Sony is planning to adapt some of its game franchises to mobile, according to a new job listing.
Spotted by ‘nolifebr’ on the ResetEra forums (via Daniel Ahmad [@ZhugeEX]), Sony’s job listing outlines the responsibilities for a head of mobile at PlayStation Studios. Specifically, the listing mentions leading “all aspects of the expansion of our game development from consoles and PCs to mobile… with a focus on successfully adapting PlayStation’s most popular franchises for mobile.”
Considering the popularity of mobile gaming, it’s no surprise that Sony’s looking to capitalize on it.
Ahmad points out in a tweet thread about the position that in 2021, the global mobile game market will be three times bigger than the console market. Adapting existing PlayStation IP for mobile could be a great way for Sony to capture some of those players.
Interesting job listing for a 'Head of Mobile' at PlayStation Studios.
Revolves around adapting PlayStation's most popular franchises to mobile.
Some of the most popular mobile games today are based on IP adapted to mobile from consoles / PC. https://t.co/ALVDdZ5EMV pic.twitter.com/AU0LG9ImCz
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) April 9, 2021
At the same time, it’s worth noting that converting existing IP to mobile can be difficult. Mobile gaming is a very different beast than consoles — hardware isn’t as powerful and touch controls can be difficult to get right. Still, that hasn’t prevented some companies from finding success — Ahmad references PUBG and Call of Duty Mobile as examples of successful console-to-mobile conversions. Fortnite has also proven popular on mobile.
Further, considering recent reports that PlayStation may be working on a competitor for Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service, building up a mobile strategy could help in that regard. One of Game Pass’ strengths is it offers a cloud gaming option for streaming titles to mobile devices. While Sony seems intent on adapting titles to mobile instead, bundling them into a Game Pass-like subscription could add value and push gamers to sign up.
Of course, that’s purely speculation, and it remains to be seen what comes of Sony’s apparent mobile push.
Source: Sony Via: ResetEra, Daniel Ahmad
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