Update:
Added Ryan’s entire quote where he says, “Those conversations, which are very important for us and very important for the shape of the whole industry.”
Original Story:
SCE Europe president Jim Ryan has offered some clarification on Sony’s stance on EA Access, and why the company turned it down for the PlayStation 4. Sony’s decision attracted some controversy and it has fans split, with some saying that it was the right move while others demanding choice. Ryan has said that it’s important to see the full picture before making such a decision.
When asked by GamesIndustry why Sony approached EA Access differently than other subscription services already offered, Ryan responded by saying:
We’ve got to look at this issue very holistically, to look at the consequences of that service relative to existing services on our platform, relative to other services that might come along from other companies. We have to juggle a lot of balls. I don’t think we’re ruling anything in or out forever, but right now we don’t think it’s right for the platform.
Fair enough.
In the same interview, Ryan said that the PlayStation 4’s success is only “initial” but it has helped the company to gain momentum. He explained that strong sales make innovation easier. With reference to projects like PlayStation TV and Project Morpheus, he said:
Having momentum and having that initial success – and it is just initial, there’s a long way to go yet – it puts us in good heart for the future. Some of the stuff we touched on yesterday, talking about the future, whether that’s PlayStation Now, whether that’s Morpheus, PlayStation TV in the nearer term – all of these things require investment.
It’s much easier to make decisions like that from a position of relative success, relative strength, rather than a world where PlayStation 4 was struggling, where our momentum wasn’t great. The money man would be thinking, ‘hmmm, do we really want to put more into this?’ Those conversations, which are very important for us and very important for the shape of the whole industry, they become easier. That can only be a good thing.
What do you make of Ryan’s comments. Are you happy with his clarification of Sony’s stance on EA Access?
[Source: GamesIndustry]
