Former PlayStation Boss Shawn Layden Talks About PlayStation Turning Devs Into Rock Stars

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Shawn Layden, who used to lead PlayStation, shared that Sony originally tried to build up game developers like the music industry promotes bands. PlayStation has consistently used the fame of developers – studios like Insomniac and Naughty Dog, for example – to help sell games, and these developers have become very well-known.

For a long time, the talented developers who create amazing games didn’t get much public recognition. But by 2025, it’s now common for gamers to know who’s behind the games they love. This is partly because games get so much attention in the media, and partly because people start to recognize the studios that consistently deliver quality experiences. For example, Sony has worked hard to build up its PlayStation exclusives, and players now have high expectations for those games.

PlayStation has become known for immersive, story-driven, single-player games like God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, and Uncharted. Importantly, the talented developers behind these games—like Insomniac—have also gained a strong following. PlayStation intentionally allows these development studios to build their own brands, recognizing that a shift—like having a different company develop the next Marvel’s Spider-Man game—could significantly impact fan response, as Shawn Layden has explained.

Shawn Layden Says Sony Marketed Game Developers Like Rock Bands

During a recent interview on Game Rant’s Character Select, former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden discussed the beginnings of PlayStation and Sony’s initial approach to gaming. He explained that many of the original PlayStation team members came from the music industry, bringing with them different marketing ideas. Layden described typical game advertising at the time as simply showing gameplay footage, the price, and a cheerful child playing the game – a style many gamers will remember from early commercials and magazine ads. However, those who transitioned from Sony’s music division believed there was a better way to promote games.

According to former Sony executive Layden, the company’s strategy for selling games was to treat developers like rock bands. The idea was to connect players with the creative teams behind the games, making them care about the developers, their unique styles, and what they’d create next. Instead of focusing on ‘PlayStation games,’ Sony wanted to emphasize that games were made by specific studios – ‘Naughty Dog games,’ ‘Bandai games,’ and so on. Layden specifically pointed to Hideo Kojima as an example of a developer who had achieved rock star status.

Hideo Kojima is a hugely popular figure in entertainment, particularly known for his work in video games. He’s famous for creating the Metal Gear series, and after leaving Konami, he started his own studio, Kojima Productions. Their first game, Death Stranding, has been successful enough to warrant a sequel and is even being adapted into other media. PlayStation’s approach of highlighting individual game developers appears to have worked well, with many using the increased attention to create games that truly reflect their personal style. With so much talent in the gaming industry, players have a lot of exciting things to anticipate.

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2025-12-26 19:42