For Sony and Microsoft, revenue growth is more important than any "console war" | Opinion

gamesindustry.biz:

Not so long ago, the announcement that Sony didn't have any new entries in its major first-party franchises in the pipeline for the coming year would have been viewed as an extraordinary opportunity for Microsoft to gain ground on the market leader.

There are many reasons why Xbox has faced an uphill struggle against its major rival. Brand strength and digital library lock-in are certainly among them, but the ultimate, seemingly insurmountable barrier was Sony's first-party studio system, which delivered an extraordinary line-up of hit software throughout the PS4 era and carried over into the current generation seemingly without stumbling – until now.

Microsoft's own difficulties in building a portfolio of studios that could rival that line-up is well documented; its travails were constantly magnified by unflattering comparisons with PlayStation's studios seemingly humming along and turning out a steady supply of hit games. By some interpretations, at least, Microsoft has now spent the better part of $100 billion dollars trying to close that gap – becoming, in the process, one of the biggest game publishers in the world.

It's not clear how exactly Sony has managed to mess up so badly as to leave a year-long gap in its major release pipeline right in the middle of the generation, at a crucial point where high-profile releases play a key role in sustaining installed base growth. There's probably a confluence of factors at play here.

2024 is going to be a tough year for releases generally due to a ripple effect from pandemic-era delays. That's an effect being felt across the whole industry, but for Sony more specifically, it's fair to wonder if the company's hard left turn into live service gaming – a top-down strategic pivot that looks more short-sighted and misguided by the day – might also be playing havoc with its ability to deliver a steady flow of software for its platform.

Whatever the underlying causes, the effect is the same – it's going to be a remarkably quiet