Sony’s A$5.1 billion purchase of Bungie, the video game studio behind the wildly popular Destiny franchise, was seen by many as a reactionary play after Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
But Sony’s plans run deeper than merely tit for tat acquisitions. The company is in the process of launching a subscription service to rival Xbox Game Pass, which boasts over 25 million subscribers.
In December, Bloomberg revealed Project Spartacus, writing:
“When it launches, expected in the spring, the service will merge Sony’s two existing subscription plans, PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. Currently, PlayStation Plus is required for most online multiplayer games and offers free monthly titles, while PlayStation Now allows users to stream or download older games.”
One point of difference between Sony’s planned offering and Xbox Game Pass, as Bloomberg points out, is that Sony won’t offer all its games to subscribers off the bat, as selling its titles outright is too lucrative to undercut.
But a game designed like Destiny 2, where it is free to play, but charges for expansion packs, season passes, and other experiences, is perfect for Spartacus.
With the entire Bungie team working for Sony now, it is expected that this model will be developed further.
