Sony's Shawn Layden wants fewer, bigger PlayStation games

Video game makers are struggling to adapt to the internet era. With the PS5 on the horizon, Sony's video game boss has a plan.

[-Foxtrot]

"I don't want to get into me-too, it seems like I think the world's got all the battle royale it needs right now"

Thank the Lord

[remixx116]

Breath of fresh air

[Kingthrash360]

What's crazy is the title is all wrong and misleading.
He never said he wants fewer games, just that he is willing to delay them for quality sake.

[UltraNova]

The answer he gave on why Sony not being on the E3 stage is very convincing. This is Sony progressing to the current and even adapting to future times. E3 is indeed a face to face trading relic in today's terms. It should become a fan celebratory event only like Comicon, while "big" news can be delivered at any time the publisher wants to via the Internet or their own events like PSX or PS Destination. I can see their reasoning now for omitting their E3 keynote even If I'd love to see them on stage stick "beating" the hell out of MS one more time.

[Potnoodle999]

It really is! Thank god for Sony and Nintendo. I would be devastated if one of the two left gaming. More so if Sony left as I absolutely love their sp offerings lately. The best stories in gaming.
If both ever left I would probably stop altogether!

[trouble_bubble]

@ultranova
The Comic-Con analogy is spot on. Marvel’s MCU pretty much sat out last year’s. Doesn’t mean they’re in trouble. They just had nothing to show. Fast forward to 2019 and they’re poised to have another love fest. Providing Brie Larson gets her social media white man hate-on out of her system.

[UltraNova]

@trouble

"Providing Brie Larson gets her social media white man hate-on out of her system."

Nope she will not. She's every white-man hating feminist's wet dream come true - complete with no facial smile producing muscles, cause you know smiling is a sign of weakness and submission.

[ziggurcat]

Thank the Lord, indeed.

[darthv72]

Funny thing is I'm betting Sony is working on bringing back MAG to capitalize on this BR trend. They just arent going to say anything until they are ready.

[-Foxtrot]

I suppose it depends on how it goes with their philosophy

"And we have simplified it to "first, best or must."

If your title is going to be "first" and creating a genre, or "first" and creating a new game activity, let's look at that. If you're going to make an action adventure game, It better be "best" in class. And we have the third category called "must," which is we must support the platform, we must be present when new technology comes out"

First would be making a Battle Royal gane which is so different it's evolved the genre enough or Best where it's going to be better then the most popular one like Fornite.

I don't think any is realistic at this stage, there's no point going against the big boys when what you are doing now works so well.

[Dirtnapstor]

MAG was a great innovative game for its time. They need to bring it back.

[ArchangelMike]

Do you have anything at all to base that on beside your tummy rumbling? Or did you just pull that straight out of thin air?

[SuperSonic91]

NO.
Under Layden you have very different games like God of War, Horizon ZD, Spiderman, Dreams, Days Gone, Until Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, etc.

He really cranked up the creative department of SIE.

[darthv72]

@above... call it hopefully optimistic that they would bring it back. MAG was awesome and it certainly set the stage for what we have now with huge player count BR games now. It just makes perfect sense to bring back. MAG doesnt get enough credit for doing what it did. Especially today, it's like most forgot all about it.

[Michiel1989]

I see them doing a syphon filter BR before mag, then at least they have a more well known IP behind it.
I just hope they dont, or if they make it a BR they do it like playstation all-stars. Lot of the ps cast there, with their own abilities etc

[BehindTheRows]

Based on nothing but the same SonyToo™ stuff that many of you preached when Sony flat out denied ever planning to do the same things Microsoft did during their Xbox One reveal.

OT: As other, more sensible, people have said, thank the Lord! Not that I want to see Fortnite die, per se, I just don't want every shooter to become Fortnite. So, I'm with Layden on this idea.

[Rude-ro]

Mag is not a br game.
And please!!! Bring it back.
It is more like a larger battlefield than it is a br game though.

[Omegasyde]

They helped innovate what BR is today with being one of the first developers/publishers of MMO Shooters.

Seems like everyone forgot that Planetside 1 had like 150 ish vs 150 vs 150. PS2 had even more per side.

