PlayStation is keen to explore the mobile market with some of its first-party franchises, according to company boss Jim Ryan.
Sharing his thoughts during a corporate strategy meeting, Ryan said the company has experienced some initial success with its early mobile game experiments, but is keen to explore even further in a bid to reach “millions of gamers beyond our platforms.”
It seems those future exploits will consist of bringing some notable PlayStation properties over to mobile, with Ryan suggesting the console maker’s range of diverse first-party franchises would be an ideal fit for the platform.
“PlayStation has a huge catalog of diverse first-party IP that can transition to smartphone gaming and complement our AAA games or live service games,” he commented. “We are exploring the mobile market with some wonderful PlayStation franchises so please stay tuned.”
Sony opened a mobile division called ForwardWorks back in March 2016 to create what it described as “full-fledged game titles,” initially for the Asian market. The company’s first release was a free-to-play spin on Everybody’s Golf for iOS and Android devices, which was followed up for titles like No Heroes Allowed! Dash! and Wild Arms: Million Memories.
Ryan’s remarks come a few weeks after Microsoft announced a ‘strategic partnership’ with Tencent-owned mobile developer Timi Studios to create “excellent game content.” Meanwhile, Nintendo has also been expanding its mobile roster in recent years with the launch of smartphone titles like Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Super Mario Run, Mario Kart Tour, and Fire Emblem Heroes.