorpio. The first one is a brand new system from Nintendo that is a home console that can be taken on the go, just like a high-powered handheld. It’s launching on March 3 (which is just around the corner), and while its current 2017 lineup isn’t the greatest, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an instant GotY contender and is going to be available day one.
It’s hard to challenge a system seller like Zelda, so Sony may rely on some sales to help weather the storm of new hardware. With Mass Effect: Andromeda being PS4 Pro enhanced, there may be a possible bundle in the works considering it launches within the same month as the Switch and Zelda. A temporary sale of the Pro hardware could also be a thing to make the much more powerful console even more competitive with Nintendo’s new device.
As far as the Scorpio goes, it will be a more powerful Xbox One that, on paper so far, puts Sony’s PS4 Pro to shame. However, it’s not due out until the end of the year, giving Sony plenty of time to release new games, push the Pro and PSVR, and set themselves up for a great holiday season. Considering the PS4 has one of the strongest lineups of the year, the strong 10 or so months leading up to the holiday season will provide a lot of momentum going forward, making selling units far easier.
Of course, a big part of this competition will be played out at E3. It’s the calm before the storm where every company positions itself as best as it can showing off huge games and exciting things to look forward to. Sony needs to continue to impress just as it has the last few years. If it can maintain that strong presence it’s come to be known for, it can cement the rest of the year, even if the shows from Nintendo and Microsoft happen to be slightly stronger. Messaging and sales are how the PS4 will beat out the new kids on the block, so expect a lot of new commercials and deals.
Final Thoughts
Having gotten most of the more complicated parts of their ecosystem out of the way in 2016, 2017 will be 12 months of fine tuning the PlayStation message and focusing on building up what has already been established. Sony has a bit of an advantage over its competition by not having major new hardware releasing. That tends to split attention which is when one part of a gaming company suffers – whether that’s with supply, first-party studios, deals, or general gaming lineups.
Being able to focus primarily on games is a blessing. It won’t hurt Sony to have to spend some resources drawing attention to the PS4 Pro and PSVR, so you can expect that to be at every show, in every event, during every blog. 2015 showed that Sony knows how to leverage its partnerships to find success, with Bloodborne being a perfect case in point, and that will be showcased again in the coming months. The competition is going to have to hunker down if they are to have any hopes dealing with a focused PlayStation platform.
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