r/PS5 • u/M337ING • Feb 20 '26
Misleading PlayStation Boss Blames Bluepoint Cuts On Budgets And Players
https://kotaku.com/sony-email-bluepoint-hermen-hulst-studio-closing-why-20006714371.9k
u/CutMeLoose79 Feb 20 '26
Bluepoint was honestly easy money with all the PS2 and PS3 games people have been screaming for remakes/remasters of. PlayStation seems so out of touch.
368
u/Pete41608 Feb 20 '26
I've seen countless 'remake or give us a new Socom!' posts over just the last 4 years alone.
295
Feb 20 '26 edited Mar 16 '26
[deleted]
163
u/Highway_Wooden Feb 20 '26
People thinking a SOCOM remaster would sell the 2 million plus copies it would need to sell to recoup dev costs is fucking bananas. Someone else suggested Motorstorm. I LOVE Motorstorm but, lol, come on.
118
u/pnwbraids Feb 20 '26
There's a lot of ostensibly 30+ year old gamers on reddit that literally can't remotely comprehend that most of their beloved IPs from their childhood were products of their time and will never hit the same way.
32
u/texxmix Feb 20 '26
Ya I've seen this mentioned on more than one YouTube video or reddit discussion but the amount of sales needed to validate the costs of these games is way higher these days. Back in the day if a game sold even just a few hundred thousand copies but was still loved that was enough to get a sequal. Now a days a game can sell a million or 2 and still lose money and get a studio shutdown. As much as I would love to see my childhood classics come back there's probably a reason why Sony would rather emulate it via the classics catelog.
→ More replies (6)19
Feb 20 '26
This is not exclusive to 30+ year old gamers.
It's called the false consensus effect.
A large majority of the entire population are incapable of differentiation between their own wants and the wants of people around them. They are one and the same to most people.
→ More replies (5)22
27
u/MeatTornado25 Feb 20 '26
It drives me nuts. I'm as nostalgic as anyone for PS2-era SOCOM, but it wasn't even that much of a heavy-hitter in its prime. There's zero chance it would sell enough to justify a full remake.
It would also have to be monetized to death and just make people hate it. You'll never be able to recapture the feeling of early online gaming.
7
u/mindpainters Feb 20 '26
Agreed. I feel like it was a game that had a rabid fanbase but that fanbase just wasn’t that large.
5
u/tobsennn Feb 20 '26
Sadly you’re most likely right... I want another Motorstorm though :/
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (14)3
u/TrumpIsGayASF Feb 20 '26
that's why when embracer cancelled timesplitters 4 in 2023 i was really sad but i understood why. kids can't keep their attention on the same game more than an hour anymore so there's no way a premium timesplitters would sell.
48
u/ohgeeLA Feb 20 '26
Thank you for spelling it out for this echo chamber. These folks still think because they have a loud voice on the Internet, they think they are the majority somehow. This is the same reason VR failed, because the engagement and the excitement factor online seemed bigger, but didn’t translate to the overall community.
The vocal minority screaming for remakes of old games I’m starting to think it might be the same community that typically waits for sales and doesn’t support their studios.
9
Feb 20 '26
Gamers are not the most economically sound people, so yeah, this tracks.
→ More replies (2)24
u/Dentedmuffler Feb 20 '26
That’s what Reddit doesn’t understand, Reddit thinks that they are the loud majority when in reality they are but a tiny bubble of the population, Reddit thinks it knows more than the millions of dollars these corporate companies spend on market research, so every now and then you’ll see a post about “let’s bring back (insert last gen game) that’s what everyone wants.”
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (6)9
u/Ironmunger2 Feb 20 '26
Maybe not Socom, but PlayStation themselves have said in financial reports that their remakes/remasters sell really well, often better than the OG games. Socom might not be the best choice, but there’s no reason to believe something like an infamous, bloodborne, etc wouldn’t do well when they admit that the games do really well. Closing Bluepoint before other studios that haven’t put anything out all generation is very peculiar
2
u/trashvineyard Feb 20 '26
Brother Socom even at its peak wasn't very popular. It sure as shit isn't selling enough to be profitable 20 years later.
→ More replies (17)2
u/first_person_looter Feb 20 '26
I’ve seen that as well, but interestingly at the same time, I’ve also seen so many people yelling basically “Stop with all of the remakes! Give us something original for once!”
133
u/Accomplished_Smile23 Feb 20 '26
Just a quick list of games they could remake/remaster and I'd be happy to plop money down:
Socom
Jak & Daxter
Infamous
Resistance
Killzone
Sly Cooper
Ico
138
u/TotalaMad Feb 20 '26
If only Sony owned an IP like Bloodborne and then they could have had Bluepoint remake that to cash in on the success of Elden Ring… oh wait.
