Sony Cancels Nine Games, Faces Fan Backlash

Sony finds itself navigating turbulent waters following the collapse of its ambitious plan to launch 12 game services by 2025. The company's recent decision to cancel nine of these projects has sparked outrage among its player base.

In 2022, Jim Ryan, then president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, unveiled the strategy to introduce these services, aiming to adapt to the evolving gaming industry landscape. However, this announcement was met with resistance from gamers who feared Sony was shifting its focus away from cherished single-player experiences. Despite Sony's assurances that it would continue to develop single-player titles, the reality has unfolded differently.

Out of the 12 planned projects, nine have been abruptly terminated. While the successful release of Helldivers 2 has attracted millions of players, other anticipated titles such as Concord and Payback have been shut down. Additionally, high-profile projects like The Last of Us: Factions, Spider-Man: The Great Web, and a game set in the God of War universe developed by Bluepoint Games have also been canceled.

Here's Sony's list of canceled games:

• Concord (didn't live up to expectations)
• God of War by Bluepoint Games
• Bend Studio's multiplayer game
• The Last of Us: Factions
• Spider-Man: The Great Web by Insomniac Games
• Twisted Metal by Firesprite
• Unannounced fantasy game from London Studio
• Payback by Bungie
• Networking project from Deviation Games

These canceled projects were central to Sony's strategy to penetrate the games-as-services market. The gaming community has voiced its frustration, criticizing Sony for chasing trends at the expense of its core strengths. Fans of Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games will now have to wait several years before seeing new projects from these developers.