The future of Xbox is a source of concern for the PlayStation manufacturer. New revelations published as part of the vast Insomniac leak allow us to learn more about Sony's positions regarding the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Unsurprisingly, this turning point in the video game industry is not viewed favorably by the Japanese company. After campaigning for many months with the aim of putting an end to the historic transaction, PlayStation now has no choice but to adapt its strategy to face the competition. At least that's what excerpts from confidential presentations contained in the files shared by the hackers suggest.
During these meetings held in private, Sony allowed itself to describe the acquisition as "a decisive moment" capable of tipping the scales with its main rival. The company even goes so far as to question its "current pillars, already outdated and lagging behind the competition." In order to deal with this possible threat, the manufacturer has once again identified Game Pass and the Call of Duty license as the main risk factors.
“Activision brings incredible strategic value thanks to its games as a service, the breadth of its activities in the field of mobile games and PC sales” PlayStation declares in its presentation. The loss of exclusive content for the flagship FPS and its arrival in the Game Pass could seriously affect the manufacturer of the PS5, which is already thinking about a major response.
A revival of PlayStation Plus?
Sony has already confided in the future of its subscription formula: it will not become an equivalent of Game Pass. A desire reiterated in the leaked documents. Nevertheless, the company is aware of its need for “expansion” like Xbox. It remains to be seen how this evolution will take shape at PlayStation. For the time being, the service brings in $1.5 billion in revenue each year, resources that the manufacturer cannot afford to lose. While the presentations are silent on the directions Sony is considering, it is certain that major changes are being prepared behind the scenes.
Microsoft dominates cloud gaming with its vast Game Pass catalog and PlayStation does not want to venture there. However, the second major source of interest within the industry turns out to be portable machines. Faced with the Steam Deck and other PC/consoles of the genre, the manufacturer has already presented a PlayStation Portal intended for Remote Play. Could it be that this niche peripheral is a first experiment for a possible return to the side portable consoles?
Accessing the PlayStation Plus catalog as well as major exclusive licenses from a machine that can be taken anywhere is enough to make gamers dream. This would offer a significant appeal to the PlayStation ecosystem compared to Xbox's subscription service. But will the company dare to take such a risk following the failure of the PS Vita? Exceptional circumstances require exceptional measures...
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