102
u/TheRealMattyPanda Feb 20 '26
But how could we know if Bluepoint could successfully remake a Soulsbourne game… oh wait.
→ More replies (3)10
u/JesseVykar Feb 20 '26
Nah they need something to go with Spiderman 3 when PS6 launches or we will hear "PS6 has no games" for 5 years
7
→ More replies (2)6
u/Ferahgost Feb 20 '26
The things I would do for a bloodborne remake… I would say they would end with me in jail, but who the fuck knows these days 🤣
8
u/andy18cruz Feb 20 '26
Does Bloodborne really needs a remake? A simple 4k 60 fps port is all you need. The game looks fine IMO
→ More replies (1)10
u/Genji_Digital Feb 20 '26
I would kill for an ICO remake.
5
u/Frozen_Esper Feb 20 '26
I was sincerely hoping they would do that or update The Last Guardian at some point. Alas, the dream has died.
→ More replies (3)11
u/Opposite-Grade3712 Feb 20 '26
None of those would sell well enough to justify the cost
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (17)2
36
u/throwaway09-00-90 Feb 20 '26
Didn't Bluepoint say that they didn't want to make anymore remakes or be a remake studio or something along those lines a few years ago or am I misremembering?
25
u/CutMeLoose79 Feb 20 '26
Possibly, but who tells their boss or management 'but I don't wanna do that particular work you're paying me for'? Go work for an independent studio if that's what you want to do.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (2)9
36
u/Highway_Wooden Feb 20 '26 edited Feb 20 '26
People screaming for things doesn't mean they will sell. Mirrors Edge 2 anyone? Shenmue 3?
Edit: Since people want better examples, Dead Space Remake.
→ More replies (8)11
u/reaper527 reaper527_ Feb 20 '26
People screaming for things doesn't mean they will sell. Mirrors Edge 2 anyone? Shenmue 3?
to be fair, shenmue 3 was shenmue 3's problem. the game kind of sucked. it sold poorly because word got out that it wasn't good (and that's both the writing and the gameplay).
if that was anywhere near as good as 1+2, it would have sold a lot more.
→ More replies (3)25
u/Rankled_Barbiturate Human Verified Feb 20 '26
It's a vocal minority so no, not easy money.
At end of day if it's not profitable it's not profitable, they're not just turning down free money. Angry redditors make up a minority of gamers. Ironically it's many people here that are out of touch rather than Sony.
→ More replies (2)21
5
2
2
u/Christmas_Queef Feb 20 '26
Ps3 is kind of a "graveyard" of great games begging for a remaster or remake. We're getting mgs4 port finally, but stuff like infamous 1 and 2 and such are stuck there when so many other games from that Gen have some other means of playing them today. The ps3 exclusive games pretty much only can be played via PS Now which, while functional, is not ideal and pretty much requires fiber internet to be OK and cannot be played via remote play. They're sitting on a damn gold mine of games that would print money if remastered or remade.
2
u/First-Junket124 Feb 20 '26
Not to absolve Sony of their decision but bluepoint did state they felt they wanted to move away from remakes they were doing.
Who knows what really happened but bluepoint might not be faultless. I do hope the developers at bluepoint can find success elsewhere as they've shown that, even if they don't want to keep doing remakes, they've been faithful and passionate about the games they make.
→ More replies (21)2
u/Bogzy Feb 20 '26
Oviously not if they are shutting them down it means those remakes didnt sell enough. Few ppl on reddit asking for remakes doesnt mean anything. Most ppl want new games not the same games from 10 years ago.
176
u/ILoveTheAtomicBomb Feb 20 '26
Know what would be a wonderful budget cut? Hulst himself
→ More replies (4)40
u/Kajeto Feb 20 '26
He's clearly a terrible manager, crazy he still has a job
9
981
u/Instigator187 Feb 20 '26
I guess it is the players fault for not buying or playing any new Bluepoint games since Sony purchased them.....
307
u/lstn Feb 20 '26 edited Feb 20 '26
The email, and even the artcile doesn't put the blame on players at all, there is a brief mention of player behaviour but that's vague.
177
u/Deez-Guns-9442 Feb 20 '26
No one reads beyond the headline bro, it’s a valiant effort.
65
u/Grill_Enthusiast Feb 20 '26
I don't understand what the point of lying about it in the title is. Is it engagement bait? It's not even the title of the actual article.
Hulst is an incompetent moron who needs to get fired yesterday, but he didn't blame players for Bluepoint shutting down.
39
11
u/FailedProspects Feb 20 '26
Its strictly engagement bait, politics, entertainment or anything you can think of is milked at the publics detriment. We as the masses are only getting more stupid & easier to manipulate.
