Shawn Layden, the former head of PlayStation, described attempts to build a successful live-service game as “a mirage” in a recent interview. While Helldivers 2 has shown that Sony can succeed in that space, comparable examples are scarce.
Layden reflected on the period when the company leaned into single-player experiences and on the choices Sony made after his departure. During his tenure, titles like God of War, Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon Zero Dawn were released.
“It’s like a mirage in the desert. You chase it, but you never quite catch up. And even if you do, what you bring to the party still isn’t something people want to play.”
He also discussed Sony’s attempts to pivot toward multiplayer after Fortnite’s breakout success, calling the popular battle royale “a classic case of catching lightning in a bottle” — something that can’t be engineered ahead of time.
“Back then I thought: ‘We’re exceptionally strong at single-player. Our storytelling is among the best in the industry.’ The idea was: ‘I’ll release The Last of Us — that’s our lane. I’ll release Spider-Man…’ Fortnite is the archetypal example of lightning in a bottle; you can’t plan for it. You can’t prepare for it. You can’t predict it.”
“The market is flooded with people chasing their own Fortnite, and with developers trying to make an Overwatch with different skins. If you enter that arena convinced you’ll reap steady, lifelong payouts every day, for most people that strategy won’t work.”
Source: iXBT.games