Sony and NCSOFT’s Horizon MMO Ambitions Hit a Snag

Horizon MMO cancellation

Sony’s ambitious partnership with NCSOFT to create a multiformat MMO based on the highly popular Horizon franchise has come to an unexpected halt. The project, which had been internally codenamed ‘Project H’ and ‘Project Skyline’, was initially aimed at broadening PlayStation’s reach by targeting the PlayStation 5, PC, and mobile platforms. However, recent financial difficulties faced by NCSOFT have led to the game’s cancellation.

The decision to shelve the project emerged after a thorough feasibility review conducted by NCSOFT. With financial pressures mounting, the company’s co-CEOs have emphasized the crucial need for a turnaround by 2025 to ensure the company’s stability and future growth. As a result, resources and affected staff from the scrapped project will be redirected to other ongoing projects.

Interestingly, the cancellation of Project H does not affect a different online multiplayer Horizon version, which remains in development by Guerrilla Games. This project underlines PlayStation’s dedication to expanding the Horizon franchise, albeit through other avenues.

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The news comes against a backdrop of broader challenges that Sony’s PlayStation division has been facing. Just earlier, Sony cancelled a live service God of War project by Bluepoint Games, along with another anticipated title by Bend Studio. These decisions reflect growing difficulties in PlayStation’s strategic quest to explore new territories such as mobile gaming.

Despite the vast potential, PlayStation has found it tough to gain traction in the mobile market. Last year, it shuttered its smartphone gaming studio, Neon Koi, signaling how challenging the mobile landscape can be for console-centric companies. Rising costs in game development and a plateauing console market have pushed Sony to explore various growth avenues. Yet, with limited success stories, notably apart from Helldivers 2, these ventures have proven to be a mixed bag.

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One could say that PlayStation’s ventures into the ever-evolving gaming landscape seem to be a tightrope walk between tried-and-true console development and the need to innovate in burgeoning spaces like mobile and live service games. Given the high stakes, the decision-making process at Sony must be as strategic as playing a high-stakes game of Pokémon—only with a lot more at stake.

This story opens the floor for discussions about the viability of cross-platform MMOs and the financial tug-of-war of staying ahead in a competitive gaming market. Are the decisions being made by giants like Sony cautious and necessary, or do they suggest a hesitancy to fully commit to new growth areas? Either way, the narrative continues to create a buzz, and it’s far from game over for PlayStation’s quest to diversify its offerings.

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