PlayStation boss Jim Ryan admits that neither Sony nor any major competitor has a full view of the metavers, saying the new fledgling market will not directly replace traditional games.
After AR / VR, the cloud, live gaming and the controversial blockchain / NFT market, metavers is the latest fashion in gaming. Sony wants to help drive the nascent market by incorporating its IPs, platforms and content into a more centralized framework, but those plans are decidedly foggy. In a recent commercial presentation, SIE CEO Jim Ryan says that a significant portion of gamers will simply avoid the metavers and enjoy the games as usual.
“No one knows exactly what the metavers will be like at some point in the future. I don’t think any form it takes will directly replace the existing ways in which people play,” Ryan said during a question and answer session.
“It will attract some individuals to some part of the market, but there will still be many individuals and groups of players who prefer to enjoy the games the way they have been played for the last 30 years or so.
“So I think the metavers will lead to some form of incrementality, to what extent this is significant, no one knows yet. We consider it an opportunity for further augmentation and growth.”
Read also: Sony describes its ambitious plans for the metavers
Sony’s slow, steady focus is quite conservative. The company has an eventual and ambitious plan for the metavers, but when it comes to games, Ryan is more grounded and realistic with his expectations.
Sony’s metaverse plans are a convergence of various segments, such as anime, music, sports, and Sony Pictures brands.
“Metaverse is both a social space and a live network space where games, music, movies, and anime intersect and expand,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, CEO of Sony, in a recent corporate strategy meeting.
“The stadium is an important space for the sports community. By playing the stadium itself and the athletes in a network space, we are creating an experience where users can enjoy playing without location restrictions.”
Given the uncertainty and high risk involved in such a nebulous concept, market and business model as metavers, this plan seems advantageous to Sony, a company that has generated billions with absolutes such as dedicated console games, distributed network and high quality. premium releases.