Earlier this week, we talked about a recent report which suggested that 18% of developers are already working on next-gen titles. The PS5 is most definitely on its way and even though Sony isn’t attending E3 this year, that doesn’t mean they can’t announce something at a conference of their own. With that in mind, it looks like Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE)’s first-party studios are already focusing on creating titles for the next-gen.
Related: 18% Of Developers Working on Next-Gen Games
It makes a lot of sense that Sony’s first-party studios could already be focusing on the PS5, as it takes quite a while to create a masterpiece such as God of War. Speaking of which, a few months ago Sony Santa Monica went on a hiring spree as well, it probably isn’t for a current gen title.
The news about SIE’s first-party studios focusing on the PS5 comes from an analyst, Daniel Ahmed, who works for Niko Partners. On ResetEra, Mr Ahmed spilt the beans, providing some insight into what is going on. In the first post, Mr Ahmed explained that:
PS5 dev kits are out there and I’ve heard positive things about it. But I wouldn’t expect any information in the immediate future.
The second post goes into a bit more detail about what Sony has in store for gamers in 2019, even mentioning unannounced titles of existing IPs in the works.
2019 will be another solid year for the platform due to the large install base, growing network sales, strong third party software, first party software and back catalog. Lineup for the first half of the year is set but second half is still in flux. Sony also has a couple of unannounced games (already existing IP) with PS4 in mind but I’m conscious that there have been discussions around making them cross gen/next gen titles. In general, most of the focus for Sony 1P is on PS5 right now. It is still early to talk about next gen but I imagine we’ll hear some whispers come out of GDC.
Overall there is a push to further invest in PSN and focus on expanding the services ecosystem around the PlayStation brand. I’m not sure if much of it will be realised this year, but there is definitely a lot in the pipeline for next gen. Overall there isn’t much to talk about right now.
I, for one, hope that one of those unannounced titles is Bloodborne 2 and maybe a new Killzone to redeem the franchise. Hopefully, we will hear some more whispers as Mr Ahmed puts it, at GDC 2019, which kicks off on 18 March.
Do you think Sony will announce the PS5 this year? Let us know in the comments below.
