The Sad Truth About PS5 Games
Sony fans looking forward to getting a PlayStation 5 of their very own may be in for an unfortunate surprise. We are still in the dark when it comes to quite a few aspects of the new system, but a new report suggests that the system itself might not be the only thing with a hefty price tag. In fact, the games themselves may add up to a pricey headache for even the most loyal of PlayStation fans.
In a chat with GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan gave fans an update on the PlayStation 5's status. Specifically, there were concerns that the lockdowns and economic hardships caused by COVID-19 would put a damper on Sony's plans to put out the new console. Ryan acknowledged that pricing may be an issue in a time of economic uncertainty. However, he seemingly remained positive that the PlayStation 5 would still be released in its original planned window of Holiday 2020.
This echoed Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer's statements that there wasn't "any kind of Plan B" for the planned release of the Xbox Series X. Both companies are proceeding full steam ahead.
As explained by Ryan, "I think the best way that we can address [financial concerns] is by providing the best possible value proposition that we can. I don't necessarily mean lowest price."
Sony intends to give consumers the most bang for their buck. Unfortunately for gamers who were hoping to build a large game library on a budget, PlayStation 5 content will not come cheap. This point was touched upon when discussing the recently-unveiled Unreal 5 demo. Entitled Lumen in the Land of Nanite, this demo apparently showed off what the PlayStation 5 was capable of in real time. The Unreal 5 demo was described by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney as "the culmination of years of discussions between Sony and Epic," meant to give fans a look at the very real future of gaming graphics and tech.
Ryan continued, "I think, to the extent that the technology enables the graphics side of it to become more interesting and life-like, [the games] will become slightly more human intensive and capital intensive to produce So, yes, we think there probably will be an increase in development budgets."
In other words, there are even more moving parts necessary to bring new video game visions to life these days. PlayStation is certainly not sparing any expense when it comes to promoting the new console and related games.
Sony Interactive Entertainment is planning a massive livestream event that is expected to give us our first look at the next generation of gaming in action. While Lumen in the Land of Nanite was an impressive tech demo, that's essentially all it was. It's very likely that we'll get a chance to see more familiar IP in action when the reveal event airs, though it's unclear when that might be, as the previously scheduled event was delayed due to ongoing protests in the U.S.
"The games coming to PS5 represent the best in the industry from innovative studios that span the globe," said Jim Ryan of the event. "Studios, both larger and smaller, those newer and those more established, all have been hard at work developing games that will showcase the potential of the hardware."
The event is expected to last for a little over an hour and Sony is pulling out all the stops. There have even been television advertisements for the livestream that have been seen on ESPN among other channels. This event is occurring in conjunction with a reveal in the pages of Official PlayStation Magazine, which is set to show off the full line-up of PS5 launch titles.
A list of games currently in development for the PlayStation 5, including Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, has recently leaked. Hopefully this event will give us a more concrete look at these games and an idea of the price point we're looking at. If the rumors suggesting that the PlayStation 5 may cost around $500 are true, then it may be difficult for many fans to justify paying a much higher price for individual games.
Luckily for PlayStation fans, Jim Ryan doesn't see the prices going too high. There's just going to be something of an adjustment period in the coming months, just like there is with any new console release. Ryan and company aim to make that transition as quick as possible, which may help ease the worries of skeptical gamers.
Ryan explained further, "We don't see it as being a massive increase, and that's why we want to do more faster than we have ever done before ... If we can keep pace with a likely increase in development costs, then the industry can continue to prosper."