It’s happening. In a recent interview with GQ, Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment stated that they have made a ‘straightforward’ decision to release more first-party PC ports. It was later confirmed that the first PC port will be arriving later spring as PlayStation 4 exclusive Days Gone will be available for PC gamers.
Ryan also stated that this is an opportunity for them to exhibit their games to a wider audience of PC gamers with a primary reason of understanding and expanding the economics of game development. He said that in early 2021, their studios and games are in better shape than they’ve ever been before. With the rising cost price of games, they have also improved the caliber of the IP. The ease of availability of Steam only made this process easier.
Sony’s sudden decision to release more PlayStation titles on PC follows the company’s PC port of Horizon Zero Dawn in 2020 which was a massive success. Ryan said that they have assessed the exercise in two ways. People are buying console games on PC. Sony also looked at the situation through the lens of the PlayStation community and they don’t seem to mind that much. So they will continue making small steps in this direction. Only time will tell, what other Sony games will come to PC in the future.
Now let’s go through the game they have announced:
#Days Gone
Developer: Bend Studio
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: April 26, 2019
PlayStation 4 exclusive Days Gone is an action-adventure survival horror video game set in a post-apocalyptic world two years after the start of a global pandemic. The protagonist Deacon St. John who is a former outlaw-turned-drifter discovers that his wife Sarah may still be alive which makes him on a quest to find her.
Players can explore an open-world environment from a third-person point of view. They have to use firearms, melee weapons, and improvised weapons as well as stealth to defend against hostile humans and freaks, mindless nocturnal zombie-like creatures that are quickly evolving. Another major game mechanic is Deacon’s motorbike which is his primary mode of transport as well as serves as a mobile inventory.
The game received mixed responses from the audience. The game received a score of 6.5/10 from IGN stating that the game feels bloated, like a movie that goes on for an hour longer than it needs to or should’ve. Game Informer gave the game a 7.8/10 as the game has good gameplay foundations.
Despite the mixed responses from the audience, Days Gone was the best-selling physical game in the United Kingdom in the week of release. It went on to be the best-selling software release in all the format sales charts for three consecutive weeks. It even went on to outsold God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn in Japan. It also received several major awards including the PlayStation Game of the Year in Golden Joystick Awards 2019.
#Horizon Zero Dawn
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Guerrilla Games‘ first intellectual property since Killzone, Horizon Zero Dawn is an action role-playing game where the protagonist, Aloy is a young hunter in a world overrun by machines sets out to uncover her past. Players can use ranged weapons, spear, and stealth to combat mechanical creatures and other enemy forces. A skill tree provides players with new abilities and bonuses. They can also opt to take on side quests and explore the massive open world.
Horizon Zero Dawn received a generally positive response from the massive player base of both console and PC. It received a score of 9.3/10 from IGN and 8.75/10 from Game Informer. The game surpassed No Man’s Sky as the biggest launch of a new intellectual property on the PlayStation 4 and was the most successful launch of any kind on the platform since Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End as well as Guerrilla Games‘ biggest debut to date.
Also, don’t forget to check out our last article – Is The Day Before the upcoming “The Last Of Us” for PC?
For now, we don’t know what Sony is planning to bring on PC. Players are expecting God of War will soon join the PC roster prior to God of War: Ragnarok’s release sometime in 2021. Other highly anticipated games include Bloodborne and Ghost of Tsushima but nothing is known for sure. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
