Sony is asking fans of PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita games to speak out and let the company know which games they want to see on the platforms, regardless if they are first-party titles from Sony or third-party games from outside publishers.
In a message from fans on the PlayStation Blog, Gio Corsi, Sony's Director of Third Party Production, revealed a new group called the Third Party Relations Team, which is in charge of helping outside studios usher games to all the PlayStation consoles:
"The Third Party Relations team at PlayStation is well known for developing solid relationships across this industry, and this new group will work closely with our publishing partners to bring their beloved IPs to some new places. This means you'll see even more great games on PlayStation platforms, including new IP's, ports, and localized products. In addition, our partners who are currently in production will have us as a resource to strengthen their development process, ensuring quality and consistency on all Third Party projects."
This group already has helped bring a game to a new platform; Borderlands 2 will be coming to the PlayStation Vita with the help of the new group. The game will be ported with the help of outside studio Iron Galaxy, with Sony helping to publish the game for Gearbox Studios. Without the help of Sony and Iron Galaxy, Borderlands 2 would most likely not be coming to the handheld console, and Gio Corsi is hoping that other big games can benefit from the Third Party Relations teams.
Corsi also stated that the team is also looking for fans to let them know what games should receive similar treatment to Borderlands 2:
"I will share more with you as our adventures continue and new games are made available. In the meantime, let me know in the comments what you want to see on PlayStation [PS3, PS4, PS Vita]. Or contact me on Twitter through the ingenious and mesmerizing handle of @giocorsi - original I know, but man is it solid."
It will be interesting to see what games and studios benefit from this new initiative as Sony prepares to transition from the PlayStation 3 to the next-gen PlayStation 4. Perhaps Sony will use the service to bring PlayStation 3 classics to the PlayStation 4 and Vita during this time, so that users can play the last-gen hits with their new hardware, which will not be backwards compatible.