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Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden recently shared his thoughts on the current state of the gaming industry, highlighting a “collapse of creativity” and cautioning against an overreliance on blockbuster titles, which he considers a “death sentence.” Layden spoke at Gamescom Asia alongside Gordon Van Dyke, co-founder and chief publishing officer of Raw Fury, where they addressed the decline of AA studios.
Layden noted that in the past, game developers prioritized the fun factor over monetization strategies, though he acknowledged that “risk tolerance was fairly high” back then. “Now, the cost of developing a AAA game often exceeds hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said. “Naturally, this lowers the risk tolerance, leading to a focus on sequels and imitation. The finance teams tend to favor games that mirror the financial success of titles like Fortnite, which has contributed to a decline in innovation in the gaming sector due to studio consolidations and high production costs.”
He expressed concern that the absence of AA games poses a significant threat to the industry ecosystem. While he praised the overall quality of games—including indie titles—thanks to improved development tools, he emphasized the need for more support and visibility for lower-budget games that are both creative and unconventional. “If we rely solely on blockbusters, I believe that’s a death sentence for the industry,” he warned.
According to Layden, AA games can introduce fresh concepts and can be developed much more quickly than AAA titles. He stressed that these projects should prioritize originality over monetization. “If your pitch for an AA game leads with monetization and revenue strategies in the first couple of pages, you’ve lost me,” he stated. “Your opening should focus on why this game is essential and why it should be created.”
He also addressed the growing trend of artificial intelligence in game development, stating it is “not a savior.” Layden remarked, “AI has been a part of gaming since its inception. The current hype around generative AI is somewhat amusing. While it can be useful in specific areas, it remains just a tool, akin to Excel, designed to facilitate tasks.”
Having joined Sony in 1987 and later serving as chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios from 2014 to 2019, Layden has been a strategic advisor at Tencent since September 2022. His insights resonate with the success of games like Hi-Fi Rush, a unique project that represented a risk for Tango Gameworks. Although Tango was closed by Microsoft, it was later acquired by Krafton, whose CEO Changhan ‘CH’ Kim echoed Layden’s sentiments, stating their motivation was to preserve the studio’s legacy rather than prioritize financial gain. “We wanted to maintain their legacy,” Kim explained. “Even though their past games weren’t huge successes, we recognized their creative potential and wanted to support that.”
Source: https://www.eurogamer.net/former-pl...eres-a-collapse-of-creativity-in-the-industry
Layden noted that in the past, game developers prioritized the fun factor over monetization strategies, though he acknowledged that “risk tolerance was fairly high” back then. “Now, the cost of developing a AAA game often exceeds hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said. “Naturally, this lowers the risk tolerance, leading to a focus on sequels and imitation. The finance teams tend to favor games that mirror the financial success of titles like Fortnite, which has contributed to a decline in innovation in the gaming sector due to studio consolidations and high production costs.”
He expressed concern that the absence of AA games poses a significant threat to the industry ecosystem. While he praised the overall quality of games—including indie titles—thanks to improved development tools, he emphasized the need for more support and visibility for lower-budget games that are both creative and unconventional. “If we rely solely on blockbusters, I believe that’s a death sentence for the industry,” he warned.
According to Layden, AA games can introduce fresh concepts and can be developed much more quickly than AAA titles. He stressed that these projects should prioritize originality over monetization. “If your pitch for an AA game leads with monetization and revenue strategies in the first couple of pages, you’ve lost me,” he stated. “Your opening should focus on why this game is essential and why it should be created.”
He also addressed the growing trend of artificial intelligence in game development, stating it is “not a savior.” Layden remarked, “AI has been a part of gaming since its inception. The current hype around generative AI is somewhat amusing. While it can be useful in specific areas, it remains just a tool, akin to Excel, designed to facilitate tasks.”
Having joined Sony in 1987 and later serving as chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios from 2014 to 2019, Layden has been a strategic advisor at Tencent since September 2022. His insights resonate with the success of games like Hi-Fi Rush, a unique project that represented a risk for Tango Gameworks. Although Tango was closed by Microsoft, it was later acquired by Krafton, whose CEO Changhan ‘CH’ Kim echoed Layden’s sentiments, stating their motivation was to preserve the studio’s legacy rather than prioritize financial gain. “We wanted to maintain their legacy,” Kim explained. “Even though their past games weren’t huge successes, we recognized their creative potential and wanted to support that.”
Source: https://www.eurogamer.net/former-pl...eres-a-collapse-of-creativity-in-the-industry