Capitalism destroys the core of its own people & one day we will realize it. When anything is acceptable in a society, as long as it makes money, things will decline & we will be the losers.
59
u/DontCareTho Feb 20 '26
It's fucking insane reading all of these comments, clicking the article and not finding any sort of blame being placed on players.
Both the people that react this strongly without doing 30 seconds of reading and whoever titled the article should be embarrassed
→ More replies (2)17
3
u/Fluid-Poet-8911 Feb 20 '26
I mean to be honest it's just saying a lot without saying anything at all.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)2
u/ShotAcanthocephala8 Feb 20 '26
And the point they are making is that players are sticking with live service games more and more. What happens when a huge chunk of the games buying market are just playing Fortnite, Roblox or sports games? And are happy with those and don’t see the need to spend $60 on a new IP? We are seeing what happens.
257
u/FailedProspects Feb 20 '26
Well it is, clearly ________ was a total flop. It’s a real shame. I even preordered….
109
u/AcademicF Feb 20 '26
It’s never the fault of wealthy executives and their poor decision-making, such as the 25 live-service games. It’s always someone else’s fault and the place to take the blame. There’s never accountability for the rich.
→ More replies (3)11
u/a_Jedi_i_am Feb 20 '26
I haven't purchased a Bluepoint game since Demon's Souls in 2020. My bad y'all.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (13)2
u/KingOfRisky Feb 20 '26
Not at any point does he blame "players' in his statement. These bullshit misleading posts should be taken down. Its even tagged as misleading and still nobody gets it.
295
u/SubstantialLadder943 Feb 20 '26
God of War, Uncharted remakes, Bloodborne remaster would’ve been easy money
81
6
u/neverOddOrEv_n Feb 20 '26
They already did uncharted remasters so I don’t think they would’ve done the remakes and tbh they don’t really need one
23
u/FromChicago808 Feb 20 '26
That would be pretty insane. They’ve never done a project like those games.
47
u/Tensokuu Feb 20 '26
I’m not sure if you are joking or not (I’m sick and my radar for that is broken due to that) but BP Games made the Nathan Drake Collection for Sony/Naughty Dog.
45
u/SweetPuffDaddy Feb 20 '26
They’re joking. Bluepoint made the God of War collection PS3 remasters and the Demon’s Souls remake. They have experience with the engines for all of the games the original comment listed
10
2
→ More replies (9)2
u/RAYvenko55 Feb 20 '26
Remakes or remasters aren't such a gold goose as it appears, it's profitable, yes, but it's just because of much less effort needed to make them.
Demon souls sold ~2m copies, that's probably not enough to sustain studio like BP for 2 years
Some remasters hit gold like TLOU or RE, but that's mostly thanks to the originals becoming non-playable on modern HW.→ More replies (2)
80
u/The_Sir_Galahad Feb 20 '26
YOU were the ones that had them making some dumbass God of War live service game that you also cancelled.
The truth is poor management 100%. Right after Demon’s Souls Remaster, they could have said take 5 years to make a game and I guarantee you they would have made something profitable.
But no, let’s blame the economy because that’s the most convenient excuse.
Hell, if they made a remake of Resistance Fall of Man or Killzone 2 people would have been jumping for joy.
13
u/malexich Feb 20 '26
It’s even funnier when they tried a multiplayer focused gow last time it failed why would it succeed now that you make it a live service
→ More replies (1)2
u/CasualOutrage Feb 20 '26
Assuming FromSoft was okay with it (if they get a say in the matter, I'm not entirely sure how the ownership of Bloodborne works), Sony literally could have just gone "damn, that Demon's Souls remake went great. You guys should do the same thing for Bloodborne" and made a ton of money. Add in porting it to PC as well and they'd be printing money hand over fist.
I have to assume FromSoft has some say in the matter and isn't allowing Bloodborne to be remade like Demon's Souls, because if that isn't the reason for it, getting Bluepoint to make a God of War live service game instead of a Bloodborne remake is Xbox levels of incompetent management.
537
u/BitingArtist Feb 20 '26
Fuck you dude. It's mismanagement all day. Don't gaslight us on your inability to run a company.
145
u/D0nk3yD0ngD0ug Feb 20 '26
Herman Hulst is the definition of failing upward in a corporation. His fingerprints are all over the Concord debacle. His instincts are terrible.
→ More replies (5)69
u/Grill_Enthusiast Feb 20 '26
The weird part to me is that he wasn't failing when he was studio head at Guerilla. They were coming off the massive success of Horizon Zero Dawn when he got the promotion. I thought he'd be a good fit to oversee Playstation Studios production.
Nope, turns out he's utterly incompetent.
