PlayStation to Release Cross-Platform Titles on a Game-by-Game Basis – Herman Hulst

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of PlayStation, Herman Hulst, CEO of the company’s Business Group spoke about the future of the Sony’s plans for cross-platform releases in the future. Speaking to Famitsu, Hulst speaks about the success of co-op shooter Helldivers 2, its cross-platform release on PC and PS5, and plans for the future.

Hulst places an emphasis on the fact that live-service titles tend to require a strong player-base to justify continued development. This means that PlayStation needs to get new players on to its releases, and this can only happen by expanding the scope of a game’s release outside of PlayStation hardware.

“Since live service titles are released on multiple platforms, the key to success is how to attract new players and increase the number of players,” said Hulst when asked about the game. “Therefore, maintaining momentum at the time of release and broad player adoption are especially important in the live service sector.”

Hulst goes on to talk about how, while Helldivers 2 was a big hit, single-player releases are still a key aspect of the appeal behind PlayStation consoles. This essentially means that the company will continue to work on its single-player games while also expanding the audience on PC. This indicates that, while we might continue to get single-player PlayStation games on PC, multiplayer titles will also get strong support by integrating PlayStation Network with its PC games.

“Single-player games are a key component of the PlayStation platform’s appeal, and each title has a strategic sales period,” he said. “While consoles remain our core business, expanding to PC and other platforms will allow us to bring our games to a wider audience. Our priority is always to provide the best possible experience for our players, and as part of that, we are also promoting the integration of PSN accounts on PC.”

Hulst also talks about expanding PlayStation’s releases on to other platforms, such as the Nintendo Switch. When asked about the release of LEGO Horizon Adventure on PC, PS5 and Nintendo Switch, Hulst said that release plans tend to depend on the game, and what would be the best way to reach a wider audience.

“Live service titles are released on multiple platforms because it is important for multiple players to be able to play the game together,” said Hulst. “For other titles, we will consider and decide on the best sales format for the players and the company.”

Over the last few years, Sony has seen quite a bit of success by releasing its titles on PC. While multiplayer titles like Helldivers 2 saw a simultaneous release across platforms, the company is still cautious about its single-player games. Titles like Ghost of Tsushima and God of War Ragnarök, for example, have only been released on PC a few years after they were originally released on consoles.

The release and success of Helldivers 2 itself indicates a larger plan for PlayStation to bring its multiplayer titles to PC alongside PS5 in order to garner and maintain a strong player-base, since these types of titles tend to require larger player numbers in order to justify continued development of content.