Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Sony’s latest partnership is a big move for PlayStation’s mobile future

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) revealed its next big gaming partnership, and it’s with a somewhat unexpected company. The game developer and publisher in question is NCSoft, a Korean company best known for its work on MMO series, namely Guild Wars and Lineage.

According to a press release, the two companies have entered into a partnership that enables them to “collaborate in various global business fields, including mobile.” We asked Sony if the phrasing of “various global business fields” also applied to console games, but a representative for the company said it doesn’t have anything else to share on that front currently.

Recommended Videos

For Sony, this is the latest in a string of gaming partnerships, including acquiring iSize. Although this isn’t an acquisition, from Sony’s perspective, it seems that NCSoft’s mobile experience is appealing. It’s a market Sony clearly wants to establish a firmer hold in now that Microsoft owns Candy Crush developer King. Jim Ryan, Son Interactive Entertainment’s outgoing president and CEO, says this partnership aims to “expand beyond console and broaden PlayStation’s reach to a wider audience.”

Representing NCSoft, President and CEO Taekjin Kim had the following to say: “This partnership with SIE is the beginning of our efforts to build various synergies together, utilizing both companies’ core competencies, technological capabilities, and expertise. We will deliver a new and enjoyable experience to our audience across and beyond genres and regions.”

As this partnership has just begun, we don’t have any specifics on PlayStation mobile titles that are currently in the works. However, expect NCSoft to have a notable role in their development and release of these mobile games whenever they finally arrive.

Editors' Recommendations

Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
PlayStation State of Play, January 2024: How to watch and what to expect

Sony announced its first State of Play of 2024 today. This digital showcase, which will take place on January 31, will set expectations for PlayStation's 2024, much like Xbox's Developer_Direct did for Sony a couple of weeks back. It's shaping up to be a lengthier show full of intriguing exclusives, so it's something that PlayStation fans will definitely want to tune into.

For those wondering when and where they should be tuning into the first State of Play of 2024, as well as what they should be expecting from it, we've rounded up all that useful information for you.
When is January 2024's State of Play?
The first State of Play of 2024 will begin at 2 p.m. PT on January 31. When it comes to length, Sony says that it will be "over 40 minutes long."
How to watch January 2024's State of Play
State of Play | January 31, 2024

Read more
2023 gaming report card: how did PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo score?

It's been a long year filled with massive games, but we've finally reached the end of 2023. There's no question that this year will be remembered as one of the all-time best for new releases -- and one of the worst for game creators -- but it's been a whirlwind 12 months for the "big three" console makers. PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo all had pivotal years, though in entirely different ways. While the Nintendo Switch took a victory lap, the PS5 entered an experimental era. The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, finally delivered the suite of exclusives fans had been waiting for ... with mixed results.

To reflect on such an eventful year, we've decided to take on the role of teacher and hand each company a final grade for 2023. We took several factors into account here. Exclusive games are a major component of the final grade, naturally, but we also looked at how well each system maintained its wider ecosystem. That includes supporting services like PS Plus and Game Pass and evaluating how new hardware changed how we play.

Read more
Our favorite PlayStation games of 2023: Spider-Man, Final Fantasy, and more

With the video game industry as busy as it is these days, there's rarely ever a "bad" year for any console. Even in a less busy year, platforms like Xbox still tend to have highlights in exciting indie games. That was true for PlayStation this year, which continued its strong momentum this generation despite only having a handful of big-ticket games.

While not every big PS5 exclusive thrilled this year, there were a lot of strong experiences to dive into. Developers got more mileage than ever out of the system's beefy tech specs, while PlayStation VR2 gave the platform some creative, immersive experiences. That's not to mention a handful of indies and third-party releases that Sony locked down as console exclusives for a time. That list of heavy hitters even included Baldur's Gate 3 for a few short months. In reflecting on another great year for PS5, we've highlighted seven games that stuck with us this year. Some were certainly divisive, but all of them helped give Sony's powerhouse system some extra depth in a crowded year.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Read more