It has been all over the news that Sony has been canceling its live-service titles. God of War and Horizon are just two of the massive IPs that were set to have live-service titles. While this may sound like a blow to Sony, many fans actually celebrated the news of the cancelations. This is because the live-service model is getting old, and players are looking for a change of pace in the gaming industry.
Sony has spent far too long focusing on making live-service titles and has not spent enough time focusing on a solid single-player experience. It is time to recognize the mistake and change course. Here are reasons why Sony should stop focusing on live-service titles.
3 Single-player titles are still popular
And they likely always will be
A study done by MidiaResearch in 2023 found that single-player games are still extremely popular. The study concluded that gamers in all brackets 25 and up prefer single-player titles over any other type of game. This includes PVP (Player vs. player), PVE (Player vs. enemy), and couch co-op titles. When you reach the 25 to 34 age bracket, over 41% of those in the study stated that they prefer a single-player experience. This percentage increases as the age bracket does.
Sony has also seen extreme success with its single-player releases. For instance, Astro Bot — one of the newest PS5 titles celebrating years of PlayStation history — sold over 1.5 million copies within two months. This title went on to be crowned Game of the Year in 2024. Past titles such as The Last of Us Part 2 and Horizon: Zero Dawn have both sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
While it is true that many purchase live-service titles as well, with some selling more than single-player games, the number that sticks around to experience the future of live-service titles is dwindling. This brings me to the second point.
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2 Player fatigue
When you don't quite feel up to play
We have seen it repeatedly with live-service titles, cookie-cutter mechanics, and a lack of replayability. While some stand out, most feel old after a while. One game that comes to mind for PlayStation in the past year and stands out thanks to its unwavering resolve for democracy is Helldivers 2. This game sold about 12 million copies within its first three months. For a while, the player count was over 400,000 each day. As time went on, that player count dropped. Updates have revived the player count, but it is nowhere near what it once was.
This is the story of many live-service titles. Player fatigue sets in; new games are released, and the ones you used to play end up sitting on the shelf or collecting digital dust in your online library. To maintain these games, developers need a dedicated staff. Unfortunately, if the player base just isn't there, the game crashes, burns, and is forgotten. When a game can't keep up with the sales it needs to maintain its livelihood, the studios are often shut down. Speaking of games that have crashed and burned, one historic game comes to mind...
1 One word: Concord
PlayStation's biggest disappointment
No game has had the plug pulled on it faster than Concord when it launched on PS5 and PC in August. After an abysmal launch that saw a player count peak of around 600, according to Steam DB, Sony pulled the plug on the game after only 11 days. Concord didn't even last two full weeks before it was thrown out. Now, it is used as a prime example of what is wrong with the live-service industry.
With so many live-service games being the same genre; I.E., hero shooters, looter shooters, extraction, etc. — it is hard for games like Concord to stand out and get noticed. Games like this are released fairly often, and if they don't stand out, they are swept under the rug in an instant. Other games that met the same fate as Concord but at a slower pace include xDefiant, created by Ubisoft, and FoamStars, created by Square Enix.
It isn't like these games didn't have industry giants behind them, either. However, they didn't have a chance to stand out because of an over-saturated market. They couldn't pull the attention away from live-service giants such as Overwatch, Splatoon, or Call of Duty. Single-player titles have more of a chance of standing out because of their existing structure and players' not needing to keep up with them.
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Live-service is good, but it shouldn't be a main focus
Live-service titles can be good. We have games like Destiny 2, Marvel Rivals, Helldivers 2, Rainbow Six Siege, and Call of Duty that all stand out as fierce live-service competitors. The main issue is that companies like Sony are trying to force every franchise to have a live-service title, thinking it will blow up. Unfortunately, unless a live-service title stands out, it will ultimately fail, leading to poor sales, unhappy players, and worst of all, studio closures. All of this shows that Sony should stop having such a strong focus on live-service titles and keep working on the single-player experience.