- WB Discovery CEO and Streaming and Games President J.B. Perrette wants to double down on live-service games.
- He believes that big-budget AAA game launches can be volatile.
- Multiple plans for games in Harry Potter, DC, Game of Thrones, and Mortal Kombat are being developed for mobiles and free-to-play spaces.
In a statement that has surprised some and angered many, it seems WB Games will start doubling down on live service games. This revelation comes after their recently published live service game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (Review) failed to meet sales expectations. And while one might think this will make the publisher re-evaluate their strategy, it has done the opposite. They are more interested than ever to pivot towards live service games.
In a recent Morgan Stanley event, the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and President of Streaming and Games, J.B. Perrette, discussed company strategy. He says they want to focus on creating more multiplatform free-to-play and mobile experiences. While he does acknowledge that last year’s Hogwarts Legacy was a successful project, he also says that releasing AAA releases can be “volatile.”
That’s a great business when you have a hit. It makes the year look amazing. Unfortunately, we also have disappointments. We released Suicide Squad this quarter, which was not as strong. It just makes it very volatile. – J.B Perrette
Per Perrette, the publisher wants to focus on four of their biggest franchises, i.e., Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and DC. The company wants to focus on expanding in the mobile and free-to-play market with these IPs and expects to see results from 2025 to 2027.
Furthermore, this change in strategy will help Warner Bros shape up its live-service offering. At least, that is what Perrette believes. He is interested in creating a live-service game in the Harry Potter universe.
Rather than just launching a one-and-done console game, how do we develop a game around, for example, Hogwarts Legacy or Harry Potter, that is a live service where people can live and work and build and play in that world on an ongoing basis? – J.B Perrette
So, that is the current state of affairs in WB Games and its live service plans. Only time will tell whether that will help the company in the long run. Monolith is now busy creating a single-player Wonder Woman game for the studio set in a separate universe.
We have to wait and watch how these plans will affect development for that game. So, what are your thoughts about this? Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below.
