Former PlayStation Head Explains Why Even Popular Game Franchises Need Remakes

Nearly 80% of PS4 owners never played Ratchet & Clank, giving Sony a reason to reboot the series

Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden explained during a podcast why companies make remakes and revive older game series for new audiences.

After the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake found success with the press and players, Layden was asked whether other classic series could get a new lease on life. He brought up the Ratchet & Clank reboot. Layden said that when he took over Sony Entertainment America, he wanted approval to make a new version of the game. But some people at the company argued that “nobody wants to play these old games.” In his view, that attitude keeps publishers from revisiting many series that audiences once loved.

Sony’s data showed that about 80% of PS4 owners had never played any Ratchet & Clank game. The company saw an opportunity to introduce the series to a new generation of players. Layden believes that when an original game is old enough, it has significant potential for a modern version aimed at a new audience. Even so, people at game companies still often say, “Nobody wants to play these old games.”