Game Scoop! Game Scoop! 851: Sony's Surprising Slump
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Apr 3, 2026 The crew digs into Metacritic publisher rankings and why some big names slipped this year. They debate Sony's pricing moves and what that means for the PS5. Conversation jumps to standout small publishers, surprising revivals, and who topped the list. There's also a love-hate take on Crimson Desert, movie chatter about Mario, and a playful round of Video Game 20 Questions.
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How Metacritic Calculates Publisher Rankings
- Metacritic ranks publishers using average scores plus bonuses/penalties for good, bad, and great releases rather than a straight average.
- Damon explains the four-factor system and why it produces surprising rankings like Sony near the bottom for 2025.
Why Sony Slid In 2025 Publisher Rankings
- Sony ranked surprisingly low (21/28) because few high-score new releases and several low-scoring published titles dragged them down.
- Their best 2025 entry was The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC (90), but Destiny 2 expansions and odd published titles hurt them.
Microsoft's Breadth Gave It An Edge
- Microsoft topped charts by aggregating Bethesda/Activision/Blizzard releases and scoring well across many platforms.
- Damon notes Microsoft's two highest-scoring 2025 games were actually PlayStation versions of Forza Horizon 5 and Indiana Jones.