Sony's Secret PlayStation Showcase Strategy

Sony faced criticism for its latest PlayStation Showcase, with some industry insiders claiming that the company held back. Despite an hour-long event that showcased several titles, there were concerns over the lack of first-party exclusives and release dates. Additionally, many fans were disappointed with the focus on CGI trailers rather than actual gameplay footage. To add salt to the wound, it was revealed that several showcased games would also be available on Xbox.

According to industry insider Tom Henderson, Sony may have held back during the PlayStation Showcase despite having several titles that are already in a near-finished state. Although these games have yet to receive a gameplay reveal or release date, Henderson suggested that they're ready for launch. Another well-known leaker, The Snitch, also expressed surprise that several AAA games were left out of the presentation, including a PlayStation PC port that's set to release in July. While it's not uncommon for major publishers to delay announcements for almost-finished products, Sony typically prefers longer marketing cycles, making this approach unusual for the company.

The absence of new release dates announced during the PlayStation Showcase has sparked doubts about the proximity of the games showcased to their completion. However, Naughty Dog has already committed to sharing more information about The Last of Us multiplayer spinoff in 2023. Despite its absence from the May 24 broadcast, it is possible that a State of Play stream or another PlayStation Showcase may be held in the latter half of the year.

However, the likelihood of this happening is slim, as publishers typically focus on promoting their current inventory in the lead-up to the lucrative holiday season. Nevertheless, with highly anticipated AAA PlayStation exclusives such as Death Stranding 2 and The Last of Us multiplayer game in the pipeline, Sony will need to find an appropriate time to unveil them.

Source: Insider Gaming