Shame about the SoE being sold off.

[GrubsterBeater]

Why is everybody comparing any game with multiplayer and a high player count “a battle royale game, like Fortnite”?

It reminds of these videos of kids who see something and go “hey, it’s Fortnite!!” when they see an old dance or character or whatever it is that Fortnite has in the game.

It’s like these new “gamers” who play Fortnite, call themselves gamers. Fortnite is trash, and I’m so sick of Battle Royale, and I am so thankful Shawn said this regarding BR games.

This is why PlayStation is king. They care about quality games and the gamers that want games that aren’t some cash-grab, Fortnite-esque garbage.

Fortnite is gay.

[r2oB]

@ Darth

MAG is not a battle royale game. I don't even know how you are making the correlation. MAG did not set the stage for battle royale games, it was a completely different type of game. Either you never played MAG or you completely forgot what the game was. You think a huge player count means battle royale? I guess Battlefield is a battle royale game too?

[Jin_Sakai]

“Layden said he's more willing to delay games to ensure they meet an ever higher quality bar.”

It looks like it paid off with Days Gone. The game looks much better now.

"As the exclusive developer for PlayStation, we always have to set the high-water mark, to push the technology further than anyone else," he said.“

He’s right. PS4 exclusives are some of the best games in the industry. Just wait until The Last of Us: Part 2 releases. The bar will be raised yet again.

“He also hinted that Sony's ready to buy up other game makers as it looks to expand the types of games it makes”

Great to hear. Can’t wait to see who they add to their already amazing worldwide studios!

[ArchangelMike]

If you ask me they should have bought Quantic Dream and SuperMassive Games.

[Sevir]

I think negotiations with quantic fizzled, that's why Quantic announced they're going multiplatform with NetEase so they can stay in business and be independent. :( Which is a shame because Quantic is just the developer you need under your belt with their mantra of high quality narrative driven PS exclusives

[ArchangelMike]

Amen brother! It's good to also hear that streaming is not high on the Playstation agenda, so we can breath a sigh of relief that next gen won't be primarily cloud based.

[Obscure_Observer]

@ArchangelMike

No other but the delusional fools believes that streaming is the future of gaming. I´m glad that both Sony and Microsoft will stick with console gaming for the forseeable future.

[MasterChief3624]

Shawn Lorden, more like.

[KyRo]

There's like 4 popular BR games and a lot of failed ones on PC. In comparison to the amount of FPS, RPGs and sports games, 4 is very few. The fact apex launched last week and added a heap on new ideas to the formula shows that there's still a lot of ideas to come from a genre that's relatively young.

[DaGR8JIBRALTAR]

Whatever Shawn & Co. wants to do over at Sony I'm with it...they haven't let is down yet.

[crazyCoconuts]

Sony and Nintendo interviews a bit of a rarity compared to MS it seems. Good info in here. Can't say I like the message around not having bombshells to drop - regardless of whether it's good for business or not, I like surprises...

[Nyxus]

He was talking specifically about E3, that doesn't mean there won't be any bombshell announcements in the future.

[ArchangelMike]

It's such a refreshingly different tone to Microsoft, who are all about jumping on the latest bandwagon. Sony are content and happy to say that's not their jam, they'll do their own thing. They're not jumping on the BR bandwagon, not jumping on the cloud and streaming bandwagon just yet, but are going to double down on brilliant exclusives - although I have to say I don't know how I feel about fewer games. The wait for TLOU2 and Death Stranding is excruciating.

[Obscure_Observer]

@Nyxus

"He was talking specifically about E3, that doesn't mean there won't be any bombshell announcements in the future."

He pretty much confirmed that Sony won´t host an event as an E3 replacement this year because they have nothing of substance to announce this year. Since fewer games with more quality is their new moto, he doesn´t want to set expectations high among Playstation gamers just to disappoint next.

When i said Sony played all their AAA PS4 cards too soon back at 2017, some people got mad and led their emotions overshadows basic logic and common sense. And here we are.

I praise Layden for his honesty and transparency. I wish him the best as he´s now president of Sony´s worldwide studios.

