The managing director for Sony Computer Entertainment Australia has admitted that the company’s first-party lineup for the PlayStation 4 in 2015 wasn’t as strong as it could have been.
Speaking during an interview with GameSpot during the 20th Anniversary PlayStation event, Michael Ephraim said that the console maker used much of this year to strengthen its relationship with third-party developers, and acquire exclusive content as seen with the likes of Destiny and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3.
“Games that have been released this year, from Destiny, Call of Duty, Star Wars — most of them we have a collaboration with for additional content if you play on PlayStation 4, so we’re pretty confident with the way Christmas is going. The demand is strong," said Ephraim said. "We have worked very closely with third parties this year because our first party lineup was not as a strong as we would have liked."
However, the executive was very optimistic about 2016, pointing to a range of exclusive content, though was reluctant to highlight the upcoming PlayStation VR as a vital component in Sony’s strategy for the year ahead.
"Next year, our first party lineup looks incredible. You’ve got Street Fighter, Uncharted 4, No Man’s Sky, The Last Guardian, Gran Turismo. These are all exclusives, and two of them are new franchises," he said.
"We’re still in the planning stages of PlayStation VR, and clearly based on the responses we’re getting so far: it’s very solid. But our core business right now is PlayStation 4 and the offerings we have on there. Disc, digital, downloadable season passes, and endless entertainment. So, it’ll be another component.
"In 12 months time, PlayStation 4 is still the primary business because it’s the foundational device. PlayStation 4 will still be our primary objective to grow the install base. PlayStation VR is new, everyone wants it, there are a lot of publishers developing for it. But whether it’s going to just go completely nuts early, or if it’s a slow build, time will tell."
Sony released some notable first-party exclusives in 2015, including Bloodborne, The Order: 1886, and Until Dawn. While the lineup wasn’t as strong as many would have liked, the PS4 still enjoyed huge success in terms of sales, surpassing the 30 million mark worldwide. Sony also introduced PS2 emulation for its flagship console a few weeks back, allowing gamers to download classic titles and play them in 1080p.