With the arrival of a next-generation PlayStation console, the PlayStation 5, comes with a potential increase in game development budgets.
Sony is set to reveal its first set of PS5 games, before ultimately launching the PlayStation 5 console globally. With the added features that come with this new gaming technology, Sony does admit that the budget for game developments will likely increase.
AAA titles will be more expensive to develop
In an interview with GamesIndustry.Biz, Sony CEO Jim Ryan was posed a question as to how expensive-looking Unreal Engine 5 and what this means for future game developments.
Ryan first explained, “I think, to the extent that the technology enables the graphics side of it to become more interesting and life-like, [the games] will become slightly more human intensive and capital intensive to produce.”
He then confirms, “so yes, we think there probably will be an increase in development budgets.” Although, he sees that it wouldn’t take a massive increase.
In fact, they are looking to hastening the process of the PS4-PS5 shift, which will “provide a fertile install base for people who make games to be able to monetize against. If we can keep pace with a likely increase in development costs, then the industry can continue to prosper.”
For AAA titles to be successful, it needs to meet the standards set by the always-developing technology. With what PS5 is set to bring to the gaming industry, game developers will need to keep up, to attract the console users.
Join us Thursday, June 4 at 1:00pm Pacific time for a look at the future of gaming on PlayStation 5: https://t.co/Yr8fafcOVd #PS5 pic.twitter.com/F0yBbDmOtC
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) May 29, 2020
Other PlayStation 5 news
As Ryan mentioned during the interview, everything is right on schedule—from the games to the console—despite being sidetracked by the global pandemic.
He jubilantly expressed, “We are going to launch this holiday and we’re going to launch globally. We’re really looking forward to it and it’s going to be a blast.”
Ryan also laid out their plans on releasing its two big game titles this year; with TThe Last of Us 2 releasing this month and to be followed by Ghost of Tsushima in the next month.
He also assured that the other PS5 games release dates—both pre and post-PS5 launch—are “relatively unaffected” by the global pandemic.
However, Sony has recently decided to postpone the highly anticipated June 4 event, to show solidarity to the ongoing U.S. protests and to “allow more important voices to be heard.”
There hasn’t been any word so far as to how long the event will be postponed.
Featured image courtesy of Teddy Guerrier/Unsplash