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[Men_in_Boxes]

We've had to endure the following narrative for the last 2 years...

1. Destruction All Stars, Knockout City and Rumbleverse failed because the Live Service segment of the market is saturated.

2. Jim Ryan is retiring. He's retiring because PlayStations Live Service initiative has failed.

3. Gamers didn't like PlayStations May 2023 Showcase which means their Live Service initiative has failed.

4. Bungie laid off 8% of their employees. They did this because PlayStations Live Service initiative has failed.

5. PlayStation has delayed 6 of their Live Service games outside of FY 2025. They did this because their Live Service initiative has failed and delayed means cancelled.

6. Naughty Dog cancelled their pre production Live Service game because the Live Service initiative has failed.

If the grass blows in any direction, games media, game message boards, and Twitter loudly interpreted it as PlayStations Live Service initiative failing.

Fast forward to today. Helldivers 2, the first of PlayStations "12 Live Service games" releases to a resounding success...



How has games media, game message boards, and Twitter reacted?

Not only is Helldivers 2 a smash hit, but the buzz around it is unusually positive for a GAAS game. A buggy, incomplete multiplayer game with MTX is receiving near universal praise. It really makes you wonder doesn't it?

Has anyone else noticed this? What does this say about games media and human nature in general? At what point do we come to a reckoning and admit PlayStation may have read the market better than us?

(And by "us" I mean "you"- wink)

 

[Zheph]

Could it be because the game is great and not as buggy as it sounds?

 

[Sleepwalker]

I agree for one, men in boxers.

 

[TVexperto]

its not ps5 exclusive

 

[Krappadizzle]

No one's talking about it, because for every 1 there are dozens of horrible examples. And just because Sony has released a "live service" game that is doing moderately well, it does not point in either direction of "look how great or horrible" they are doing with this business model.

 

[GymWolf]

The game is too good and the monetization system is super honest to be ignored.


It's hard to nail that combo so until they have another 2-3 smash hits we can't really say how far-sighted they were.

 

[Zathalus]

We have no idea if Helldivers 2 is a massive success or not. Having great 1 month numbers mean nothing for a GaaS, the real test is 3/6/12 months on. Can it retain a large and dedicated player base? Everyone thought Diablo 4 was a massive success and look at the reception to it now.

 

[Z O N E]

It hasn't even been a week since the game came out. Let us check back in about 4-6 months.

 

[Punished Miku]

I think the issue with their proposed live service strategy is that prospect of oversaturation. As more of these games come out, if they are actually similar or if they are large time sinks, people will naturally be less able to play them all.

Launching Helldivers at $40 I think completely saved the game. It gives the impression its a shorter, smaller game that doesn't require years of investment. It's more of an arcade co-op shooter almost in spirit, but with the GAAS roadmap.

Any live service game launching at $70 is going to face a really steep challenge convincing people to buy, like you see now with Suicide Squad. Even steeper will be convincing people to buy multiple $70 live service games.

Also our success rating is partially determined by when we decide this started. Great Web and Factions 2 were already part of that strategy after all.

Basically, it's just way to early to say much of anything. It's a mixed bag so far.

 

[SJRB]

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

It's been a week....

 

[nial]

Men in Boxes, I fucking kneel...

 

[ReBurn]

So have we determined whether Sony's live service initiative has failed?

 

[gothmog]

It's the price point that matters for these types of experiences. Always did.

Warhawk was launched at $30 so this isn't some kind of new learning.

 

[Kilau]

Wake up babe, Men in boxes had another shower thought.

 

[clarky]

Game been out a week, and needs a lot of work on PC. The online side of things is shite.

Game is fun when it works though.

 

[Robb]

Game seems good but it just came out. Isn’t the entire point of GAAS to run over very long time and generate recurring revenue?

For all we know it’ll be dead within 6 months to a year.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

im happy for you

 

[Salty Popsicle]

Two weeks ago, we were talking about Palworld's massive record-breaking player numbers. This week it's Helldivers turn in the spotlight. GAAS games can burn very brightly but most inevitable flame out rather young.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

I'm sorry for laughing at you. I may live in a house but I was actually the homeless one

 

[Kacho]

Posting in legendary Men_in_Boxes thread

 

[Fake]

Can you change your nickname to Person_in_Boxes?

I find Men_in_Boxes so aggressive. I almost shaking right now.

 

[Del_X]

Good thing they're publishing successful multiplatform live services so they can afford to make big multipaltform single player experiences

 

[RickMasters]

Game seems good but it just came out. Isn’t the entire point of GAAS to run over very long time and generate recurring revenue?

For all we know it’ll be dead within 6 months to a year.

Pal world player count dropped off heavily already. I agree with you. You can’t really measure these games success on initial player count. Let’s see if it has legs first.


For me it honestly just feels like any third person shooter. It might hold my attention for about as long as exiprimal.


Which brings me to my next point….. this game should have never had an upfront price tag. I don’t always agree with David’s jaffe but I happened across his impressions of the game on YouTube. Had Sony just stuck this one in their sub day one it would probably have a much higher player count. And long term I think it would be a good idea for them to put this ( and all of destiny 2 DLC) on PSN+ as part of the sub. Had this been an Xbox gamepass game for example it would have had higher player retention over a long period of time. Sony could and should do that with helldivers 2 at some point and shift it’s focus as far as that game on expanded content and skins etc. forget the upfront fee when you can probably make more of a player in battle passes and content, over the lifespan of the game.


