Former Sony executive Shawn Layden has recently criticized the video game industry’s focus on live service titles. It’s no secret that most AAA companies see live service games, such as Fortnite, as incredible money-making opportunities, but Layden’s experience while working for Sony led him to believe that chasing down these highly successful hits can be a sort of “mirage.”
Shawn Layden worked as the chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios between 2014 and 2019. During this time, Layden oversaw the development of incredibly popular first-party PlayStation single-player titles, like God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Ghost of Tsushima.
Former Sony Executive Compares Live Service Games to a ‘Mirage’
In an interview with The Ringer, Layden used his prior experience to criticize companies for chasing after the success of live service games. Layden compared the pivot to live service games to a “siren’s call,” saying that it’s like seeing a “mirage on top of a sand dune. You pursue it. You can’t quite get there.” According to the executive, Fortnite was a classic example of “catching lightning in a jar,” and it’s impossible to plan for such a unique occasion, as it does not depend solely on the developers having a strong vision for the project. He also was not interested in the idea of making a live service game at all, calling the genre “not really a game” but a “repetitive action engagement device.”
Layden’s opinions are understandable when considering Sony’s highs and lows in recent years. Some single-player games like The Last of Us 2 and God of War: Ragnarok have been incredibly big hits. On the other hand, Concord was a huge failure, with the live service shooter shutting down in only two weeks.
In light of Concord’s failure, Sony seems to be taking its strategy further away from live service games recently. Back in January, Sony canceled two live service games. One of them was reportedly a third-person open-world military shooter being developed by Bluepoint Games, while the other was a God of War multiplayer game by Bend Studios. Bungie’s upcoming Marathon was delayed to receive more polish.
That’s not to say that all new live service games are failures. Helldivers 2 sold over 19 million copies, for example, and it remains a very popular live service action game. However, Helldivers 2 was developed by Arrowhead Game Studios, which already has plenty of experience making these kinds of games. It remains to be seen whether Sony and other major AAA companies will continue to pursue success with fresh live service games, or if they will follow Layden’s advice and focus on single-player experiences instead.
- Date Founded
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May 7, 1946
- Headquarters
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Minato City, Tokyo, Japan
