Former PlayStation Exec Slams Live Service Games: ‘It’s a Repetitive Action Engagement Device’

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I was really interested to hear Shawn Layden, a former bigwig at PlayStation, talk about their current strategy. He basically said he doesn’t agree with them focusing so much on games as a service – you know, the kind you keep playing and spending money on over a long period. And honestly, I agree with him! PlayStation has been trying to make one of those games for years now, and so far, they just haven’t really succeeded. It’s a bit frustrating as a fan to see them chasing that instead of the amazing single-player experiences they used to be known for.

As a long-time PlayStation fan, I was really interested to hear what Jack Tretton had to say recently. He left PlayStation back in 2019 because he wasn’t on board with where they were going creatively, and he’s now been speaking out about live-service games. Basically, he doesn’t really consider them proper games at all – he thinks they’re something different entirely!

Again and Again and Again

Several industry professionals shared their thoughts with The Ringer on why Sony struggles to create successful multiplayer games.

Shawn Layden, a former PlayStation executive who worked there for almost ten years, recently criticized PlayStation’s current focus on games designed as ongoing services.

A live-service game to me isn’t really a game. It’s a repetitive action engagement device.

Growing up, the games I loved always had three key elements: a compelling story, a memorable character, and a well-developed world. That’s why I enjoy games like Horizon, God of War, and Uncharted so much – they all deliver on those fronts.

For a successful live-service game, you really need just three things: a simple, repeatable activity players can easily understand, a way for them to connect and communicate with each other, and a compelling reason to keep playing over and over.

Layden pointed out that developers who have succeeded with live-service games generally figured out what worked about five or six years ago. Around the time games like Fortnite became incredibly popular, many multiplayer games started using a seasonal model to keep players engaged.

These days, it’s very rare to succeed with a new live-service game, Layden insists:

It’s like chasing a dream that always stays just out of reach. Even if you manage to achieve it, what you hoped would make you happy turns out to be disappointing.

Are live-service games a good idea long-term, or should developers try a different approach? Share your thoughts on the TopMob Discord server!

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2025-10-25 08:49