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One of Sony's biggest problems is the lack of an big IP with merchandising. Will it change with the PS5?
- Thread starter plow
- Start date
Are you talking about Sony or Playstation? Because they're 2 different things.
The OP means no big multi media franchise.
Looks like you still on the past this is not the PS3 era. Sony now have a lot of big franchise unlike Microsoft that the one they had are now drying. God of War uncharted and the last of us are bigger now than Halo or gears and maybe with another release Horizon could too.
OP
OP
They own a big part of it
You can do both. See Nintendo.
Biggest IP =/ Most games sold.
Uncharted is probably their IP with the broadest appeal but it's a bit generic and lacking in iconography.
Kratos is iconic but not massively appealing beyond the games. The recent game goes some way to modernising him but not in a kid friendly way.
Horizon: Zero Dawn has the best chance to really explode outside of games. Alloy with the big red hair and a bow really stands out. The robot dinosaurs have 'toy line' written all over them.
Kratos is iconic but not massively appealing beyond the games. The recent game goes some way to modernising him but not in a kid friendly way.
Horizon: Zero Dawn has the best chance to really explode outside of games. Alloy with the big red hair and a bow really stands out. The robot dinosaurs have 'toy line' written all over them.
I honestly can't believe some of you are being serious.
It's incredibly obvious what the OP is talking about: strong cross-media IP. Franchises that have strong non-gaming merchandising power. IP like Mario, Minecraft, Pokemon, Halo, etc.
PlayStation doesn't focus on this and that's perfectly fine.....but how some of you don't understand what the OP is speaking about is hard for me to believe. This community has a really hard time conversing in good faith sometimes and it's really frustrating.
I think the OPs thoughts revolve around Sony not being able to make a universe to any of their IPs, as Nintendo has with Pokemon and Mario.
OP
OP
Also i don't like the premise of people in these Thread saying "Well Sony makes money elswhere they don't need Merch".
That's not how Business works. If there is an are where Sony could improve they should totally do it. It's like saying l MS doesn't need XBOX because they are making enough money with Windows.
Doing amazing numbers on one business area does not mean you shouldn't do good on other areas.
Thank you. I'm not sure i'll ever start a thread again after this, it's pretty annoying actually.
That's not how Business works. If there is an are where Sony could improve they should totally do it. It's like saying l MS doesn't need XBOX because they are making enough money with Windows.
Doing amazing numbers on one business area does not mean you shouldn't do good on other areas.
Thank you. I'm not sure i'll ever start a thread again after this, it's pretty annoying actually.
Look up days gone. It's been the talk this year because it was a hyped game, and then critically didn't go over as well, but word of mouth has made it one of the best selling games of 2019. Especially in UK.
Pretty much this. What op sees from other companies is the same ips crammed down or throats for perpetuity. You'll get your Pokemon entry 37, Halo book 22, I don't need that from any franchise that Sony has.
I'd rather fresh things all the time with the occasional bringing back something familiar.
Putting Halo in that company is funny. I've said it a few times, but Sony do infact have a lot of merch, just because people are pretending they don't doesn't make it true. Them not being on Mario, Pokemon or Minecraft levels also doesn't mean it doesn't exist, as if they were standard to judge the rest, nothing outside of Disney and a couple other non gaming I.Ps would meet that mark.
I think their mayor merchandise seller is their PlayStation logo. They sell a ton of merchandise with only the PlayStation logo, I think of the three big is the most that sells. Not including mascots because those Pokemon Mario and the Zelda's logo sells like crazy. I had not seen anyone in years with a Halo shirt.
From a cross-media standpoint, Halo is (was? the IP has definitely slowed down in recent years) a significantly larger IP merch-wise than anything PlayStation has ever put out.
Which, as I stated earlier, is fine. Cross-media promotion just isn't something PlayStation is focused on. And it's understandable, as most of their franchises aren't well suited for it.
I know what Days Gone is, and I live in the UK. Thanks anyway.
I don't think it's altogether something that disputes the claims made by the OP regardless.
I think thats my point along with others in this thread. They don't need to have mascots. Their branding is now that they have the high quality IP's worth getting a console for. ANd the sales of all their first party especially from last year like spiderman, god of war prove that point.