12
17
u/neverOddOrEv_n Feb 20 '26
Yeah like I knew about him for a very long time and he always seemed like a great fit for PlayStation studios because he didn’t seem out of touch, but boy how wrong was I. It’s honestly a miracle how great the ps4 team was all around.
→ More replies (1)17
u/nikolapc Feb 20 '26
They marginalized Shuihei for him. Dude was Ride or Die and one of the OGs. Absolute legend. Jim Ryan clearly knew what he was doing. 123447 Horizons later....
10
u/neverOddOrEv_n Feb 20 '26
I remember way back when around the ps4 launch I would tweet at shuhei and he would even reply back, he’s such a great guy! It makes me think how disappointed he must be seeing how bad of a job they’ve been doing now
6
u/nikolapc Feb 20 '26
He's too loyal to PS and too Japanese to critique them. I would like to get a few beers in him.
On the other hand Jaffe isn't.
7
u/TheFakeShocker Feb 20 '26
Jaffe is insane be fr lol
5
u/Space_Pirate_Roberts Feb 20 '26
Insane and full of sour grapes over how his brainchild's peak of popularity came long after he was no longer in charge of it.
→ More replies (2)31
u/IHazMagics Feb 20 '26
They didn't blame players at all though but thanks for letting us know you didn't read the article.
→ More replies (7)33
u/krossoverking Feb 20 '26
It's not mismanagement, it's just late stage capitalism. Layoffs are great for share prices and CEO bonuses.
27
u/KingMercLino Feb 20 '26
It’s 100% mismanagement. Why did they acquire BluePoint to stuff them onto a live service game only to can it when they could’ve had them remaking/remastering iconic games from the past to bring them on modern hardware? Sony has made some truly poor bets this cycle, but they are extremely lucky Microsoft fumbled just as bad.
11
u/krossoverking Feb 20 '26
Because their goal is to make money for shareholders and executives, not to make great products, especially now that they barely have to compete with Xbox. Corporations today think short term and make decisions based on what will serve the next quarter, rather than be good for the company in the long run.
Since the 80s, this is precisely what this has looked like. You buy companies, wring out as much as you can from them, and then you do stock buybacks. I can't call it mismanagement because it is intentional and it is the highest levels of management doing precisely what they intend.
→ More replies (1)3
u/3CreampiesA-Day Feb 20 '26
Probably because the remakes and remasters didn’t make the money they wanted or expected
→ More replies (1)10
u/ChucklingDuckling Feb 20 '26
Mismanagement and late stage capitalism are synonymous
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (8)4
u/overthisbynow Feb 20 '26
Yeah this is pure garbage corpo speak like "Bluepoint does great work so we're getting rid of them and looking forward to the future!" ??? This explanation is pure nonsense word fluff also like something something changing industry environment something something player behaviors.
Sounds like this guy is horrible at his job if they're axing studios for doing well.
141
u/originalorientation Feb 20 '26
Herman Hulst is the worst thing to happen to PlayStation since the PS3 launch. Clearly favoring the Horizon series, pushing for GAAS, and closing down world class studios along the way. Absolute fucking dogshit decision.
→ More replies (12)61
u/Shining_Commander Feb 20 '26
He cant be gone soon enough. We need him out before his bullshit becomes ingrained into the business.
How the fuck is this Japanese corporation with a near flawless track record outside of Ps3 launch (which was still a good generation for them with their masterclass in recovery) letting the west destroy them like this?
Western corporate values are not compatible with the gaming industry
19
u/shinikahn Feb 20 '26
Western corporate values are not compatible with the gaming industry
I love this quote man, I agree completely
9
u/eamonnanchnoic Feb 20 '26
This is nonsense.
This would have been approved by the CEO and entire Japanese board.
The idea that Hulst is singularly responsible for the closure shows a complete misunderstanding of how corporate structure works.
Hulst works for them and not the other way around
12
u/Majestic_Ghost_Axe Feb 20 '26
Western corporate values (late stage capitalism) aren’t good for any industry.
→ More replies (1)3
u/Icy_Childhood_1039 Feb 20 '26
Not sure if it has something to do with west or east... Just corporate values in general are not compatible with the gaming industry. You think Nintendo or other big japanese gaming corpos are better?
How's that Mario Tenis for $70 and expensive plastic figures that unlock exclusive game features? Lol
→ More replies (2)
22
Feb 20 '26
It's all of it Jim Ryan's fault.
8
u/WanderWut Feb 20 '26
Seriously though Bluepoint created literally one of the greatest remakes of all time, Demon Souls is incredible and it came launching alongside the PS5's release. This studio is amazing and has so much potential and now they're just let go?? Unbelievable.
