You think you’re tired of seeing ladies with Xbox controllers. How do you think Sony feels?
Sony Group CEO Andrew House shared the company’s desire to allure more than just gamers with the PlayStation 4. He told Sun City:
I think the key is to have people — and increasingly women — with different sensibilities creating different games. It is not all about shoot ’em up games.
He added more to the mix:
The key is getting games developers — who are going to make the next Angry Birds — excited about the PS4. And they are.
If you look at the PS4’s confirmed launch library there is a heavy dose of titles that would appeal to the young male crowd; games such as Killzone: Shadow Fall, Deep Down and a console port of Diablo III. Then there’s The Witness and Knack. That’s really not enough to attract a sizable casual audience, especially if the console is going to be in the neighborhood of $399 to $499.
Lately, Sony has been hitting its stride with indie games, particularly with the Vita. Indie developers are finding out that Sony makes the publishing process favorable. This in-turn has broadened the appeal of PlayStation products in the past couple years. These games offer quick entertainment and a low price point that make the buying decision an easier process for those who might not play games all the time. Considering this has benefited Sony and customers alike, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where it doesn’t carry into the PS4.
Rumors make it appear that Microsoft will be going heavy on the casual-appeal next-gen, so if Sony wants to play the numbers game it’s going to have to continue to take strides to broaden its appeal. E3 is right around the corner and we all know the PS4 won’t only have a dozen or so games. There’s a lot left to reveal, and a lot of ladies to be converted to the PlayStation family. Sony, don’t let us down.
