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[Jeff Grubb/VentureBeat] PlayStation boss Jim Ryan needs to create a better narrative
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Jim Ryan needs to keep doing what they are doing.
This article makes no sense?
Sony is retreating from smaller games? Astrobot? Sackboy?
"PlayStation's shrinking relationship with indie games "? We got Kena coming soon, we got Bugsnax which got a huge push from Playstation, last year we got stuff like Fall Guys, etc.
Saying Sony only shows those in indie events also makes no sense. We always get indie games on their big showcases as well.
Sony has studios like Media Molecule and Pixelopus and we got no idea what they are working on.
And saying Sony reduces indie games to blog posts...what are they doing with their bigger games that's different than that? lmao
Many of these articles will be memes in a few years. It's going to be amazing.
People really want Sony to be some sort of a hype machine. They don't need that.
This article makes no sense?
Sony is retreating from smaller games? Astrobot? Sackboy?
"PlayStation's shrinking relationship with indie games "? We got Kena coming soon, we got Bugsnax which got a huge push from Playstation, last year we got stuff like Fall Guys, etc.
Saying Sony only shows those in indie events also makes no sense. We always get indie games on their big showcases as well.
Sony has studios like Media Molecule and Pixelopus and we got no idea what they are working on.
And saying Sony reduces indie games to blog posts...what are they doing with their bigger games that's different than that? lmao
Many of these articles will be memes in a few years. It's going to be amazing.
People really want Sony to be some sort of a hype machine. They don't need that.
Everything is stories. Corporations do not exist. They are literally just a fiction that we all mutually agree to play pretend with.
Hard disagree there lol. Take WiiU for example. Marketing plays a great level of importance in this industry.
I disagree with Grubb's take but this is false lol, XONE fixed some of its problems like price(with forced kinect) and DRM but the stain of the initial marketing push remained for years.
wot?
Did the last several years not happen? Did we just forget about the Wii U/ Ps4/Xbox one generation lol?
I think there's something at odds with the way the games are being presented, the games released and upcoming games vs what people are seeing tbh. Usually there would be concern if there were actually content missing at launch and upcoming but the presentations have been pretty diverse ranging from the big games to indies. I'd probably say half the presentations always consist of it so you've kind of got to come up with better reasoning as to how exactly Sony are shying away from smaller games when the current and future content is showing the complete opposite and further more. Sony can't exactly shy away from indies especially with the upcoming VR because Indies are what helps keeps that going as well that's been pretty much said a lot at that point in reference to how indies helped the first headset. At some point ones going to question whether a quote used during the midcycle generation describing launch has relevance to a completely new generation especially when the content is showing something else
The usu
The fud has seemed so forced lately it's questionably artificial at this point."Damn, this new Returnal trailer is freaking bananas! Too much positivity around Sony today, the FUD shall not stop..."
Lets go back even farther. The Genesis's marketing was huge for SEGA in the 90's
Good article. Feels like we get one of these every other day and that's pretty powerful over time. Sony needs to wake up and start fighting the narrative battle, because they certainly don't have a problem with making awesome games.
Damn, hope the narrative for PS6 is better in the next decade.
/s
Similar pattern when it came to Takashi Mochizuki and more recently Jason Schreier. Former having to deal with weeks of toxicity up until the impact on what he reported on was eventually felt.
Yeah, during the Vita/PS4 days you would get lists of 20+ titles announced at TGS.
I think the main problem with Sony's messaging at the moment is that it seems like they are making issues for themselves more than anything, even if none are glaring.
This is my biggest frustration with this thread. I get that you're joking. But the joke is that wouldn't it be absurd if you threw away your PS5 because of "the narrative." And yes, of course that would be absurd. No where in my article or video did I try to imply that people should feel bad about owning a PS5 because Jim Ryan isn't good at telling a story about the PS brand. If you're not interested in having a discussion about narrative, that's fine. But you don't have to pretend like I was attacking your personal choices because of some light criticism for Jim Ryan's marketing style and strategic decisions.
Look, I think Grubb is wrong about the indies with Sony. That I think is pretty clear. Do I think Sony is as high on them as they used to be? It remains to be seen, but I'm not so sure they are. Do I think they are abandoning them? Not now. It doesn't seem that way but it also doesn't seem to be a relationship as high as it used to be. When the PS4 started out and was an indie machine, I recall many begging Nintendo and Microsoft(mostly Nintendo) to be like Sony. Nintendo eventually did and that's why they seem to overshadow Sony on the Indie scene. Microsoft also seems to be trying to reach out to indies, but we'll see how much they mean it soon enough I guess.
