Tokyo, Japan – Sony Interactive Entertainment announced during its fiscal year 2023 Q3 earnings briefing that it does not plan to release any new major existing franchise titles in the next fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2025. Sony Group president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki stated that the company aims to focus on producing high-quality works and developing live service games for its first-party software.
However, Totoki clarified that major projects are currently under development, although the company does not plan to release titles like “God of War Ragnarok” and “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2” during the next fiscal year. This decision does not include new intellectual property like “Concord” or non-major existing franchise titles like “Until Dawn.”
The company’s future outlook for PlayStation 5 hardware sales during the next fiscal year was also discussed. Totoki emphasized the need to optimize sales with a greater emphasis on balance with profits, anticipating a gradual decline in unit sales from the next fiscal year onwards. Additionally, he expects third-party software sales to continue to expand gradually due to the expansion of the PlayStation 5 install base and the high level of user engagement.
Moreover, Sony anticipates that subscribers to its network services will remain at the same level or slightly decrease due to the impact of price revisions implemented in the current fiscal year. However, the company expects sales to gradually expand due to a shift to attractive premium services.
In summary, while major projects are under development, Sony Interactive Entertainment does not plan to release any new major existing franchise titles in the next fiscal year. The company is also strategically planning for the optimization of PlayStation 5 hardware sales and the expansion of its network services.