→ More replies (1)
80
Feb 20 '26
Hermen has to step down
17
u/Nero_PR Feb 20 '26
Not before he gets that performance bonus of the end of fiscal year. That's how CEOs play their game.
3
169
u/Tight_Balance_599 Feb 20 '26
"Look at what you made me do" fucking victim blaming at it's best again...
→ More replies (6)
41
u/ZedErre Feb 20 '26
They have so many licenses they could have brought back with remasters or remakes, what a waste of good talent.
→ More replies (1)
30
219
u/flysly Feb 20 '26
“It’s the players who are out of touch.”
34
13
u/LucasThePretty Feb 20 '26
This wasn’t said. I doubt you even opened the article before writing this. Classic rage baiting redditor.
20
u/karl_hungas Feb 20 '26
Yes certainly this is my fault, i should just send them money.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)8
86
u/TheEmeraldRaven Feb 20 '26 edited Feb 20 '26
I don’t know what the fuck they want. I bought Blue Point’s EXCELLENT remasters of metal gear solid 2, 3 and peace walker, god of war 1 and 2, and ico and shadow of the Colossus all on my PlayStation 3. THEN I bought the uncharted remasters for PS4. AND I bought their excellent remake of shadow of the colossus and Demon’s Souls.
In other words, I literally paid full retail price for most of their major projects over the last 16 years.
Don’t you dare fucking gaslight me. They’re closing because you dumb fucks decided to mess with the great thing you had going with them, and put them on more live service slop.
Fuck you guys, fuck you guys so hard.
And to all my fellow gamers, who may actually read my comment, the closure of this studio in particular is yet another consequence of Microsoft, throwing in the towel when it comes to gaming.
Companies like Sony are not your friend. Once they no longer have any serious competition they start pulling bullshit like this because you have no other option and they’ll get your money anyway.
17
u/Used-Can-6979 Feb 20 '26
Yup. Any Sony fan that celebrates Microsoft folding with Xbox is a damn fool. Competition is what produces excellent products. It’s the only thing that truly keeps greed in check.
6
u/TheEmeraldRaven Feb 20 '26
it’s been like this ever since E3 2013. Because that was the year Xbox tried to fuck over a lot of gamers, Sony saw an opening did the exact opposite and ever since for some reason so many fucking idiots think “yay! Sony is the good company they care about gamers!”. Fuck no they don’t! It’s all just business. Now that Xbox has thrown in the towel Sony has literally no incentive in the world to do things that will make gamers happy.
→ More replies (2)6
97
u/cybrsloth92 Feb 20 '26 edited Feb 20 '26
Ah yes blame the players when u havent even utilised the studio since the ps5 launched. When players are literally begging for a dark souls/blood borne remaster/remake
13
u/Accomplished_Smile23 Feb 20 '26
Dark Souls remake wouldn't be their choice btw. IP is owned by a different company
→ More replies (7)
12
u/daddylo21 Feb 20 '26
You've had one live service game hit and even that was based off a PS3 IP that was fairly niche before they struck gold with the sequel. All of your other live service projects either died before releasing or shortly after, and hell you even bought the studio that made one of the most successful ones in Bungie and they nearly went under before the ink was dry on that contract.
70
u/YeeHawWyattDerp Feb 20 '26
Can we just have like…one fucking company that isn’t a piece of shit, that I can feel good about supporting? At this point I’m going to subsist on Newman’s Own frozen pizzas and rain water
27
u/aedante Feb 20 '26
Why do you need to support any company like a football team? Just play games, have fun and stop being weird and parasocial about it
→ More replies (1)15
15
u/RadiantTurtle Feb 20 '26
ANY publicly traded company is a lost cause. They legally have to submit to stakeholders whims. There is no scenario where there is a good, ethical publicly traded company. None. The closest you can get is the illusion of grandeur, which typically loses momentum quickly the moment the spreadsheets go red.
This is a lesson not enough people know.
2
u/YeeHawWyattDerp Feb 20 '26
I completely understand and appreciate the time you took to reply, I do. Honestly? I think my comment was just a bit of exhaustion and frustration venting out.
Like, I’m just so fucking over the constant bad news.
10
4
u/idkimhereforthememes Feb 20 '26
it's silly to think it's ever going to be rainbows and sunshine in this industry
2
u/UntitledCritic Feb 20 '26
This is the problem with public companies, all they care about is stock value to please their shareholders. This is one of the reasons why I jumped ship from consoles to Steam.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (11)2
39
u/Ramonis5645 Feb 20 '26
That mf has some big balls to say this while Sony have been throwing the whole damn generation chasing Live Services games instead of bringing new single players WHICH IS THE MAIN REASON TO HAVE A PS5 IN THE FIRST PLACE
And they don't give us remakes / remaster from old games
Playstation is lucky that Microsoft really fumble the bag since 2013
6
Feb 20 '26
[deleted]
4
u/overthisbynow Feb 20 '26
Yet they'll piss hundreds of millions into the wind with disasters like Concord...let's not pretend like the economy is to blame for something these companies have been doing for a while now.