[S2Killinit]

Yep. I really like how they have a much more human approach. None of that scripted title fodder pr ammo.

[BizarroUltraman]

@archangel,

You're one big mofo hypocrite!! Go play your damn Sony games and leave this comment section to less sensitive gamers. Sony is pushing cloud too, they'll find a way to get a BR game and basically copy anything good in the industry. Making it like Sony is a innovator when they just steal ideas from the other two game giants rewrap it and put ps in it and you go buy it like they made it foh

[THC CELL]

Ms need sales and they will say anything even hype a publisher they gained

[ShadowWolf712]

@Mike

According to Layden, their recent output has also been fewer games but higher quality. And technically, in terms of First Party, it's true. The number of titles has been fewer, but each one has been a GOTY contender.

[Razzer]

@obscure

No idea where you pulled any of that stuff from, but it wasn't from Layden.

[DVAcme]

Indeed, I expect PSX this year to have more bombshells than the DMZ. I still think that skipping E3 to directly control the narrative of the PS5 launch and have more time to release a dope show was the right move. Plus, last year's kinda anemic E3 showing is probably because they ARE saving up the big announcements for upcoming PS4 games to have awesome stuff to show for it along with the PS5 announcement. And if Sony ARE considering buying more studios, that's a big announcement. Microsoft may be buying up studios left and right, but Sony already has a long-running reputation for buying studios and doing GREAT things woth them. It's why their 1st- and 2nd-party content is second to none.

[Ceaser9857361]

Obscure

"Since fewer games with more quality is their new moto,"

He didnt say that, he said he is willing to delay them for quality sake.

"When i said Sony played all their AAA PS4 cards too soon back at 2017, some people got mad and led their emotions overshadows basic logic and common sense. And here we are."

Again you are wrong and don't know what you speak... PS4 still has games which didnt release and that are LOU2, GOT, DREAMS, DAYS GONE, DS.. So i don;t know what you talking about. Sony has done everything proper Hence they are way ahead of Xbox ...

[-Foxtrot]

Sony and Nintendo only really talk a lot when they've got a new game/console coming out, usually when it's announced or near launch. The other times would be at an event like E3 or Gamescom.

I think for them it's mostly "let your product do the talking"

[gangsta_red]

"Sony and Nintendo interviews a bit of a rarity compared to MS it seems"

I think it's mainly because both Sony and Nintendo are Japanese companies. MS being more of a western company, it's probably easier for journalists to get interviews with the heads of Xbox and publish them for western sites.

I'm surprised no one is talking about how Shawn wants fewer Sony games.

[The Wood]

Fewer weaker games hopefully. Do high quality as much as possible and drop any titles that could be deemed mediocre or trash.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Yeah Im also curious about Sony's stance on fewer big exclusives.

[BehindTheRows]

Because that isn't exactly what he said:

"And with our decision to do fewer games -- bigger games -- over longer periods of time, we got to a point where June of 2019 was not a time for us to have a new thing to say. And we feel like if we ring the bell and people show up here in force, people have expectation "Oh, they're going to tell us something."

He'd rather not give us a false sense of hope when he knows games are either far off or not ready in their current state. Quite a few games this gen would have benefitted from this train of thought. ;p

[gangsta_red]

Sony has already released fewer games this gen, how many fewer than what we have already gotten for the next gen?

I would think you would want Sony to make more high profile games or just more games in general.

More doesn't mean they have to be mediocre or trash, especially if they're coming from different studios or different teams of the same studios under Sony.

[BehindTheRows]

Sony is the last company I'm worried about either releasing big/small games or ANY at all. ^_^

[Nyxus]

@ gangsta: this is what he said:

"I think we've done a lot over the last three or four years to get us to a place right now where we're building fewer games per year than ever before, but we're spending more time, more energy, certainly more money, on making them."

So rather than pushing out games quickly, he wants to focus on delivering the best quality. That is a good thing in my book.

[The Wood]

Has your curiosity been quelled guys. .

Sometimes interpretation can spawn many different results . If you think logically. . Why would Sony cull a winning formula. That's suicidal. Concentrate on quality over quantity but still have enough. It's working

[mkis007]

You people are crazy good at cherry picking...he said they are doing fewer but bigger games...not just fewer games. See 2018 for examples...

