PlayStation Store is approaching its 20th anniversary. Sony’s digital distribution service launched on PlayStation 3 on November 11, 2006, and has since been available across all of the company’s consoles.
To mark the occasion, Sony asked a selection of developers to name the games they did not expect to enjoy as much as they did. The question was not necessarily about their favorite titles, but about the releases that proved particularly surprising. Participants included figures from PlayStation Studios and external development teams.
Naoki Hamaguchi, director of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake series, selected Balatro. Jonathan Burke, senior technology director at Santa Monica Studio, chose Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, while Ramone Russell, San Diego Studio’s director of product development and brand communications strategy, highlighted 2018’s God of War.
Other selections included Inscryption, chosen by Naughty Dog’s culture and communications lead Arne Meyer; Inside, selected by Insomniac Games creative director Marcus Smith; and Sayonara Wild Hearts, named by Santa Monica Studio game director Bruno Velázquez.
Team Asobi studio director Nicolas Doucet picked Shadow of the Colossus, a game originally released in 2005. Gregory Louden, creative director at Housemarque, selected Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
PlayStation Store is also currently running promotions with hundreds of discounts. The titles mentioned in the available offers include Resident Evil Requiem, Pragmata, Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Monster Hunter Wilds and Little Nightmares 3.
The digital storefront is expected to play a larger role in the future following Sony’s decision to remove the physical format from its consoles in January 2027, a decision that has reportedly remained unchanged despite pressure from players.
Sources: Vandal.