With the ever-growing mobile market, it’s unsurprising that companies like Sony are trying to find ways to stay ahead. The release of the PlayStation 4 will see the start of “companion apps.” These apps will relate to titles available on the PlayStation 4.
Knack, a PlayStation 4 exclusive, will have a free-to-play iOS companion. We should also expect to see these apps popping up for other titles.
In an interview with Game Industry, Shuhei Yoshida (President of Sony Worldwide Studios) had this to say:
“In some cases, we’re creating small games that go with PS4 titles. We’re releasing a puzzle game themed around Knack that you can play for free. It’s fun, and by playing the game you earn some items that you can use on PS4. People might be motivated, because they’ve already unlocked some items, to take a look at what this Knack game on the PS4 is all about.”
The success of this idea will depend greatly on the quality of these apps. Sony is hoping that the fact they are free will draw more attention to the games on which they are based. As more and more people are playing games on their smartphones and tablets, this could turn out to be an incredibly lucrativemarketing technique. Only time will tell.
Official PlayStation apps will be released by Sony for both the iOS and Android markets at the time of the PS4 release.
