Updated
Updated · ComicBook.com · Jun 20
PlayStation Rumors Swirl Over 1 Xbox Studio as Insider Says Herman Hulst “Admires” MachineGames
Updated
Updated · ComicBook.com · Jun 20

PlayStation Rumors Swirl Over 1 Xbox Studio as Insider Says Herman Hulst “Admires” MachineGames

1 articles · Updated · ComicBook.com · Jun 20

Summary

  • Millie A said on X that Sony studio chief Herman Hulst “admires” MachineGames, prompting fresh speculation that PlayStation could target the Bethesda-owned Xbox studio.
  • MachineGames fits a gap in Sony’s lineup because it specializes in single-player, narrative-driven first-person shooters, a space PlayStation has lacked since Guerrilla moved from Killzone to Horizon.
  • Xbox’s reported reset has added fuel to the chatter, with claims that more than 1 studio could close, teams could be downsized, and some studios are exploring independence or transfers to other owners.
  • A deal still looks unlikely: selling a studio to PlayStation would be a major optics hit for Xbox, while Sony has also been cutting back and faces a tougher financing and games market than in the early 2020s.

Insights

With Xbox in crisis, could a rival like PlayStation actually acquire one of its key game studios?
Is Xbox abandoning the console wars to become a software publisher on all platforms, including PlayStation?
Beyond Xbox's struggles, is the entire AAA video game business model fundamentally broken and unsustainable?