2017 Has been a big year for Sony as they have once again been the leading seller in consoles and have released several quality exclusives for their system. As we wrap up the year, I wanted to take a look at what Sony did right and wrong in 2017 and look ahead to what we can look forward to in 2018 from them.
Sony did a great job again with their exclusives as games such as Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and Horizon Zero Dawn were amazing games that not only delighted gamers but earned a lot of solid reviews and praise in the process.
The third part Crash Bandicoot N’Sane Trilogy is an absolute gem and some of their exclusive content like the VR option for Resident Evil: Biohazard as well as their deals with Call of Duty: World War 2 and Destiny 2 have looked very wise in terms of the strong sales for both titles.
On the hardware front, Sony did very well for themselves with a host of impressive bundles for the PS4 and PS4 Pro systems where a base PS4 unit could be purchased for $199.99 on Black Friday and PSVR bundles could be found for the same price as well. There were plenty of options as well from the Call of Duty: WW2 bundles to the Skyrim, and EA Star Wars Battlefront 2 options for consumers to select from which allowed a wide range of choices and deals for those looking to buy their first PS4 systems, upgrade to the PS4 Pro, Try PSVR, or simply obtain another system for gifting. This of course says nothing for collectors who wanted to own one of the limited edition sets or obtain another system for their home.
PSVR was also a good thing in 2017 as the hardware has now sold over two million units and enjoyed some strong releases such as Archangel, Star Trek: Bridge Crew, and many other titles which took advantage of the hardware. Sony also has many interesting titles coming in 2018 for the PSVR so it looks for now like it will continue to grow and is part of their plans moving forward.
Things were not all sunshine and roses for Sony in 2017 as many fans were disappointed with their showcases at E3 and other consumer shows. Sony has dominated such events in recent years but many believed that what they showed at E3, Paris Games Week, and their own Playstation Experience was long on games that we already knew about and short on reveals as well as release dates.
We did get to see more of God of War but only got a nebulous release date. We did not get much on Days Gone, The Last of US 2, Spider-man, and other titles that fans had expected to hear about. They were hoping for new footage and firmer release dates and were frustrated that so much attention at said events was focused on Indie games and titles that had been revealed prior.
That being said, with God of War, Days Gone, Spider-man, Detroit: Become Human, and Shadow of the Colossus. To say nothing of Death Stranding and Kingdom Hearts 3, Sony is poised to have a very impressive 2018 especially if the company drops several more AAA title reveals at E3 in June.
Sony has continued to lead the way with their system due to a strong and still growing base for the PS4 as well as quality titles and looks to continue their impressive run in 2018 and beyond.
Sony the great follower
They have lead in sales for a while and have a much bigger user base than their competition. They also release far more exclusive titles so it seems as if they set the pace rather than follow.