Sony is "Disappointed" with Destiny 2's Performance
In its latest earnings report, Sony revealed that it was not satisfied with the performance of Destiny 2, the popular online multiplayer game that was acquired by the company as part of a $3.6 billion deal in 2022.
According to the CEO of Sony's finance department, Tao Lin, the level of sales and user engagement for Destiny 2 did not meet the expectations that Sony had when it made the acquisition of Bungie, Inc., the game's developer. This has led to an impairment of around $204 million on the intangible assets related to Destiny 2, which represents a loss in value.
The impairment is not a direct result of money lost by Sony but rather reflects the fact that Destiny 2 did not meet the sales and engagement models that Sony had anticipated when it made the acquisition. This includes the value of the game's intellectual property, customer relationships, and existing assets.
When Sony acquired Bungie, it expected to leverage its expertise in running online games to expand PlayStation's live service offerings. While this strategy has led to successes such as Helldivers 2, a popular multiplayer game on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, it has also resulted in catastrophic failures like Concord, which was pulled from digital stores just two weeks after its launch.
Sony's announcement suggests that the company does not believe it made a mistake by acquiring Bungie but is now putting pressure on the developer to perform better. The upcoming Star Wars-themed expansion, Renegades, could potentially bring back some of the mass appeal that Destiny 2 once enjoyed, but this will depend on how well Bungie addresses its recent setbacks.
One such setback is the delay in releasing an extraction shooter called Marathon, after it was revealed that a significant portion of the game used stolen assets. The developer has not announced a new release date for the game since then.
In summary, Sony's disappointment with Destiny 2's performance serves as a wake-up call for Bungie to step up its game and deliver more successful titles. With Renegades and Marathon both under development, it will be crucial to see how these games perform in the coming months.
In its latest earnings report, Sony revealed that it was not satisfied with the performance of Destiny 2, the popular online multiplayer game that was acquired by the company as part of a $3.6 billion deal in 2022.
According to the CEO of Sony's finance department, Tao Lin, the level of sales and user engagement for Destiny 2 did not meet the expectations that Sony had when it made the acquisition of Bungie, Inc., the game's developer. This has led to an impairment of around $204 million on the intangible assets related to Destiny 2, which represents a loss in value.
The impairment is not a direct result of money lost by Sony but rather reflects the fact that Destiny 2 did not meet the sales and engagement models that Sony had anticipated when it made the acquisition. This includes the value of the game's intellectual property, customer relationships, and existing assets.
When Sony acquired Bungie, it expected to leverage its expertise in running online games to expand PlayStation's live service offerings. While this strategy has led to successes such as Helldivers 2, a popular multiplayer game on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, it has also resulted in catastrophic failures like Concord, which was pulled from digital stores just two weeks after its launch.
Sony's announcement suggests that the company does not believe it made a mistake by acquiring Bungie but is now putting pressure on the developer to perform better. The upcoming Star Wars-themed expansion, Renegades, could potentially bring back some of the mass appeal that Destiny 2 once enjoyed, but this will depend on how well Bungie addresses its recent setbacks.
One such setback is the delay in releasing an extraction shooter called Marathon, after it was revealed that a significant portion of the game used stolen assets. The developer has not announced a new release date for the game since then.
In summary, Sony's disappointment with Destiny 2's performance serves as a wake-up call for Bungie to step up its game and deliver more successful titles. With Renegades and Marathon both under development, it will be crucial to see how these games perform in the coming months.