Relying on blockbusters is "a death sentence".
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Former PlayStation exec Shawn Layden has discussed the state of the games industry, stating there’s a “collapse of creativity” and that relying on blockbusters is “a death sentence”.
Layden took to the stage at Gamescom Asia alongside Raw Fury co-founder and chief publishing officer Gordon Van Dyke (thanks GI.Biz), where the pair discussed the disappearance of AA studios.
In the past, said Layden, studios focused simply on whether a game was fun rather than monetisation schemes, though admitted “risk tolerance was fairly high”.
“Today, the entry costs for making a AAA game is in triple digit millions now,” he continued. “I think naturally, risk tolerance drops. And you’re [looking] at sequels, you’re looking at copycats, because the finance guys who draw the line say, ‘Well, if Fortnite made this much money in this amount of time, my Fortnite knockoff can make this in that amount of time.’ We’re seeing a collapse of creativity in games today [with] studio consolidation and the high cost of production.”
Further, Layden stated “AA is gone”, which he described as “a threat to the ecosystem”.
Noting the general standard of games, including indie titles, is much higher thanks to advancements in tools, he continued: “Now if we can just get a bit more interest and excitement and exposure for these lower budget, but super creative and super unusual [type] of games… I’d like to see more of that. Because if we’re just going to rely on the blockbusters to get us through, I think that’s a death sentence.”
AA games can bring “the new thing” and can be developed far quicker than AAA games, said Layden. Most importantly, though, they must seek unique ideas not monetisation.
“If you’re going to pitch me your AA game, and in the first two pages of your deck is your monetisation and revenue, subscription scheme, I’m out. Your first page has to be ‘This game needs to be made and here’s why’,” he said.
“I want to see that fire, I don’t want to see ‘here’s the chief accountant on the team that’s going to explain to you the [game’s monetisation]’.”
Layden also commented on current trends around AI in game development, stating it’s “not a saviour”.
“Artificial intelligence has been in gaming since almost the first or second games ever made,” he said. “So all this excitement about gen AI, I find kind of humorous. I do see its applications in certain places for certain things. But it’s just a tool, it’s not a saviour. It’s a tool in the way that Excel is a tool. It just helps speed you along your tasks.”
Layden began working for Sony in 1987, eventually serving as chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios from 2014 – 2019. He’s worked as a strategic advisor at Tencent since September 2022.
His comments are perhaps best reflected in games like Hi-Fi Rush, a unique and creative concept that was certainly a risk for Tango Gameworks.
That studio was closed by Microsoft, but subsequently acquired by Krafton. And Krafton boss Changhan ‘CH’ Kim has made comments that parallel those of Layden – specifically the studio acquisition was motivated by the desire to maintain its legacy rather than make money.
“We wanted to maintain their legacy,” said Kim. “Although they did not have a big success in their games, we saw many creatives worth pursuing. That’s why we wanted to work with that organisation.”
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