Sony Cancels Nine Games, Fans Criticize Company's Failures

Sony is facing a challenging period following the failure of its ambitious plan to launch 12 game services by 2025. The company has abruptly canceled nine of these projects, causing significant frustration among its player base.

In 2022, Jim Ryan, then president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, unveiled the strategy to introduce these game services, aiming to adapt to the evolving gaming industry. However, this approach met with resistance from many gamers who feared Sony was shifting its focus away from beloved single-player experiences. Despite assurances that Sony would continue to develop such games, the reality has been quite different.

It has been confirmed that nine out of the planned 12 projects have been canceled. While Helldivers 2 has been a notable success, attracting millions of players, other projects such as Concord and Payback have been shut down. Additionally, high-profile titles like The Last of Us: Factions, Spider-Man: The Great Web, and a game set in the God of War universe developed by Bluepoint Games have also been canceled.

Sony's List of Canceled Games:

• Concord (did not meet expectations)
• God of War by Bluepoint Games
• Bend Studio's multiplayer game
• The Last of Us: Factions
• Spider-Man: The Great Web by Insomniac Games
• Twisted Metal by Firesprite
• Unannounced fantasy game from London Studio
• Payback by Bungie
• Networking project from Deviation Games

These canceled projects were central to Sony's strategy to enter the games-as-a-service market. Fans have expressed their disappointment, feeling that Sony has lost sight of its core strengths in pursuit of current trends. As a result, projects from Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games are now expected to be delayed by several years.