Sony has sold over 7 million PS4s so far. That's impressive. But it's shortsighted to pin all those sales on Sony fanboys who have stuck with the brand since the original Playstation. In truth--according to Sony Entertainment CEO Andrew House, at least--almost half of those 7 million PS4 owners never owned a PS3. So what could this mean for the PS4 and its library? My guess: Don't be surprised when a landslide of HD remasters of Sony's Greatest Hits comes to store shelves. The Last of Us on PS4 is just the tip of the iceberg.
Just look at the number of Sony blockbusters that got their start with the previous generation, with Resistance, Uncharted, and Infamous being the most notable examples. Of those, Sony has already said it likes the idea of Uncharted being remastered for PS4. Sony is no stranger to this practice: PS2 series like God of War, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, and Team Ico releases were remastered into collections for PS3. But, as House says, millions of gamers missed out on the PS3. Since many of those same gamers now have a shiny PS4 sitting at home, Sony knows that this is an untapped market. It stands to gain plenty of profit from repackaging games all those people weren't able to play.
This is just one route Sony can--and I believe, will--take, the other being heavy promotion of Playstation Now. This service (currently in beta) will provide streaming access to games from all of Sony's console cycles, so you can relive your PS1 glory days, too. PS Now could even work alongside HD collections--if you only want to play one part of a trilogy, then you only need to rent that individual game. Andrew House sees the value here too: "We're only just getting into our stride with people who now have been playing for 10, 20 years, who have a nostalgia factor."
Compare this idea with how Disney reintroduces its classics to each new generation. When a new title is freed from the "Disney Vault," it's an opportunity for the original audience to share it with others, often their children. There's a whole new market out there for Sony, and it's prepared to tap into the homes of newcomers and nostalgics alike. You can bet that an Uncharted collection--and many others--will soon be a reality.