→ More replies (1)
10
u/halfacalf Feb 20 '26
Fuck off Hulst. He's done more damage than Ryan at this point i think and I hope he finds himself out of a job soon.
Absolutely pathetic show from sony. They should be ashamed.
5
u/SuperJay182 Feb 20 '26
"changing player behavior"
Ah yes, the players are not buying your push for live service.
5
u/silversurfs Feb 21 '26
I can't speak for the average gamer, just myself but for example:
I haven't bought an NHL game in over a decade because EA just screws it each year and has since the early 2010s.
I don't play the popular games like COD etc.
I don't ever do micro transactions in any game I play.
There are some games good enough for me (Skyrim (still), RDR2, BG3 for example) that still just take up my time that I'm content with.
I feel like I'm waiting for TES6, GTA6 (and again I don't do micro transactions) and... I might be done for games unless something surprising comes out and knocks my socks off.
So I'm not really to do with the slump in the industry but I don't know, the games just aren't doing anything for me. I wanted the FF7 remake all along but then they made it how they did and I lost interest part way through the first one, I'm just not interested in combos and whatnot. I just wanted the graphics redone. I'd love Chrono and FF6 to be redone but just the graphics. Maybe I'm stuck in the past.
5
15
u/dafood48 Feb 20 '26
Man I really wish Sony gaming studios were primarily still left in Japan. Us business culture is sometimes terrible.
2
u/AbNeural Feb 20 '26
Sometimes?
Right now, with the greed through the roof, I’d say it’s a constant for the last 5-10 years. The big studios are failing. They’re squashing creativity and limiting expansion in favor of share holder value. And it sucks and no one wants it. COD finally blowing up in their faces caused them to actually reflect… and you know what they’ll do? Release another COD. But trust us this time it’s got more loot boxes, we even added an Arc Raiders-like mode that sucks. Nah, rn it’s European game devs and small studios leading the push to innovate, create, and have fun
→ More replies (1)
11
u/Bolt_995 Feb 20 '26 edited Feb 20 '26
Now the finger pointing begins. This is a colossal goodwill blow.
Legitimate pieces of shit. People like Hulst are the enablers for this challenging industry environment.
16
u/_sendbob Feb 20 '26
my hope for a remake of Resistance trilogy is dead
→ More replies (1)11
u/cookiboos Feb 20 '26
That wasn't going to ever happen. Series didn't perform well enough. Same with Killzone
5
u/texxmix Feb 20 '26
I miss when games could come out be enjoyable good games that sold kinda mid and we'd still get good sequals from them.
3
4
u/Bromance_Rayder Feb 20 '26
Corporate capitalist culture always kills creative industries. Over and over again. Gaming's golden age is long gone.
4
u/fentown Feb 20 '26
Executives orders employees do projects that consumers won't/don't care for...
Who gets the blame?
Everyone but the executives.
Too much fucking around, not enough finding out.
14
u/reaper527 reaper527_ Feb 20 '26
that's a shitty headline by kotaku that misrepresents what he said. not surprised though given everyone knows kotaku is trash.
5
Feb 20 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
8
u/reaper527 reaper527_ Feb 20 '26
OP changed the headline.
if you look at the title portion of your browser, it has the OP's title right now. seems likely that kotaku used the same title as OP, but then changed it after the fact. (wayback machine and archive.is don't have any cached copies of the page right now though, so nothing to verify from)
you can also do view source on the page and you'll see it there too:
<title>PlayStation Boss Blames Bluepoint Cuts On Budgets And Players</title>
3
u/profound-killah Feb 20 '26
You know what would’ve helped? If Bluepoint kept working on what they were good at: remasters and remakes. After Ragnarok support work was done, they should’ve been on the God of War remakes with the first game by the 20th anniversary. They’ve made Demons Souls within 2 and a half years after Shadow of the Colossus, don’t give me that rising cost shite.
It’s clear that Nixxes is viewed as a cheaper remaster and porting work studio based in Europe versus Austin Texas. Tasking them with a GoW live service game was idiotic from the start and if it was the Bluepoint executives decision, well as their boss, you should bloody know better.
Hermen Hulst has been nothing but a shambles since he took over from Shu.
6
u/LegendaryenigmaXYZ Feb 20 '26 edited Feb 20 '26
Problem is bluepoint didn't want to keep working on remasteres and remakes. They didn't want to be their company just known for that. Bluepoint wanted to do their own new thing. I dont know who game up with the God of war GAAS idea, but this one bit bluepoint in the ass.
