Note to readers: You can help save dark fantasy by backing my epic adventure novel Lord of Fate, now funding on Kickstarter.
Sony has long been a titan in the video game industry, riding high on the success of the PlayStation brand since its inception in the mid-90s.
But recently, Sony took a PR rollercoaster ride of public humiliation, astonishing redemption, and unforced self-immolation. 
It’s rather an understatement to say that Sony has had its ups and downs lately. First, they had to cancel Concord after pretty much everyone hated it. Aside from the 2016-era vritue signaling, the game committed the one unforgivable sin of being boring. Honestly, pulling the plug showed rare humility and prudence on Sony’s part.
Author David V. Stewart has the full autopsy on Concord if you’re interested. You can watch it here:
But just when Sony seemed to be on the defensive, it turned the tables by releasing an exclusive new platformer that immediately delighted players. The game, titled Astro Bot, showcased the kind of creativity that hearkened back to Sony’s Crash Bandicoot salad days. Players and critics alike praised the game’s design, with Game of the Year predictions flying fast and thick.
This resurgence in goodwill managed the daunting feat of diverting attention from the Concord debacle. But then Sony snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
The announcement of the PS5 Pro, a more powerful version of the PlayStation 5, was met with initial excitement. But the fanfare faded as more details emerged.
Sony was offering a digital-only console.
For $700.
The announcement gave Millennial and older gamers flashbacks to 2006.
The immediate and overwhelming backlash made Sony look terminally out of touch.
Sure, digital has its adopters. But escalating censorship and privacy violation hijinks have created a growing number of gamers who don’t trust digital media. Much less are they willing to pay more for the extra risk.
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Sony’s whipsawing between bigs losses and big wins will make it interesting to see how they handle the PS5 Pro mess. To be frank, the company never cared that much about gaming. When Ken Kutaragi approached corporate with the idea for the PS1, they banished him to the music division to cobble together a game console from synth and Discman parts.
And as my patrons pointed out, much of Sony Computer Entertainment’s success over the past 30 years has been due to luck. Sega’s botched Saturn launch and Nintendo’s miscalculation with the N64 left the field to the PS1. The PS2 got a head start from its predecessor’s momentum, bolstered by one of the most cost-effective DVD players then on the market. The PS3 was their last legitimately good console, but the PS4 got a reprieve thanks to Microsoft repeating Sega’s (and Sony’s mistakes).
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Now Sony finds itself at a crossroads. Keep pushing expensive digital-only consoles and risk alienating half their player base? Or backtrack and show they’re willing to listen? Sony had better figure it out, and fast. Otherwise, upstarts like Valve and the invincible Big N might send them down the way of Sega.
For a fantasy adventure with the brutality of Berserk and the subtle Christian foundation of Lord of the Rings, get into my captivating Arkwright Cycle. Book II: Lord of Fate, is funding right now on Kickstarter.
Get the new book early, and help us meet exciting stretch goals like brand new interior map art and the first-ever audio adaptation of my work: The Burned Book audiobook!
Join the dark fantasy reconquista. Back Lord of Fate now!