Why do you think it IS iconic? What is iconic about it from the general public's perspective? If they see someone playing it, would they automatically say 'hey Gran Turismo!'? I don't think so, even if they might have heard of the name. Maybe 20 years ago, but not now.
No racing game with licensed cars can be as iconic as something like Mario (Kart) of Pokémon, where you instantly recognize what's on screen. Every other game manufacturer can license the same cars as in GT. Hell, the people seeing those cars in the game might just say 'hey, a Nissan GTR!' instead of 'hey, you're playing Gran Turismo!'.
Related to this topic: how would you monetize Gran Turismo outside of gaming? The logo is possible, but what else? All of the cars are owned by their respective manufacturers.
If that's Sony's biggest problem they are undestroyable.
For me personally, merchandise is almost irrelevant. I stopped buying what I see now as useless stuff a few years ago. Exceptions are some shirts and stuff that have a practical use for me, but anything that's just standing on my shelf and collects dust isn't worth a penny. My brother had a Overwatch figurine as a present for me and did appreciate the gesture and I have memories of him attached to that item–that's different and I'm gladly have that figurine collecting dust on my shelf. But investing my money in merchandise items isn't really my thing anymore.
For me personally, merchandise is almost irrelevant. I stopped buying what I see now as useless stuff a few years ago. Exceptions are some shirts and stuff that have a practical use for me, but anything that's just standing on my shelf and collects dust isn't worth a penny. My brother had a Overwatch figurine as a present for me and did appreciate the gesture and I have memories of him attached to that item–that's different and I'm gladly have that figurine collecting dust on my shelf. But investing my money in merchandise items isn't really my thing anymore.
Thanks for the clarification, OP.
While I don't think they need it. I could see some of their IPs successfully converted to other forms of media.
Such as Horizon. Could make a very good setting.
While I don't think they need it. I could see some of their IPs successfully converted to other forms of media.
Such as Horizon. Could make a very good setting.
I get what you are saying, but I fail to see how this is a (big) problem. Calling it such seems hyperbolic. None of your posts in this thread are a convincing enough argument as to why it's an actual problem. And unless you're a shareholder or making money from Sony in some way, why should you or anyone else care?
Which means nothing, as they haven't kept a suitable franchise around long enough to build it up as Halo has (which really isn't that wide, mostly just books, couple mediocre shows and the usual stuff a lot of popular games get), the PS Brand itself is what they choose to keep as the mainstay for pushing merch. They still have a lot of merch though.
Once you make a product for the purpose of selling merchandise you become a slave to that ip, forcing you to churn out sequel after sequel for eternity.
Sony's flexibility with their IPs works in their favor and one of the reasons they are able to stay relevant gen after gen, because they refresh their lineup and that excites their audience.
Sony's flexibility with their IPs works in their favor and one of the reasons they are able to stay relevant gen after gen, because they refresh their lineup and that excites their audience.
Going into next gen, Sony will have atleast 4 franchises which are 10+ Million Sellers which are HUGE IPs:
God of War
HZD
Spider-Man
The Last of Us ( Franchise? Not sure)
So, don't think they have a problem with Huge IPs.
OP
OP
None of these Franchises generate money outside of the games itself. Which is the point of my thread.
Also Sony doesn't own Spiderman.
TLoU is a franchise, already has a couple comics and the usually stuff like shirts, figures, posters and at some point a planned movie (though seems it's super dead) and (obviously) as well as a sequel coming.
I think the "they haven't kept a suitable franchise around long enough to build it up" point is kind of what the OP is getting at. I wonder if Uncharted will be that IP, as they're likely working on a new entry for PS5.
On a merchandising and awareness level, are you equating it to something like Pokemon? Because it is nowhere near.
Yeah, I mean they appeared on a Sony platform, were, for a time, associated with it, but are fundamentally another companies property. Sony doesn't really have anything that equates to that trio of items and, even then, they are down the pecking order in terms of being at that top tier.
That's not what the thread is about.
It's about things like the Uncharted movie, merchandise, crossmedia content (Card games, TV series, cartoons, novels, etc.)
I think Sony can improve in this regard. They've completely nailed it in their most important field of expertise; games. But on other fronts they could improve for sure.
Maintaining an IP is more than building great games. (Building great games comes first tho)
That point isn't when you suddenly have merch and stuff. OP is just uninformed.