No where did he say fewer big games...

[S2Killinit]

@gangsta
Thats so weired you say that. He speaks perfect english... realistically, it has more to do with the fact that Sony and Nintendo seem to be more focused on making games than making PR.

[gangsta_red]

@Nyxus

I read that but I don't agree that spending more money, spending more time and releasing fewer games is the answer. And quickly in relation to what exactly?

Additionally there's no guarantee that those games will be critical hits. Spending more money means that those games will have to recoup even more and that means Sony may have to take less chances to reach that. And if those games don't hit a certain milestone, that could lead to layoffs or possibly studio closures.

I think there should be a better way in the development process that doesn't require spending even more money, especially when triple A games are already in the millions to begin with. Also more time and more energy isn't really an efficient way especially if it means less games.

@Mkis007
"he said they are doing fewer but bigger games"

"No where did he say fewer big games..."

Lmao! That is hilarious!

@Wood
"Sometimes interpretation can spawn many different results"

Especially when you only read what you want to see.

@S2Killinit
"Sony, MS and Nintendo seem to be more focused on making games than making PR."

You forgot to mention Microsoft too. Don't worry, I added it for you.

[S2Killinit]

Aarrghh he said we “are” releasing fewer, but bigger. They are, as in, already.

Basically, he is saying that they arent doing shovelware games. If they make a game, it has to be quality.

[gangsta_red]

@S2killinit
"Aarrghh he said we “are” releasing fewer, but bigger. They are, as in, already."

Blaaarrrgh, and it's only going to get longer and fewer with rising costs, newer tech that require bigger budgets, and bigger teams glaaargh!

You would think Shawn would want to find a way for Sony to make more games seeing as how the few they already have are successful so far.

[trooper_]

Why don’t you read the whole article instead of insinuating nonsense?

[ILostMyMind]

Sony says less because it doesn't have to lie to its consumers as much as Microsoft does. If it were not for the, almost daily, promises of Phil Spencer on twitter, the Xbox would have already failed like the WiiU.

[S2Killinit]

@gangsta
Daarggh Does that mean Xbox will have negative number of games then? I mean they already have so very few...

L7Chapel
Its because MS’s representatives show up to troll, thats why. Otherwise no one would be talking about that console here.

[Ceaser9857361]

gangsta

"I'm surprised no one is talking about how Shawn wants fewer Sony games."
Another Misinformed Xbox fan

He said he is willing to delay them for quality sake. Do you know how to READ or you simply get controlled by some misleading heading...

Shawn also hinted that Sony's ready to buy up other game makers as it looks to expand the types of games it makes.

Did you read this?? If yes then you claiming Shawn wants fewer sony games rules out...

[NarutoFox]

"I'm surprised no one is talking about how Shawn wants fewer Sony games."

Probably scared of Xbox’s lineup of Sea of Thieves 2, Forza 27, Halo 12 and Gears 33. J/K

[IamTylerDurden1]

He basically said that they are spending more time, money, and effort on each game hence why they achieve such critical and commercial success. Obviously it equates to less total games, but the games that release are generally bigger and higher quality. That was the message, putting more into each game rather than simply releasing more games, and he said that IS CURRENTLY HOW THEY'VE BEEN OPERATING and i'd say it's working.

[kalkano]

Seems like this pretty much rules out any kind of return for Arc the Lad/Wild Arms/Legend of Dragoon (no, mobile BS doesn't count).

[Soap_Z]

What? The only thing I make sure is that if they return they will be AAA games with great efforts rather than mediocre low budget game

This is very good

[kalkano]

That means they won't return. There's no way in hell they'll bring those games back as AAA. Or, if they do, they're guaranteed to be Action-RPGs, which eliminates the entire point of bringing them back in the first place.

[gangsta_red]

Well Sony's studios have all but abandon RPG games and from the sound of what Shawn is saying they'll definitely be focusing (or wants) on fewer games but will be big triple A titles. And more than likely they'll be western focused types games so any hopes of Legend of Dragoon, Wild Arms or Arc the Lad is not likely.