It's one of those things where Sony went all out for the indies and maybe they are trying to maintain that relationship but they don't have to make a big show of it like they used to and that may give off an appearance of them drifting away rather than standing pat. Again, we'll see. Time always tells and I think, at best, Grubb is getting out ahead of himself.
In the end, Sony's PR sucks. Playstation is an incredibly marketable brand but it has a cloud hovering over it, especially lately. When I looked at the two next gen systems last holiday I saw no reason to get either. Right now, I see Sony doing no favors for itself while Microsoft is convincing me to get the Xbox. It's not a decision I'm making anytime soon, but marketing matters. It sure as hell did last gen when I went from a 360 owner to a Ps4 owner.
It's one of those things where Sony went all out for the indies and maybe they are trying to maintain that relationship but they don't have to make a big show of it like they used to and that may give off an appearance of them drifting away rather than standing pat. Again, we'll see. Time always tells and I think, at best, Grubb is getting out ahead of himself.
In the end, Sony's PR sucks. Playstation is an incredibly marketable brand but it has a cloud hovering over it, especially lately. When I looked at the two next gen systems last holiday I saw no reason to get either. Right now, I see Sony doing no favors for itself while Microsoft is convincing me to get the Xbox. It's not a decision I'm making anytime soon, but marketing matters. It sure as hell did last gen when I went from a 360 owner to a Ps4 owner.
it's surreal that we're at the point where we're arguing whether or not marketing is real or if narratives in the public sector form because of it when a huge part of why there is such a dominant, die-hard Sony fan presence here is coming off the back of their success during the last generation. Which, I think we can all agree (because at this point it's the accepted oral history) that part of why the PS4 mopped the floor with the Xbox One so badly at launch was because Don Mattrick was a fool who didn't understand why people liked the Xbox, went all-in on TV and sports, clearly didn't care about indies after the success of XLBA, pushed for always-online DRM, mocked people who wanted 360 backwards compatibility, and delivered a console that at launch was noticeably underpowered compared to the visual leap the PS4 offered in head-to-head showdowns between multiplatform titles.
like, that's a narrative. there were tons of editorials and opinion pieces and "FUD" spread about the Xbox last generation, and most of it was completely true and the narrative did in fact get so bad that Microsoft cleaned house. At one point they were considering selling off the Xbox brand. That's how bad it got, and I really doubt anyone here acting incredibly offended at the idea that Jim Ryan is currently not doing the best he could with putting the PS5 forward as the best console option right now would disagree with that. Remember the famous "how to share games with your friends on PS4" video? That was marketing. That was narrative. And yes, Phil's success in rehabilitating the brand is also a narrative.
yes, in a vacuum I agree that the only thing that matters is the games. I wish we lived in a world where that were true. the world would be a better place if all of these corporations disappeared tomorrow; but instead video games is a shitty business, and business moves have to be looked at for what they are. if you want to engage with discussion about the business side of things at all. Acting shocked and surprised when someone whose job it is to read the business tea leaves attempts to read the tea leaves is beyond asinine.
like, that's a narrative. there were tons of editorials and opinion pieces and "FUD" spread about the Xbox last generation, and most of it was completely true and the narrative did in fact get so bad that Microsoft cleaned house. At one point they were considering selling off the Xbox brand. That's how bad it got, and I really doubt anyone here acting incredibly offended at the idea that Jim Ryan is currently not doing the best he could with putting the PS5 forward as the best console option right now would disagree with that. Remember the famous "how to share games with your friends on PS4" video? That was marketing. That was narrative. And yes, Phil's success in rehabilitating the brand is also a narrative.
yes, in a vacuum I agree that the only thing that matters is the games. I wish we lived in a world where that were true. the world would be a better place if all of these corporations disappeared tomorrow; but instead video games is a shitty business, and business moves have to be looked at for what they are. if you want to engage with discussion about the business side of things at all. Acting shocked and surprised when someone whose job it is to read the business tea leaves attempts to read the tea leaves is beyond asinine.
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So many of these articles and things i'm seeing lately feel like such a reach to paint this grey ass doomy picture of Sony right now...
really don't get it myself. Like after the way the PS4 played out and the final year or two on that system I have more confidence in Sony than i have since the fuckin PS2 was out there crushin skulls.
