2025 is shaping up to be a banner year for PlayStation, and it’s only going to get more exciting whenDeath Stranding 2: On the BeachandGhost of Yoteiroll around. Indeed, these flagship titles are carryingSony’s exclusive lineup this year, as they are the most visible, providing blockbuster gaming experiences in contrast to slightly more niche console exclusives, likeLost Soul Aside.
WhileGhost of Yoteiis a true first-party game, developed by the Sony-owned Sucker Punch Productions,Death Stranding 2is from the independently-owned Kojima Productions, and could very well come to other platforms in the future.
This emphasis on console exclusives is something that gaming audiences have come to expect from Sony. Hard-hitting first-party IP likeUncharted,The Last of Us,Horizon Zero Dawn, andBloodborneare what helped the company establish market dominance during the eighth console generation, so it simply makes sense that this winning strategy would continue. During the 2010s, Sony leveraged high-quality exclusives to boost console sales, bringing more players than ever into the PlayStation ecosystem, thereby increasing year-over-year profit through digital sales, PS Plus subscriptions, and the like. But the industry has changed quite a bit in recent years, and the benefits associated with blockbuster exclusives likeDeath Stranding 2andGhost of Yoteiare a little different now.
Sony Could Once Again Achieve Strong Representation at The Game Awards in 2025
Ghost of Yotei and Death Stranding 2 Are ‘Game Awards Bait’
“Oscar bait” is a term that’s been around for a while: it’s used to describe films that reflect many of the qualities associated with Best Picture winners at the Oscars. The phrase is often used derisively, but it doesn’t necessarily indicate that a film is particularly good or bad, only that it shares traits with projects that are favored by the Academy, for one reason or another.
Ceremonies like The Game Awards are still in their infancy, but it’s worth consideringwhat exactly ‘Game Awards bait’ looks like. Big-budget, photorealistic projects with open-worlds, mature and dramatic stories, and light RPG elements certainly seem to perform well at The Game Awards, and it just so happens that these are traits shared by many of Sony’s biggest first-party titles, includingGhost of YoteiandDeath Stranding. Considering that both of these games' predecessors were nominated for Game of the Year in the past, history could repeat itself in more ways than one at this year’s Game Awards.
2025 Could See Sony Having Two GOTY Nominees Once Again
APlayStation exclusive has been nominated for Game of the Yearevery year since 2015, and there have been several instances where multiple PlayStation exclusives have been nominated at once:
2018
2020
2022
2024
Stray*
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Games marked with an asterisk were either released or announced for other consoles after their GOTY nomination.
Much like the Oscars, Grammys, and other prestigious cultural ceremonies, many consumers couldn’t care less about The Game Awards, but that doesn’t mean they don’t matter. For better or worse, nabbing prestige on a global stage like TGA’s helps attract positive attention from both audiences and potential investors, as victories and nominations serve as stamps of approval, marks of quality. The games industry is at a point where big publishers are deliberately trying to be associated with “prestige and awards,” as Xbox executive Matt Booty infamously put it, andThe Game Awards plays a big role in this push, for obvious reasons. WithGhost of YoteiandDeath Stranding 2on the way, 2025 could be yet another significant year for the Sony in this respect, though the long-lasting impact of such prestige remains to be seen.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA. Sam—with companions by his side—sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction. Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies, obstacles and a haunting question: should we have connected? Step by step, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima changes the world once again.