Uncharted is in a weird spot right now I think, the creators have moved on, which is usually not super good for long term planning, i think it just needs a break, guess we'll see how the movie does.
Makes no sense. The Last of Us, God of War, Uncharted etc. are huge.
If by "maintaining an IP" you mean releasing the same IPs again and again for 5 generation, then no thanks.
Sony loves to make new big AAA IPs every gen. And I hope it stays that way.
Spiderman is Marvel. Separate the game from the actual IP and market presence. Does Spiderman have a huge appeal in terms of merch and other items. Absolutely. Is HZD or any of the others anywhere near that. Not even remotely.
Who said anything about it being as iconic as Mario or anything else?
GT is one of the most popular and recognizable racing game of the last 20 years, i literally don't know anyone that grew up in the PS1/PS2 era than doesn't know GT.
If that doesn't make it iconic i don't what do.
You don't need to be at same level as Pokemon to be iconic, Tekken is iconic and is not at that level either.
isn't that the entire appeal of sony and their approach to the first party output. that a lot of it is new and not constant re-treads every generation? i mean, i know mario and the like are evergreen IP's, but there's also an argument to be made about how tired they can get too and how few and far between new IP's are within nintendo. i think MS are a prime example of a company that had those kinds of pillar franchises the OP is apparently talking about, but didn't expand beyond them and as a result, interest has waned dramatically, because despite how popular halo may have been, it wasn't even close to mirroring what nintendo have with mario and zelda. sony likely understand that it's futile trying to build a mascot-level IP and so instead focus on doing new and great things. i'm more than ok with that tbh.
but i'm still not entirely sure what the OP is talking about. people have said it's about cross media IP's. in what sense? ratchet and clank having a movie and games, and cuddly toys? uncharted having books, high end statues from sideshow? 1:6 figures, and an upcoming movie? or LBP with soft toys and broad appeal merch. i mean, to what extent is the OP talking? how big is big?
GoW and Uncharted will easily enter that list next-gen. GoW is bigger than ever. And Uncharted is getting a reboot + a movie franchise. Also we'll see if the next Ratchet sells even better than the reboot.
Check the wiki article. They are nowhere on there. The only thing is Gran Turismo, which props up the bottom of the list. Huge is relative. Our sun is huge, it is tiny when compared to other entities.
This is how I feel
I don't really want to see developers like Naughty Dog or Media Molecule get chained down to one series just so Sony can make more merch money
After seeing a video of that PaRappa Cafe, I'm convinced PaRappa is / was up there as well (but only in Japan. Like with Ape Escape)
They let their studio make whatever they want and most of them choose ip that aren't really easy to merchandise, they also let them move on if they want to except probably for PD so there's also that. I don't see any problem with that since I'm not into buying merchandise
I wouldn't put a whole lot of weight behind that list, that information is not very available or up to date.
Dude, to be honest, I actually don't care about that wiki article. Sony should sell more merch of their games? More trading cards, t-shirts, DVDs and shit? What? Nah, thanks. Put that money into game development. For more & bigger games. Especially for new IPs. Why should I, or any other gamers, care for lame ass merch so a certain game tops the list of a wiki page?
PlayStation already has a gear shop. That's already way enough.
Sony did try with plenty of their IP's in the past, for example, Ratchet and Clank, they had a movie for it but it didn't pan out.
And not long ago they created a Playstation Production to create new films & TV for their IP, starting with Twisted Metal. So they are trying to expand their current IP, whether it would be successful or not we don't know.
Also, it's kinda odd to compare the Last of Us, Uncharted, HZD to Pokemon, Mario and Minecraft since the latter are more aimed at kids.
And not long ago they created a Playstation Production to create new films & TV for their IP, starting with Twisted Metal. So they are trying to expand their current IP, whether it would be successful or not we don't know.
Also, it's kinda odd to compare the Last of Us, Uncharted, HZD to Pokemon, Mario and Minecraft since the latter are more aimed at kids.
I don't agree with the OP that it's a 'big problem' for Sony. It's just a (forced?) choice. Sony just doesn't have the IP to achieve what Pokémon, Minecraft and to a lesser extent Sonic have achieved. But they could push it some more.
Like.. everywhere I go I see children wearing Fortnite shirts. That's building an IP just as much as making great games is.
I don't think they really mind. But it's something to note.