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PS5 supporters and critics infrequently find common ground.

However there's one grievance that's been expressed by everyone.

"What happened to the games?"

High-cost, single-player hits from first-party developers have traditionally been the cornerstone to PlayStation's hardware success.

During the PlayStation 4 days, fans received a steady stream of cinematic experiences, but the pace has appeared as a slow drip since 2023's Spider-Man 2.

However, the company's latest release – Ghost of Yōtei – represents a return to its established blockbuster style.

What Took So Long?

The developer's recent offering is a follow-up to the earlier samurai-era adventure Ghost of Tsushima, which was the most recent big PS4-exclusive games from Sony.

"Titles do take a long time to create, so it's no small part of your time," says Fox.

Ghost of Yōtei moves the story a hundreds of miles northward, to the Honshū region region, and the setting a several centuries later, to the early 17th century.

In this installment, the plot follows Atsu, a woman fighter on a journey to seek vengeance against the six warlords – a group of rulers responsible for her family's murder.

Using a earlier release to expand upon, it's far from a totally new start but, Nate clarifies, the game is nonetheless a massive effort.

Just introducing a fresh main character, for example, demands input from writers, character animators and concept artists, to mention only some of the jobs required.

Internally there are numerous additional team members.

A Vast Workforce Effort

Even though Sucker Punch has about 200-plus staff at its headquarters near Washington, hundreds more are involved in its projects.

The credits for Ghost of Tsushima, for case, contained approximately 1,800 individuals.

Several of them are from abroad, or from third-party companies that excel in particular specialized disciplines.

"Developing a game calls for various distinct skills, from incredibly technical experts... to those who are extremely focused on narrative, like our writers," explains Nate.

"And the various departments work in co-ordination. It's like leading an ensemble.

"We need to have all of the components working in unison."

The creative director says that a dizzying variety of components can go into a single sequence – from music to the programming that ensures foliage float over the scene at a crucial point.

"Every department need to have a awareness of the overall direction," adds Fox.

A Change in Focus

Strategic vision is an aspect players have accused the brand of not having in recent years.

With its prior boss, the ex-executive, the company launched development on 12 live-service games, called "continuous" games in the gaming sector.

Several of the top games, such as Epic's battle royale, the sandbox platform and the military shooter, retain fans involved for long periods and generate substantial amounts of revenue.

The company has had success in the space with the previous year's Helldivers II, but one disastrous disappointment with another game, which was taken offline only a fortnight after its debut.

It has since cancelled multiplayer projects inspired by some of its biggest series, such as God of War and The Last of Us.

Pursuing the multiplayer arena is a plan Sony has admitted is not completely "going smoothly", but it's explained some releases with multiplayer elements, such as Gran Turismo and MLB simulation MLB: The Show, have performed well.

The main attractions of its recent promotional presentation were an upcoming game, a follow-up to 2021's Returnal, and the eagerly awaited Marvel's Wolverine adventure from web-slinger studio Insomniac – each solo experiences.

Discussion and Scrutiny

Big releases can frequently be centers for controversy, as Sucker Punch just found when a developer's comment about the passing of political US personality the individual triggered a outcry.

The company eventually fired the staff member involved, and founder a senior figure said that "glorifying or making light of someone's killing is a deal-breaker for the company", when asked about it.

A number of right-wing entertainment commentators have also criticized Ghost of Yōtei for including a heroine.

Fox notes it was an "atypical choice", but key to the story the developers aimed to share of an outsider challenging cultural expectations.

As the story advances, Atsu's myth as an vengeful spirit – a vengeful spirit seen in Japanese tradition – increases.

"The public assume there's no way a woman would have defeated figures of the six warlords except if she is a mythical {creature|