Tons of Indie games on the PS5 reveal, tons still showing up in the store constantly. I must be fairly insulated. So many of the threads around here for this kind of stuff have felt alien af to my own experience.
I don't know who these people are who are wavering on a ps5, for example. every single person that i play regularly on my friends list is either hustling to get one or already has one.
really don't get it myself. Like after the way the PS4 played out and the final year or two on that system I have more confidence in Sony than i have since the fuckin PS2 was out there crushin skulls.
Tons of Indie games on the PS5 reveal, tons still showing up in the store constantly. I must be fairly insulated. So many of the threads around here for this kind of stuff have felt alien af to my own experience.
I don't know who these people are who are wavering on a ps5, for example. every single person that i play regularly on my friends list is either hustling to get one or already has one.
I mean, just glancing at the first page of your post history and you can't really be calling out fanboys.
Because this really is just a weird article, all things considered.
My reaction to these tweets is:
I really don't give a shit about executives saying stuff like "I'm a gamer".
Heh, negative Sony news are really hot right now, so fair play.
I'll let y'all worry about narratives and get to playing all the games that are coming on the platform, and that includes a shitton of indies.
Judging by this website alone you'd think Playstation is sinking , it's hilarious.
I'll let y'all worry about narratives and get to playing all the games that are coming on the platform, and that includes a shitton of indies.
Judging by this website alone you'd think Playstation is sinking , it's hilarious.
It was a good article, agree with it mostly. I just don't buy the narrative that Sony no longer cares about smaller games. There's a whole range of smaller games they've promoted and been supporting since the PS5 reveal;
- Bugsnax
- Oddworld
- Kena
- Solar Ash
- Stray
- Devil Inside
- Knock Out Brawl
- Sifu
These were all promoted during a main Playstation Event (PS5 Showcase, State of Play), and not relegated to blog posts (where they've promoted a lot more).
Granted, they don't have their own indie platform like Xbox or Nintendo, but there's still an active investment in smaller titles happening even if it's more reserved.
- Bugsnax
- Oddworld
- Kena
- Solar Ash
- Stray
- Devil Inside
- Knock Out Brawl
- Sifu
These were all promoted during a main Playstation Event (PS5 Showcase, State of Play), and not relegated to blog posts (where they've promoted a lot more).
Granted, they don't have their own indie platform like Xbox or Nintendo, but there's still an active investment in smaller titles happening even if it's more reserved.
This doomy picture feels a little like what happened pre-ps4 days. The difference is that at the time the doomy narrative was more overblown with takes like Playstation being over and stuff.
Thank you. I thought I was tripping for a second after reading that post because marketing is the lifeblood of this industry lol
I don't care about the narrative or the marketing. I bought both platforms because they each have their strengths and a draw for me as a gamer.
Jim Ryan doesn't need to tell a story because Playstation has become the Band-Aid or Kleenex of the console world. It will sell no matter the "narrative".
Well that's the point, no? You may be in a bubble so to speak, and that's fine. You have validated your feelings. However, even with those facts that validate your feelings, there is something (a narrative that Sony is perpetuating) that is preventing some others from feeling the same way. I was excited for the Ps5 for the same reason you were. The Ps4 was amazing. But I'm watching Sony and Microsoft and Sony's handling of the brand seems off. Whereas Microsoft seems to be on point and that really sticks out. So much so that I, and a few people I know, are slowly more interesting in the Xbox even though we know Sony is going to have those big 1st party games that Microsoft just doesn't have.
Although, I will contend that I will likely end up getting the Ps5 down the line just for those games. Similar to how I got a Ps3 at the end of its life to play the Last of us and whatnot haha.
I think concerns about Sony becoming Blockbuster focused are legitimate, but some of the articles online shouting doom and gloom just scream attention to me.
Imagine complaining about the PS5's output when comparing to the competition.
Well unless you're an Arcade Racer fan like me. :(
Imagine complaining about the PS5's output when comparing to the competition.
Well unless you're an Arcade Racer fan like me. :(
It's so fucking weird to see this journalist buy into a patently false narrative.
They also tweeted this false claim after probably skim reading Jason's article.
"And right now, that story from Sony is that developers need to make one kind of blockbuster or a cheap remake."
Dreamcast, Wii U, Vita, Xbox One , first years of the PS3 on the negative side of marketing...
PS, PS2, PS4, Wii, DS, Switch etc on the positive side of the spectrum...
Pretty sure there is (un)succesful marketing is involved here