But, you never know, Sony could lend out those IP's to other developers to make a game.

[trouble_bubble]

Probably because they’ve had other exclusive RPGs fill the void. Horizon Zero Dawn absolutely has RPG all up in its DNA. Arc and Arms never drew half that audience.

Throw in third party partners still working on action RPGs like Nioh 2. Ni No Kuni 2, Persona 5, Yakuza and DQ11 aren’t on any other consoles atm. Bloodborne was huge.

Shooters on the other hand. Console exclusive RPGs they have in spades. The lack of a new Resistance while Knack gets a sequel, is troubling. For Killzone Shadowfall’s flack, it still sold as good as the others. MP was solid.

[S2Killinit]

What genres have Xbox’s studios “all but abandonned”? i think it be easier to name the ones they havent abandoned. Lol

[gangsta_red]

@S2killinit
"What genres have Xbox’s studios “all but abandonned”? "

I keep forgetting that we have to keep Xbox and MS in on the lips even when there are articles not related to them. This way the kids on this site don't feel too threatened when talking about their pieces of plastic.

[ShadowWolf712]

I love how you keep persistently trying to misrepresent what he said.

He's said that's already BEEN their policy. Not that he wants even less.

[Omegasyde]

they could license it off like Nintendo did.

[rainslacker]

Japan Studio isn't what it used to be, and now make more of the mid-tier titles, or provide support for the 2nd party games that Sony contracts out, or ends up producing. I think that works better for them for some reason, but it is a bit disappointing that they have no in house plans to speak of.

There is hope that they can contract out those IP's, but I think that mobile is maybe more attractive for those games given the market base in Japan. There is some hope that maybe mobile may not take as much priority though, as the mobile bubble is going through a bit of a bust right now, and while there is money to be made, the market isn't pure gold like some publishers felt it could be.

@Gangsta

So, is this going to be your console war fan boy BS argument for the next two years trying to bring down Sony. Are you going to spend the next year or two constantly saying how Layden says they're going to make less games? Have you and Obscure conferred over how to properly handle this narrative going forward, or are you two just going to wing it and eventually come to a monotonous accord on how to bring it up at every oppurtunity...which I assume is going to be when people say that MS has no games, which makes me wonder why you care, because you haven't had a problem with MS output this gen, so how few, is too few for you?

Just curious, because I wonder if I should say how you are misrepresenting what was said now, or wait for one of the other thousands of time you're going to misquote him in the future. My time is short tonight, and seems like lots of stuff to read today.

[Ceaser9857361]

Gangsta is hilarious. I always laugh when he comments in here because most of the time he speaks from his ass . I dont know how hard its for him to actually go and click on the article and READ ffs .. But then internet has people like him and at best we can ignore him ...

[Nyxus]

I like the sound of this, a focus on quality and he also reaffirms that streaming won't replace the traditional console anytime soon.

[ArchangelMike]

My thoughts exactly. I'm glad the next console generation will still be more traditional - at least from Sony's side of the market. No talk of teh cloud or streaming across multiple mobile and tablet platforms here. Just good ol' fashioned console+couch+tv gaming experiences. :)

[Nyxus]

@ L7CHAPEL:

"[...] if you're PlayStation and you're available in 168 countries around the world, streaming will be a thing which will have interest to certain people in certain places.

But still, for the vast majority of the gaming community, our 94 million PlayStation 4s out there, I think there's much life left in a local console."

"I don't know what the timeline is. If the PlayStation continues to grow at this rate, we can leave no gamer behind. But streaming is something that PlayStation is active in and we want to make sure we keep current in that technology."

Of course they're going to continue their streaming format (PlayStation Now has existed for years), but he also reaffirms their commitment to local consoles.

[S2Killinit]

Its so good to hear them say that.

[rainslacker]

Streaming was this gens mobile. Just something that the media could use to spell doom, so they could get their clicks.

Anyone who actually thought that streaming would replace the traditional model was delusional at best.

[SuperSonic91]

It still amazes me that all these white white shirts at Sony adopted Japanese as their second native language like they really understood Japanese culture.
They are really worthy of success in Japan and the west as their understanding of the wide video games spectrum reflects the quality of the games being developed on PS4.
They lead the industry with a great vision light years ahead of MS and N.

