It has been a very unusual console generation. It began in the midst of the pandemic, just as live service games were at their absolute peak. Since then, layoffs have been rampant, while massive live service projects have consumed so much of the industry's resources that AAA game releases have been few and far between. To make matters worse, a great many major projects have been cancelled relatively close to release, and those that have actually been released have, shockingly often, flopped mercilessly.
This has made the gaming world feel like a bleak place for years. But last year, something happened with best-selling AAA titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Arc Raiders, and with Grand Theft Auto VI just around the corner, things are looking brighter.
And apparently, it's more than just a feeling. PlayStation's head of third-party publishing, Christian Svensson (yep, the former Capcom USA boss), now tells The Game Business that there's no reason for concern. He knows what's coming, and he believes the industry is on the way back:
"I'm in an incredibly privileged position to have amazing visibility into what games will be for the next 3, 4, 5 years. I literally cannot explain to you... last year was an amazing year for games. This year will be even better. Next year will be better still. The trajectory of content is unbelievably positive. And we as an industry should be super optimistic about where we're going in spite of the headwinds."
Svensson goes on to say that both PlayStation and their partners are currently making several really good decisions that will influence the market for years to come, and he doesn't think there's any reason to be worried. On the contrary:
"What we know other publishers or developers can't talk about is when you think about a product cycle two years at the low end, five six years at the higher end, the decisions we're making now will affect where we're going to be in five or six years. Obviously the decisions we're making now take into account where we are at this moment, right? And anticipating where we're going to be over the next couple. There are no dire times for the industry ahead as far as I'm concerned. Very smart decisions are being made by our partners. Very smart decisions are being made by platforms. Be more comfortable than what you think you should be."
Next year, both the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Helix are rumoured to launch, and there have also been rumours that Nintendo will release a new 3D Mario in 2027. And as for what happens after that, we can only speculate, but apparently there is reason to hope that the dark years may now be behind us.