One of the things that was lost in Sony’s investor relations report last week, and that ResetEra returned to our attention, is the company’s integration plan for the acquisition goal. , Bungie. While the deal is yet to close, the platform owner expects the ink to dry by the end of the year and is already forming an integration plan for the Destiny developer.
Now, as you know, the Japanese giant wants to use the experience of the studio to help with its live gaming service, of which it intends to operate 12 simultaneously in 2025. It is currently working independently on these games within its PlayStation Studios infrastructure, but intends to integrate all of Bungie’s knowledge into all of its operations within a year.
The goal is to establish a new in-house department called the SIE Live Service Center of Excellence, which can take advantage of all your live service titles to ensure that best practices are observed. It is worth remembering that Bungie will maintain its independence, so it will continue to launch its own games on all platforms, but will also play an active role in shaping the philosophy behind Sony’s live service projects. .
Interestingly, the platform owner wants to learn from Bungie within three months of closing the deal, so here it is clear that he massively values the design principles that have helped shape and grow Destiny games. . Finally, the SIE Live Service Center of Excellence will be responsible for reviewing important issues such as monetization in both launched and upcoming titles.
Obviously, a large part of the PlayStation fan base is very concerned about this new approach to live service, although it’s important to remember that none of the games have been announced yet, they can be amazing. And keeping the service titles live is notoriously difficult, so at least it looks like the company is taking things seriously if this is the business model on which it intends to plant its banner.