[uth11]

Well Sony is a Japanese company after all, knowing Japanese is no doubt helpful to your career there

[NarutoFox]

His office is close to where I lived (Redwood city CA) so is Nintendo. "He also hinted that Sony's ready to buy up other game makers as it looks to expand the types of games it makes"

Interesting indeed

[SuperSonic91]

At least they still go for new and varied IPs in games. Keep the industry chooglin', thriving and not stagnating.

[The_Sage]

Chooglin! Nice. I bet most people here have no idea what you're talking about.

[WickedLester]

I'd love to see them acquire Insomniac. To me that would be such a natural fit to be a part of the Sony team of developers.

[NarutoFox]

But didn't they own Insomniac before? I think Insomniac wants to be independent

[WickedLester]

@NarutoFox,

No, Sony has never owned Insomniac. They've worked with Insomniac closely as a 2nd party partner but Insomniac has never been owned by Sony.

[AizenSosuke]

Very interesting indeed Naruto-kun

[Livecustoms]

Just keep giving me Triple A Story Driven games and Ill keep buying!

[Team_Litt]

"We are progressing the conversation about, how do we transform E3 to be more relevant? Can E3 transition more into a fan festival of gaming, where we don't gather there to drop the new bomb? Can't it just be a celebration of games and have panels where we bring game developers closer to fans?"

Erm please no. I like E3 how it is. It's like gaming Xmas. I like knowing there are bombs about to be dropped. It's the best week in gaming news.

" Almost like Comic-Con?"

" Yes, that's probably the trajectory it needs to go to maintain relevance."

" So what happens to big announcements? Do they just happen on YouTube? What does this perfect Shawn Layden future look like?"

"In a perfect Shawn Layden future, I'm living in Tahiti."

https://giphy.com/gifs/redd...

[sprinterboy]

I love the traditional E3 too buddy, but times change. I see them doing the fan fest (comic con) style more in the future with maybe 3 or 4 nintendo direct style youtube/twitch etc announcements throughout the year and obviously the psx in December (but only every other year)

[crazyCoconuts]

I'm ok with them moving their Xmas to some other event, but I still want Xmas. I too like the anticipation and surprise. So even if they can't bombshell an amazing new game every year, at least bombshell some new innovation or technology. Some new unexpected feature in the firmware or a new peripheral. Gotta be enough to save up for once a year, right?

[OB1Biker]

PSExperience is better than E3 for Sony. It has a better coverage than E3 where the press only reports on the 'conference'

[rainslacker]

I like the conferences the way they are. The rest of E3 I really don't care about much, because for the most part, it's only relevant if you're actually there. Sometimes you get some good interviews, or further in depth game showings on the sales floor, but most of the show floor is going to be relevant if one is interested in a particular game.

I get what he's saying, but what he's proposing is not what E3 is really about. There are other shows out there which do that. The console market leaving E3 would actually allow more publishers to get more notice, as the console makers tend to take a lot of the spotlight.

[gangsta_red]

"He also hinted that Sony's ready to buy up other game makers as it looks to expand the types of games it makes."

Now that's very interesting to hear. I would love to see an aquisition battle between all these big devs. Independence will be a thing of the past.

"But streaming is something that PlayStation is active in and we want to make sure we keep current in that technology."

Definitely, with every major media company laying ground work there's no doubt that Sony is going to also expand their already established streaming service even further.

I seriously forgot Nintendo had offices in the Bay area too.

Great interview by Lord Layden

[SuperSonic91]

Nice comment, ranger.

You can really be a nice happy commenter.

I am glad MS see's things Sony's way. That is very good.
More fun and games!

[gangsta_red]

Thank you SuperSonic, I definitely love all of gaming and it shows with each comment I leave.

"I am glad MS see's things Sony's way"

I think Sony and MS always shared the same goals when it comes to market and tech trends. Just their approach to the finish line where different.

It'll be interesting to see Nintendo, another fantastic publisher and developer, has up it's sleeves to also compete with MS and Sony.

