With so many skill trees and loot combinations, Diablo IV has no shortage of ways to eviscerate your foes and make them fear your mathematical superiority. Players are still finding all sorts of incredible Unique-rarity items, and certain of these weapons and armors are proving to be exceptionally worth hunting down.
Sony has unintentionally provided a peek into its PlayStation operations. Amid the Federal Trade Commission’s ongoing examination of Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a document from PlayStation head Jim Ryan was mistakenly released. This document, intended to be redacted, shed light on Sony’s publisher margins, Call of Duty earnings, and the cost of creating some of its proprietary games.
Regrettably, the method of redaction – using a black Sharpie – proved insufficient. The document scan revealed the redacted information. While the court removed the document, it was downloaded and viewed by reporters and Sony’s competitors during its short time in the public domain.
Among the unveiled data, the document disclosed that Sony’s Horizon Forbidden West cost $212 million to develop over five years with 300 employees. The Last of Us Part II was produced with around 200 employees for $220 million.
Sony’s relationship with Call of Duty was also brought to light. The company claimed that one million PlayStation gamers exclusively play the Call of Duty franchise. The document also indicated that Call of Duty players spent an average of 116 hours per year on the game in 2021, with heavy users averaging 296 hours.
The disclosure of this data was Sony’s attempt to demonstrate the significant revenue impact if Call of Duty became an Xbox exclusive. Sony has consistently expressed concerns in various filings to regulators about Microsoft potentially monopolizing Call of Duty or sabotaging its PlayStation versions.
The financial impact was further detailed by accidentally revealing Call of Duty’s worth to PlayStation. The popular franchise accounted for $800 million of PlayStation’s revenue in the US alone in 2021, and it appears to have contributed $1.5 billion globally. Counting accessories, subscriptions, and related sales, the document suggests a total revenue of up to $15.9 billion annually.
The document also hinted at Sony’s revenue sharing with third-party publishers like Activision, with a possible typical margin of 10%. It also seemed to suggest that Sony’s own first-party games constituted around 14% of total PlayStation games sold.
In a surprising revelation, the document disclosed that Sony has only one more Call of Duty game as part of its exclusive marketing deal with Activision, set to be released in late 2023.
Moreover, Sony’s document revealed some intriguing statistics about console ownership. Almost half of PlayStation 5 owners in the US also own a Nintendo Switch. At the same time, less than 20% of PlayStation 5 owners also have an Xbox Series X or S. This data provides crucial context for the FTC and Microsoft’s ongoing debate over whether the Switch competes directly with the Xbox and PS5.
Sony isn’t alone in this series of unintentional revelations, though. Earlier this week, a confidential Microsoft document exposed all the company’s intended Xbox acquisition targets. The document has since been replaced with a heavily redacted version.
Stay tuned for more insights as this intriguing story unfolds, providing rare insights into the secretive world of gaming industry giants.
It’s been five years, and “Red Dead Redemption 2” (RDR2) is still going strong. The game’s mature storyline, engaging gameplay, and non-ageing graphics keep PlayStation users hooked. The Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea recently hinted at a new console classification for the original “Red Dead Redemption”, stirring up talks of a possible remastered version. With Rockstar Games silent, fans are left anticipating what’s next for this enduring franchise.
Three years down the line, “The Last of Us Part II” remains an adrenaline-pumping ride of a game. Its blend of horror and heart has captured millions, despite the PC port of the original game’s remastered version hitting a few bumps. Unfazed, the franchise’s sales and HBO adaptation continue to thrive. Sure, LoU’s multiplayer might not have hit the mark according to Bungie, but the prospect of a standalone sequel keeps the anticipation alive. With Ellie and Abby’s saga yet to fully unfold, we’re eager for more. Are you?
