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.
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....
