PlayStation is planning to release at least 10 live-service games by March of 2026. This decision to increase their number of games is going to be greatly helped now that they have acquired the game developer Bungie for $3.6 billion. Bungie has a history of developing live-service games and they are one of the pioneers of the field for these models.
Live-service games are consistently loaded with new content that allows users to play the same game for many years. As a result of these additions, players are able to stay within the same game that they love while also embracing the newest features that are added on a consistent basis. Often, the game begins as a free to play that offers the ability to purchase expansion packs along the way. By embracing this business model, companies will generally make the majority of their profits through in-game purchases that continue to be produced as the game keeps being played.
During a recent earnings call, Sony’s CFO Hiroki Totoki said that “Through close collaboration with Bungie and the PlayStation Studios, we aim to launch more than 10 live service games by the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026.” The acquisition of Bungie has major implications on these goals due to the history that the company has with live-service games. Although Sony does not have much experience, Bungie released Destiny back in 2014 and has been creating updates since the initial release. Tokoshi also said that “Catalyzed by the acquisition of Bungie, we intend to accelerate the growth of our first-party game software revenue, aiming to more than double the amount by FY 2025.” The combination of live-service games and multi-platform releases that Sony is expecting will likely result in a massive revenue increase in the coming years. Overall, the collaboration of the two companies has the potential to result in major developments within the gaming world.