Sony plans to focus on live service games, but not at the expense of single-player storytelling games

Sony recently made headlines again in the gaming community when it acquired Haven Studios to become part of PlayStation Studios. The independent game studio is led by Jade Raymond, co-creator of franchises such as Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs, and founder of Motive Studios.

Haven is currently working on a multiplayer game that the PlayStation seems to love a lot. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Jade Raymond and Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, shared details about the acquisition and why it’s a good time for PlayStation to integrate Haven Studios into its lineup of talented studios like Naughty Dog. and partisans.

In the interview, Hulst detailed the company’s new direction for games with online services and that Sony will continue to invest in online services and multiplayer games.

Sony and PlayStation continue to invest in online service and multiplayer games

Herman Hulst commented on the new direction for the PlayStation and how the brand has been closely associated with a certain type of game up to this point.

“Obviously, we will always continue to make single-player narrative games like Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us, and Horizon Forbidden West,” says Hulst. “But you are right to point out that we have invested in online games because it is incredibly exciting for us. It allows us to build bigger worlds, it allows us to create really meaningful social connections between players.”

The acquisition of Haven Studios, combined with Sony’s other acquisitions of Bungie and the EVO esports tournament, is a real sign of PlayStation’s commitment to this new direction. According to the company’s financial results, it plans to release at least 10 service games by 2026.

Many PlayStation Studios are apparently already working on multiplayer/live service games, including the likes of Naughty Dog, as the studio is primarily known for its cinematic story-driven single player games.