Ex-PlayStation boss says platform holders must do more to restore the ‘double-A’ games category
Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden has said that platform holders must do more to “reconstitute a double-A category of gaming”, as the cost of creating blockbuster games continues to increase.
Layden, who during a 30-year career at Sony served as CEO of SIE America and chairman of Worldwide Studios, told VGC at Gamescom Asia that platform holders such as Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo must do more to foster games “between the Grand Theft Auto layer and Among Us layer.”
The former executive, who currently advises companies such as Tencent, believes that by encouraging the creation of smaller-scale games, platform holders can help alleviate the budget and team size issues currently facing the triple-A games industry.
“Game budgets are not going to remain in the triple-digit millions,” Layden said. “Let’s say $20 million dollars. With the current level of gaming development skill… it’s gotten higher than it was 10 years ago. We have a talent pool that we can reach into with the right budget and lean into it for the variety.
“Don’t make a bunch of double-A first-person shooters set in World War 2, that’s not going to move the needle, but give us more interesting opportunities. Give me more things like Firewatch, those kinds of games.”
Layden’s time at PlayStation saw the rise of the platform holder’s largest franchises like The Last of Us and Horizon, but it also saw Sony focus on, and provide development support for, many independent titles.
Layden believes that more variety is needed to tempt future players away from the established live service giants. According to a report this year, 60 percent of all playtime in 2023 was spent in games that are six years old or older.
“We’re trying to get more people into playing games, clearly people are not playing games, and they’re not playing games because they’re not interested in what we’re giving them, what we’re giving them is sequels to the things they weren’t interested in. I don’t think that’s going to get them through
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