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<p>Shawn Layden, the former chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment, has stepped forward to defend the traditional model of console exclusivity in an era where platform boundaries are increasingly blurring.</p>
<p>Layden, who spearheaded the PlayStation brand during the immensely successful PS4 generation, recently shared his insights on Naomi Kyle’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwH_otOCDmQ&t=1629s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pause for Thought</a> podcast. His comments come as the industry's major players rethink their strategies regarding first-party software.</p>
<p>"I don’t believe every single title needs to be a console exclusive," Layden remarked. "However, for established platform holders like Sony and Nintendo, there is immense brand value in maintaining a curated library of powerful exclusives. While Microsoft has shifted toward an 'Xbox is everywhere' philosophy, the distinct identity of a platform is still defined by its unique content."</p>
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<p>"If Mario were to suddenly appear on a PlayStation, it would feel like a herald of the apocalypse," he joked, referencing a classic *Ghostbusters* line about cats and dogs living together. "The same logic applies to Nathan Drake and the Uncharted series. These characters are designed to make their specific hardware sing." Layden further argued that multi-platform development often requires "coding to the lowest common denominator," whereas exclusives provide developers with a license to "push every technical lever to eleven."</p>
<p>Layden’s perspective arrives at a pivotal moment for the industry. Xbox has begun migrating formerly exclusive hits to rival platforms, and Sony has followed suit by bringing titles like <em>Helldivers 2</em> and <em>Lego Horizon Adventures</em> to PC, and in some cases, Nintendo systems. While the majority of PS5 blockbusters eventually find their way to PC, Nintendo remains the industry's sole holdout, keeping its iconic intellectual property strictly within its own ecosystem.</p>
<p>"I expect we will still see exclusive titles in the future," Layden concluded. "But if you are building a massive multiplayer experience, you almost have to go multi-platform. To sustain those ecosystems, you need to open the funnel as wide as possible to capture the largest audience—especially in the free-to-play space."</p>
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Source: gamesradar.com