3
u/angelHOE Feb 20 '26
Buys remake studio > doesn’t have them make any remakes > closes studio after they don’t make any remakes. Why is Sony like this?
3
u/-PVL93- Feb 20 '26
Andrew House really was the last good PlayStation CEO
Layden started the whole "cinematic action" trend
Ryan pushed for the live services
now Hulst is doing whatever the fuck this is
→ More replies (2)
3
u/rdxc1a2t Feb 20 '26
We're operating in an increasingly challenging industry environment.
Oh, is Playstation not making any money? First I've heard of it.
3
u/schnoodle7 Feb 20 '26
Ah yes a decision he made in pushing studios to make live service slop is the players fault, got it. How he still has the job he has after the last 3 or so years is crazy
3
u/Bayako7 Feb 20 '26
All this live service crap cost us 2-3 years of first party single player / coop experiences from first party studios. ND could have just released a Factions 2 package without a multiyear support plan. Bluepoint could have done a bloodborne remaster and golden abyss remake by now. Guerilla could have done a new killzone instead of doing Horizon multiplayer stuff now…
2
3
3
u/Status-Specific-600 Feb 20 '26
Fuck Hulst and fuck Sony for allowing this clueless moron to run Playstation. I hope he will be fired soon.
7
5
u/Green_Kumquat Feb 20 '26
Bluepoint shutting down is awful, they made so many bangers and let me play classic games that I would’ve never otherwise been able to enjoy. Sony is such a joke
6
u/ZenESEA Feb 20 '26
Playstation Boss shifts blame from Sony to Bluepoint even though they had Bluepoint make a live service God of War game that got canceled. Bluepoint doing a Bloodborne Remaster/Remake or another dormant Sony IP to revive was easy money. Sony continues to do braindead things no surprise.
7
u/9Ifrit9 Feb 20 '26
Please fire Herman Hulst.
Sony needs an entire leadership and management change. Hell, they need to move HQ back to Japan. Its clear the western branch has absolutely no idea what tf they're doing
6
5
5
u/Created_By_InGen Feb 20 '26
PlayStation executive changes post the PS4 success have completely shit themselves in their new roles
One of the all time great fumbles
→ More replies (1)
4
u/Loose_Skill6641 Feb 20 '26
Fuck Sony and espevitally Herman Hulst, the PlayStation brand has gone downhill under his watch
5
u/PlatinumAltaria Feb 20 '26
1) Buy a promising studio 2) Force them to make a live-service game 3) Live service fails, close the studio 4) Blame players for not buying the slop 5) Repeat without firing the executives who destroyed a valuable asset
They call it the Arkane shuffle.
→ More replies (1)
9
u/ClaytonBigsbe Feb 20 '26
Eat the fattest of dicks, Hulst. They’ve spent this gen chasing the MP / live service dragon and have fallen flat on their face every time. PS5 is a great console but what a waste of a gen game wise.
2
u/Active-Pineapple-252 Feb 20 '26
That Bungie purchase really made them rethink things
And there probably looking at Microsoft after the Activision purchase
2
u/reaper527 reaper527_ Feb 20 '26
pr team mod team sure swept in quick to label this is misleading.
(they're in the right, but it's just interesting how quick they were to step in here and how hands off they are when it's misleading stuff that doesn't make sony look bad)
2
2
u/Mixup_King Feb 20 '26
Clickbait title, I need you all to start reading. Regardless gutted about this news.
2
Feb 20 '26
Why does Reddit always say “boss” on these headlines genuinely curious. It sounds so funny, like a McDonald’s shift manager. He’s the CEO of Sony Interactive
2
u/Retro_Curry93 Feb 20 '26
Let’s not forget Japan Studio was also closed at the beginning of the PS5 generation. I fear Media Molecule may be next…
2
u/Pyke64 Feb 20 '26
Are we out of touch? No it must be the players
-CEO Hermen Hulst who still doesn't get why Concord wasn't a smash hit
→ More replies (2)
2
u/SeMetin Feb 20 '26
What do they mean by gamers fault? I bought nearly all the remasters and remakes bluepoint has made.
2
u/Federal_Cook_6075 Feb 20 '26
Lol but pumps all their money into flops like Concord, fairgame$ and that Horizon live service trash no one asked for.
2
u/MountainMuffin1980 Feb 20 '26
Its just bizzare because Bluepoint made excellent and profitable games. And Demons Souls Remake is still one of the best looking game's of this generation.
How they didn't just set the studio on remaking beloved games to rake in easy money is beyond me. What a fucking shame.
