Shawn Layden, the former head of PlayStation, has voiced a provocative opinion: he believes live-service games “aren’t really games.” In a recent interview, Layden characterized these titles more accurately as “repetitive action engagement devices.”
So, what constitutes a “game” in Layden’s view? He explained that a true game requires three essential components: “a story, a character, and a world.” He cited titles like Horizon, God of War, and Uncharted as prime examples that embody these elements. In contrast, for a live-service game, he suggests the core requirement is a simple, repeatable action that players can easily grasp, coupled with the means to interact with others and a strong desire to continue playing repeatedly.
Layden departed Sony in 2019, and while he hasn’t fully disclosed the reasons, he revealed in the interview that the live-service model “was not my skillset.” This departure occurred during a period when Sony was heavily investing in live-service titles, initially planning for a dozen releases by 2026. However, that projection was later halved. While some of Sony’s live-service ventures, such as Concord, have struggled significantly, others like Helldivers 2 have achieved massive success.
Gaming researcher Joost van Dreunen commented that Sony’s occasional missteps in the live-service sector are “painful, but not catastrophic.” He emphasized that the PlayStation 5’s overall business remains robust. For Sony, the genuine concern isn’t a market collapse, but rather the squandering of resources and effort that could otherwise be directed towards the single-player, narrative-driven experiences the company excels at.
Sony’s substantial investment of over $1.45 billion in Epic Games, the developer behind Fortnite, positions the company to profit as the popular battle royale continues its expansion. Despite this, Sony persists in funding its own live-service endeavors, with Bungie’s upcoming Marathon being a key example. However, Marathon’s development has faced hurdles, including an indefinite delay and allegations of art theft.
Layden cautioned against companies viewing live-service as a quick fix for their financial woes. He stated that the “illusion” of perpetual, large sums of money from live-service titles rarely materializes for most developers.
Adding to the industry shifts, Connie Booth, a highly influential figure at PlayStation for over three decades, departed the company in 2023. While Booth herself has not publicly addressed her exit, David Scott Jaffe, known for creating Twisted Metal and co-creating God of War, claimed that she was actually fired.
Jaffe emphatically stated, “She was fired. She was not let go. She didn’t retire. She didn’t quit. She was fired.”
Jaffe further alleged that former PlayStation boss Jim Ryan had directed teams to prioritize games-as-a-service development, a mandate that reportedly caused significant discontent among many PlayStation developers. According to Jaffe, “All of this was somehow blamed on Connie,” adding, “The blame has fallen on Connie.”
Among the canceled Sony live-service projects is Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Online, a title Neil Druckmann had previously hailed as the company’s most ambitious game to date. Reports also indicate that a live-service God of War game was in development but ultimately scrapped.
Sony’s Fairgame$ is another live-service title currently in the pipeline, though information on its progress has been scarce, especially following the departure of several senior staff, including the studio’s founder. Despite these challenges and past setbacks like Concord’s failure, Sony has consistently reiterated its dedication to the live-service model, asserting that it has learned from previous errors.
The article concludes with an image gallery showcasing a “Sony’s Live-Service Game Status Report,” detailing various titles that have been canceled, released, shut down, or are currently upcoming. This includes visuals related to games like Concord, Helldivers 2, Marathon, Horizon, and God of War, illustrating the company’s mixed experiences in this evolving gaming segment.