Sony recently canceled nine games and fans criticized the company for the string of failures

Sony's ambitious games-as-a-service strategy falters, leading to widespread player disappointment. The company's 2022 announcement of twelve planned services by 2025 has drastically shifted, with a recent cancellation of nine projects. This abrupt about-face has sparked considerable backlash from gamers.

Initially presented as an adaptation to evolving market dynamics, Sony's pivot towards services raised concerns among players worried about a potential neglect of single-player titles. Despite assurances to the contrary, the reality is a significant scaling back of their ambitions.

Nine of the twelve anticipated projects have been scrapped. While Helldivers 2 found success, high-profile cancellations include Concord, Payback, The Last of Us: Factions, Spider-Man: The Great Web, and a God of War title from Bluepoint Games.

Cancelled Sony Games:

• Concord: Failed to meet expectations.
• God of War (Bluepoint Games): Development halted.
• Bend Studio's Multiplayer Game: Project terminated.
• The Last of Us: Factions: Cancelled.
• Spider-Man: The Great Web (Insomniac Games): No longer in development.
• Twisted Metal (Firesprite): Development ceased.
• Unannounced Fantasy Game (London Studio): Project cancelled.
• Payback (Bungie): No longer in development.
• Deviation Games Networking Project: Project scrapped.

The majority of these cancelled projects were integral to Sony's foray into the games-as-a-service market. The negative reaction from gamers highlights a perceived over-reliance on this trend, potentially at the expense of the company's core strengths and established franchises. Projects from Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games, in particular, face significant delays.