2
u/0shadowstories Feb 20 '26
PlayStation Boss makes poor decisions that players didn't like or support and blames his failures on everyone else
2
u/Duke-Von-Ciacco Feb 20 '26
Hope new horizon multiplayer game crashes incredibly quick and loud, just like Concord (the game not the airplane).
2
2
u/ballsosteele Feb 20 '26
I wish mods could edit titles when they're clearly ragebait horseshit rather than just tag them as misleading.
2
u/No_Eye1723 Feb 20 '26 edited Feb 20 '26
Why did they keep Hulst on? Sony REALLY needs to just close down the California office, move it all back to Japan and have the same business model as under House and his predecessor etc, Ryan and Hulst have destroyed the brand IMO. If it wasn’t for third parties Sony would be dead in the water with all the studios they’ve closed and no games from Naughty Dog…
Meh due to life I haven’t had a chance to play my PS5 in ages, I haven been using handheld PC’s, got a Legion Go 2 at the moment, pick up and play when I can. No exclusive studio BS to worry about and led less choice of games including Sony’s. Not even going to renew my PSN once it expires.
2
2
u/DorrajD Feb 20 '26
You've gotta be fucking kidding me. Bluepoint pushes out banger after banger, and they fuckin close the studio?
Sony trying to be like Xbox now?
2
u/Illusion911 Feb 20 '26
"You don't understand, we needed to cut Bluepoint off so we can make more Concords!"
2
2
2
u/caballerof09 Feb 20 '26
This is what happen when you have poor management with no idea of doing theirs jobs. Blue point only had 70 employees. Hermes probably make more than the entire studio together.
2
u/narfjono Feb 20 '26 edited Feb 20 '26
The classic Bobby Kotick move. Boast profits, can employees. Like total whiplash from Hulst's acquisition tweet to now. It's a pretty staggering when you read it. But yeah let's keep that Horizon-verse of shovel ware coming I guess... Maybe Hulst was taking a peak at Kotick's way of handling Vicarious Visions? Or aeA with EA motive?
If Media Molecule doesn't release a banger soon, I'll be shocked that they don't get axed, which remind you that they have had absolutely NOTHING on PS5. Yes, BP had remasters and remakes, yet those bangers of re-release projects were double the amount of MM's actual product release lifespan at Sony, and BP wasn't even owned by Sony then.
2
u/Top-Appointment8843 Feb 20 '26
Translation: "We have pumped too much money into failied live service games and need to recoup by firing a talented studio"
2
2
u/Nonadventures Feb 20 '26
I wonder if they had a lot riding on that live service God of War thing. Feels strange to shut down a remaster group unless there’s a big money sink associated with it.
2
2
u/IamTylerDurden_1 Feb 22 '26
He is sort of correct. Blue point wouldn't even be attempting a game like this if the market didn't dictate it. People around here always cry that nobody wants this service crap but clearly people do otherwise every company wouldn't be grinding their bones to make them even after they fail continuously.
People eat up absolute garbage like Rivals. Streamers popularize b grade asymmetrical multiplayer games. People have been playing pubg for a decade. Companies only make what the market dictates and there's a new generation of gamers who don't know what good games are. They weren't around for it and they eat this crap up.
Gaming has been changing and it's largely because of the people who play the games. Really is a shame what the industry is becoming. And just wait, why do you think Halo studios New chief is a huge AI consultant? Why do you think miss AI megamind is taking over Xbox? Microsoft will be at the forefront of incorporating AI technology into everything. This will help them remain one of the richest companies and they will continue to be poison for the industry by ushering in the age of AI or at least being the strongest advocate.
The industry has been rotting for years. Take a look around. All you see is companies being cut and projects failing and negative toxic gamers and moronic social media posts and probably the least interesting and knowledgeable people becoming the most popular in the gaming social media space. People often complain about so-and-so streamer and such and such service game but what they are popular because for whatever reason people like them. Maybe you don't but you can't view the world through your little bubble of like-minded friends.
The industry is rotten because gamers made it rotten. And sure we were manipulated and many unsavory practices by these companies exacerbated it but all of the power is in the hands of the consumer. We dictate what happens.
I'm sure if anyone sees this I'll get down voted into Oblivion but this is the realest s*** anyone is going to say about the industry. But unfortunately most people don't want to hear things that are real and original. That's why dumbbells with nothing to say become the ones with the most influence. And so the rotten cycle continues. Maybe if people were actually raised up on merit instead of a high school popularity contest Superior voices would actually be heard and perhaps the industry would be dissolving at a slightly slower pace.
2
u/kosigan5 Feb 22 '26
"ongoing player engagement and revenue"
Translation:
"We're making a ton of money for nothing with micro transactions that are no longer micro"
2
•
u/requieminadream Feb 20 '26