[MrVux000]

"What does this perfect Shawn Layden future look like?"
"In a perfect Shawn Layden future, I'm living in Tahiti.'"

Dutch would be proud Shawn. :_)

[SuperSonic91]

So now its PlayStation Destination in February...any date?

[Soap_Z]

PlayStation first party doesn't need a lot of 69 games

[Thundercat77]

And by 69 you mean "gamepass games"?

[yellowgerbil]

Sony needs more. I'm sick of licking my game boxes and getting nothing in return

[Legatus]

Excellent interwiev, i'm happy to see that Playstation future is bright.

"He also hinted that Sony's ready to buy up other game makers as it looks to expand the types of games it makes."

It's like music to my ears. Exclusive games were, are and always will matter.

[AmUnRa]

So, Sony is going to buy other developers (read other studio's) that already are making story driven games to expend theyr studios who will making games like GoW, DG, the Last of Us and so forth. I can dig that, and i love it

[Father__Merrin]

Socom BR game is a must

[darthv72]

SOCOM, Syphon Filter, MAG... hell, even Killzone. All of which could make for great BR games.

[ShadowWolf712]

...Syphon Filter????

[ILostMyMind]

Or Uncharted and TLoU multiplayer.
Imagine that... free with CP for all platform.

[sprinterboy]

BR included as part of the socom game yes, but not just a BR title, we have enough of them tbh.
I personally think BR modes will be a flash in the pan, too many of them imo, each to there own of course.

[DarXyde]

So what does this mean as far as the fate of some of their more niche projects (e.g., Siren, Gravity Rush, Genji, and Team Ico titles to name a few)?

The big games are cool, but I really tend to like the variety PlayStation has. Even if they make budget titles that don't stress their hardware, I'm very okay with that.

[WelkinCole]

first, best or must

[rainslacker]

I consider a good selection of those niche games a must. They may not be system sellers individually, but when you put them together, they help build a reputation and idea of there will always be something for everyone on PS.

Plus, those niche games tended to be some of the best.

[S2Killinit]

Im sure they will continue with their variety formula. Its not like they will drop the types of games that define PlayStation.

[Platformgamer]

i agree, i want to play and buy 3 or 4 games per year, but i want them to be huge and awesome, in sony i can trust

[Stanjara]

Thank you Shawn Layden!

[WelkinCole]

It's exactly what I want to hear from the interview. Sony knows gamers and the global gaming market well

[Imortus_san]

"fewer" - holy shit, even less then this gen had!?

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Wrong company mate.

[Imortus_san]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

Sony as produce more then 3x the games for PS3 then they have to the PS4, that is a fact.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Singstar and other sequels? yh I can do without those.

[S2Killinit]

One thing they cant be criticized for is bringing the games.

[DerekTweed]

You mean like the 1 triple A first party game in 2018 and the 1 triple A first part game in 2019?

[Imortus_san]

Yes I criticize then for bringing 3 times less games then they did on PS3, if they are going to put out even less, goddamm.

[S2Killinit]

Lol these MS xbots really need games, they are so bored they are making things up as they go.

[ShadowWolf712]

Read the article, headline is clickbait.

He's said that's already BEEN their focus.

[rainslacker]

He's talking past tense to the present, and why they're in a position for 2019 to have nothing new to reveal because of the way everything ended up progressing.

They have had fewer games than before, but the ones they are releasing are bigger games, which when you look at it, it seems like more because more are higher profile games. But, they haven't had as many of those mid-tier or lower selling games like Gravity Rush, Puppeteer, any number of games from Japan, Wipeout, etc.

He's saying he wants to continue that paradigm going forward of big games over more diverse library, but not so much that he wants to have less games in the future. It's a different view than was taken in the past, where they said they took a loss on most games in order to have a well rounded library.

[trouble_bubble]

Soon BR is just going to be another mode. Not like we haven’t had Last Man Standing in games before. Future MP will just call it BattleRoyale and throw it in the playlist with DM, TDM, CTF, Conquest, Sabotage, Headquarters, Horde and everything else.

[AizenSosuke]

Quality>Quantity. Take notes EA, Activision-Blizzard, and other greedy publishers.

