More PlayStation games will arrive on PC
While it is true that such a move had been widely foretold by Sony's past statements, the announcement of the PC version of Days Gone, the open world of Bend Studio which, following in the footsteps of Horizon: Zero Dawn , thus becomes a multi-platform title.But what are the reasons why the Japanese giant has recently opened up so much to the PC market? This was explained directly by Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, who specified how the ever increasing costs of video game development have played a crucial role in the strategic change implemented by the company.
"I think that some things have changed. We are now in early 2021 with our development studios and the games they have made in better condition than ever before. Especially starting in the second half of the PS4 cycle, our studios have made great games. There is an opportunity to expose these great games to a wider audience and we need to recognize the economics of game development, which are not always that simple. The cost of creating games increases with each cycle, as the value of IPs has grown. In addition, our chances of making them available to those who do not own a console have also increased. veiled a rather easy decision for us ".
Days Gone will land on PC in the spring of this year, and will be the first of a whole list of PlayStation Studios titles that Sony plans to release on PC. More juicy news from the company are expected on February 25th at 11pm, when a new State of Play will finally be broadcast.
More PlayStation First-Party Games to Come to PC, Including Days Gone This Spring
PlayStation will bring more of its first-party exclusive lineup to PC, reportedly beginning with PS4 exclusive Days Gone in spring 2021.In an interview with GQ, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said it was a 'straightforward decision' to release more first-party PC ports. GQ's write-up includes the detail that Days Gone will be the first of those PC ports this spring, but Ryan isn't directly quoted as saying so. We've contacted Sony for confirmation on that point.Update: Sony has now confirmed to IGN that Days Gone will arrive for PC in Spring.'I think a few things changed,' Ryan replied when asked why the company had changed its tack on releasing exclusives for PC. 'We find ourselves now in early 2021 with our development studios and the games that they make in better shape than they’ve ever been before. Particularly from the latter half of the PS4 cycle our studios made some wonderful, great games.
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'There’s an opportunity to expose those great games to a wider audience and recognise the economics of game development, which are not always straightforward. The cost of making games goes up with each cycle, as the calibre of the IP has improved. Also, our ease of making it available to non-console owners has grown. So it’s a fairly straightforward decision for us to make.'This announcement follows in the footsteps of Horizon Zero Dawn, which Sony announced for and released for PC in 2020. Ryan explains that SIE assessed the reaction to that port in making the decision to release more ports, explaining that PC players 'liked it and they bought it', and that there was 'no massive adverse reaction' from PlayStation players to the game heading off of consoles. 'We will continue to take mission steps in this direction,' Ryan added.
Horizon Zero Dawn PC Ultrawide Screenshots
There was, of course, more evidence that Sony wanted to bring more of its first-party lineup to PC, as in Sony's 2020 corporate report, it mentioned it will 'explore expanding our 1st party titles to the PC platform, in order to promote further growth in our profitability.'
For more on the PC version of Horizon, be sure to check out our initial PC port analysis of Horizon Zero Dawn.Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.