PS5 hits 65m as Sony says to expect ‘mix of single-player and service games’

videogameschronicle.com:

Sony’s PlayStation business has said it expects record operating income during its current fiscal year, partly due to strong sales of third-party games and PlayStation Plus subscriptions, and it intends to focus on a mix of single-player and live service games going forward.

In the company’s financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2024, Sony reported that sales for its Game and Network Services division were up 12% year-on-year, to about $7 billion.

Sony said this was primarily due to an increase in third-party game sales. It specifically mentioned “a new sports title”, likely EA Sports FC 25, and “an action RPG title from China”, likely Black Myth: Wukong,

Operating income was about $900 million, up 184%, which is a new record high for this segment during a second quarter. As a result, it raised its sales revenue forecast by 4% for the current fiscal year, which ends in April 2025.

The company shipped some 3.8 million PlayStation 5 consoles during the three month period – down 29% compared to the same period last year – for a life-to-date total of 65.5 million.

This means that PlayStation 5 is a few million units behind where PlayStation 4 was during the same period of its lifespan (67.5 million units shipped).

Sony’s Network services revenue – which encompasses PS Plus and advertising revenue – increased 18% year-on-year, which Sony said was primarily due to the shift to higher tiers of service and price increases.

Monthly active users across all platforms in September increased 8% compared to the same month last year, which is its eighth consecutive quarter of growth. Total playtime also increased 14% compared to the same month last year.

Commenting specifically on its PlayStation Studios business, Sony acknowledged a mixed year for its live service ambitions. While Helldivers 2 has been a big hit, Sony has experienced significant teething problems with its push into the live service games market, including cancelling a Last of Us multiplayer