- PlayStation has shifted its policy and will refrain from announcing games that are very far out.
- The company reportedly attracted backlash for CGI trailers that were shown many years in advance.
- A new title from Sucker Punch Studios is set to be announced quite soon.
It is quite normal for video games to be announced years before their launch. In recent examples, Elden Ring was announced three years before it came out. Cyberpunk 2077 was announced in 2013, seven years before it was finally released.
Sony had also been following the same policy. For context, The Last of Us Part 2 was announced in 2016 and didn’t come out till 4 years after that. According to a leaker, this policy is changing with the new leadership in place.
Why it matters: Announcing games years before the release can build unnecessary expectations around them. If they don’t manage to deliver the hype at launch, games get lost in oblivion.
1. In terms of communication, PlayStation has changed, now making game announcements up to a maximum of two years before their release, depending on their importance.
— Silknigth (@Silknigth) April 3, 2024
Leaker Silknigth says that PlayStation now targets a maximum window of two years between a game’s reveal and release. Recent titles like Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarok follow this pattern. Both were announced two years before they were ready.
On the flip side, PlayStation’s current best pre-ordered game, Stellar Blade, was unveiled in 2019. If the leaker is to be believed, this may be one of the last instances of such a marketing strategy.
Previously, Hideo Kojima commented on the recent trend of shorter marketing cycles, stating that they kill the fun of anticipating projects. However, as a publisher, Sony likely finds them much more efficient.
The leaker also states that a new Sucker Punch Productions game is set to debut this year. This is already expected to be Ghost of Tsushima 2, though we would not mind a surprise Infamous revival.
According to Silknigth, the game was set to be announced last year. However, it was delayed, possibly due to this policy.
Recent reports state that a PlayStation Showcase could arrive next month. The gaming giant’s new policy should be in action at this event, highlighting games that are due for launch in 2025 and 2026.
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News Reporter
Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.