Sony Tightens Rules for Live Service Games. Hermen Hulst Explains the Position

Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, stated that the number of live service games is not crucial for the company. According to him, the main thing is the quality and diversity of the catalog.

In an interview, Hulst was asked about the plan to release ten live service games for stable income. This led to a discussion of a new approach and lessons learned from past mistakes.

"The number of live service games is not that important. What's more important to me is that we have a diverse set of gaming experiences and communities," he noted.

"We have implemented stricter and more frequent checks in a variety of formats. The advantage of each failure is that everyone now understands the need for this control," added the executive.

According to Hulst, PlayStation now conducts more group tests, shares data between studios, and supports closer interaction between managers. But he admits there remains a challenge: giving studios the freedom to be creative while maintaining growth.

Hulst emphasized that he does not want to see teams that act too cautiously. But if you take risks and make mistakes, it is better to do it "early and cheap." He recalled that new intellectual property must demonstrate the potential to develop beyond games, for example, in movies or TV series.