Sony Exec Explains Why PS Plus Won't Be Getting A Lot of Day One Releases Like Game Pass

gamerant.com:

A Sony exec explains why PlayStation Plus won’t get too many games on day one like Xbox Game Pass. Sony transitioned PS Plus into a three-tiered service earlier this year. The Essential tier works the same way as the previous PS Plus model, but Extra and Premium offer more benefits. PS Plus Extra and Premium members get access to a catalog of hundreds of titles, including some classic games from previous generations.

However, not many games come to PS Plus on day one. Sony had earlier confirmed that it will not add first-party AAA games to PS Plus Extra on day one, and the same appears to be true for third-party titles. There are exceptions to this rule, as Sony added Stray on day one in July 2022, but it’s probably not going to become the norm. One Sony executive reiterates the reasoning behind this decision.

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In an interview with Games Industry, PlayStation’s Shuhei Yoshida mentions that Sony believes in a premium release for video games. PlayStation’s approach is to help publishers manage a game’s lifecycle, and Yoshida then compares it to movies coming out in theaters first before being available on pay-per-view, streaming, or other services. Using this method, the movie generates more revenue every time, or it captures a broader audience. However, Yoshida states that games could come to PS Plus after six to 12 months. At that point, the game’s sales are down so adding it to PS Plus could help in increasing the active user base.

Yoshida also confirms that there are some exceptions to this rule, and mentions how PS Plus contributed to the success of Rocket League and Fall Guys as both games launched as day one releases. According to Yoshida, the above-mentioned Stray was