That’s something Sony are gonna have to get to grips with as far as GAAS. Discarding the upfront cost in favour of what you can get out of the player long term. That part will soon click in their heads anyway.

 

[RickMasters]

Good thing they're publishing successful multiplatform live services so they can afford to make big multipaltform single player experiences

That makes them sound like Xbox. I guess that really is the modern business model after all…..

 

[Robb]

Can you change your nickname to Person_in_Boxes?

Or maybe Man_In_Boxers?

 

[Crispy Gamer]

I don't think it's anti-PlayStation but it does seem like a lot of media/gamers would love nothing more to see GAAS games fail. It was pretty wild to see the collective media say the strategy was going to fail before seeing at least 1 game and before the delay news. It looks as though arrowhead was caught completely off guard hopefully they have a robust content plan.

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

All I know is that I’m dying to know more about Concord and Marathon.

As for Helldivers 2, it’s nice that it came out well. But it was also 8 years in the making.

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

its not ps5 exclusive

I don't think Sony intends to have any of their GAAS games be PS5 exclusive. But I think you are right. This is one of those things that will only be spoken about when or if it starts to rake in all kinds of money for sony. Until that happens, its initial success or reception doesn't really mean anything.

 

[tmlDan]

its not ps5 exclusive

its doing extremely well on PS5 as well, 50/50 player count.

Nothing to scoff at, still a success

 

[FalsettoVibe]

its not ps5 exclusive

Not really sure what that has to do with it.

 

[kurisu_1974]

Can you change your nickname to Person_in_Boxes?

I find Men_in_Boxes so aggressive. I almost shaking right now.

I only now realise it's not Men_in_Boxers

 

[owandeseis]

Was funny to read, specially after Factions' cancellation, that Sony had to go back into only AAA cinematic single player games, which is what they were good at.

And this week with Helldivers' success and the low profit margins from their financial reports people's going back to the "yea Sony needs 2-3 succesful GaaS to help funding their big AAA SP games"

 

[Killjoy-NL]

The vocal minority is but a fart in the wind.

Especially gaming forums.

 

[Evil Calvin]

Helldivers 2 is not a Sony PS5 game (it's on PS5 but not made by Sony)....and it's on PC

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

GT7 and Helldivers 2 are great examples of GaaS, no idea how Concord will be. We'll see I guess.

 

[Danjin44]

 

[Killjoy-NL]

its not ps5 exclusive

Your point being?

 

[RoboFu]

its not ps5 exclusive

 

[Raonak]

Honestly sony have a great track record of making high quality games, and helldivers, for a GAAS title, is high quality.

There will be a few stinkers, but I wouldn't be surprised if a few of them are bonafied successess.

Helldivers 2 is not a Sony PS5 game (it's on PS5 but not made by Sony)....and it's on PC

It's literally bankrolled by sony. It's as much a sony game as bloodborne, until dawn, death stranding, or any other "2nd party" game.

 

[Raonak]

double

 

[Kenneth Haight]

 

[diffusionx]

I remember OP saying the same shit about The Finals, which is more like The Forgotten right now.

you can't judge these games based on a week or two.

 

[Whitecrow]

Because one game manages to click with people doesnt contradict any of that.

 

[dreamstation]

Lol @ the 10 votes for 'Is Helldivers 2 even that big of a hit?'

I remember OP saying the same shit about The Finals, which is more like The Forgotten right now.

I still play THE FINALS every afternoon and have no issue finding matches here in Australia. The game is fine.

 

[RoadHazard]

One game. And I doubt it will stick around in the same way as Fortnite or whatever.

 

[dreamstation]

One game. And I doubt it will stick around in the same way as Fortnite or whatever.

It's a killer start as the title says... And not many games stick around like Fortnite. That doesn't make them not successful. Honestly I don't see the appeal of Fortnite but I'm also pushing 40.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

We have no idea if Helldivers 2 is a massive success or not. Having great 1 month numbers mean nothing for a GaaS, the real test is 3/6/12 months on. Can it retain a large and dedicated player base? Everyone thought Diablo 4 was a massive success and look at the reception to it now.

We can all agree success boils down to amount of investment vs amount of revenue. We don't know how much the game cost vs what they brought in, but we do know that it surpassed Arrowhead Studios expectations, as well as just about everyone paying attention.

I don't see it maintaining a high player base in a month or two but suspect we will see big player spikes when there are big content drops.

Also, the discourse didn't require high quality evidence when they tried to dog PlayStations GAAS strategy. Now we do?

I remember OP saying the same shit about The Finals, which is more like The Forgotten right now.

you can't judge these games based on a week or two.

The Finals is averaging 38k concurrent players on Steam over the last 30 days. It's more popular than Sea of Thieves on XBox right now. I suspect it's already viewed as a success by Nexon.

I only now realise it's not Men_in_Boxers

One game. And I doubt it will stick around in the same way as Fortnite or whatever.

It doesn't need to. The PS5 has gotten a bunch of AA SP exclusives that have underwhelmed commercially over the last 3 years. Helldivers 2 looks to be outcompeting all of them. If that's the case, their Live Service strategy is a success.

 

[Neofire]

Ah Helldivers success is a curse as well

 

[RagnarokIV]

Fuck I need the snake oil!!! 9000 dollars from this gentleman!!!

I LOVE IT!

I NEED LIVE SERVICE!!!

I NEED SCISSORS 6!!!!!!!

FUUUUCK