[pornflakes]

In terms of quality Blizzard always delivered excellent games with great gameplay. Diablo / Overwatch/ World of Warcraft/ starcraft

As for activision - True ;-)

[ShadowWolf712]

That clickbait headline tho

[S2Killinit]

Did you guys catch that “Sony’s ready to buy up other game developers” ? Interesting stuff in here.

[Majin-vegeta]

Rifht?I hope they snatch up Insomniac seeing the success with R&C and now Spidey man.They know where their loyal fanbase is at.They tried venturing out to other parties but failed.

[rainslacker]

I'm curious if Insomniac would want to sell. They turned down Sony in the past, and they've grown quite a bit back then. They're one of the largest independent developers in the world, and actually operate two studios....one of which focuses mostly on mobile.

[KonaSquid]

I dunno man. I want more small games from Sony like Ape Escape and Gravity Rush, and I doubt they plan on making those big.

[KonaSquid]

love the driveby downvotes

[Pantz]

"The world has changed, but E3 hasn't necessarily changed with it."

Such disrespect. E3 is the biggest celebration of gaming and you trash talk it because you don't have enough new stuff to show this year.

[Fishy Fingers]

Manufacturer I like does something: "best decision ever!!"

Manufacturer I dislike does something: "worst decision ever!!"

Bullshit aside, everyone enjoys watching the E3 pressers, for one of the Big 3 to miss it is a shame

[rainslacker]

E3 is more a fan boy revelry, where one or three things tends to take all the limelight, and most everything else goes under the radar and doesn't get the attention it deserves. More often than not, a negative thing from E3 takes precedence over the "celebration".

E3 is a marketing conference. It always has been. It was created so the electronics entertainment industry would have its own space to meet the press, instead of sharing space with general technology. But, E3 wasn't supposed to be just about video games, it became that over time.

[Pantz]

Sony were the stars of the show there quite a few times then they started playing banjos and flutes inside a church and got mad when they got bad feedback for it. I never imagined a major corporation could be such a sore loser to take their ball and go home.

When they see that E3 is still the #1 gaming event without them they'll get their feelings hurt and try crawling back.

[rainslacker]

All the console makers have had good and bad conferences through the years. I'm not saying otherwise, or trying to make excuses or praise anyone. I'm simply saying that E3, as it is now, is more about the conferences, where 95% of headlines come from, and usually just a few things tend to get most of the attention.

That's what E3 has become. It's not that I don't like E3, or the conferences, just that it certainly isn't a celebration of games.

[StormLegend]

Focusing on quality and big budget? Count me in!!!

[nucky64]

great insight from layden - just continues to show that sony is always trying to bring the best possible product to it's consumers.

[ChristopherJack]

Hmm, they have enough studios that they should still be able to pump out a couple top games a year. I personally would like to see a new Colony Wars.

[JokerBoy422]

This guy sounds like he gets it! Thank God!

[FallenAngel1984]

I hope this doesn’t mean the end of quirky games

Not every game needs to.m be a big budget blockbuster

[rainslacker]

Not the end of them, just that they'll be bigger than before, so not as niche. But, probably fewer.

How it actually works in practice I don't know. Japan studios is still a thing, and they tend to work on those games.

[zodiac909]

Lol reading an article from Cnet talking about games, feels like someone from a different planet wrote it...."Days Gone, a post apocalyptic biker game, and Dreams a world-building game". LOL

[DVAcme]

Sony should make a new studio but hire the dormer Visceral Games people. Seeing how EA had no problem shutting them down in their infinite ignorance, seeing Sony pick them up and giving them the ball to createnew stuff would be boss. They could very well take ideas from the cancelled Star wars game and make a new IP, or do a spiritual sequel to Dead Space. Either way, those are some talented people that deserve way better than the shitty-ass hand that EA dealt them, and right now it doesn't get better than being under Sony's banner. Microsoft may be in an acquisition frenzy right now, but Sony has a proven track record of treating their associates right.

[TheTony316]

And this is why Playstation dominated 3 out of 4 generations.

[plmkoh]

It's not Sony's duty to make trash titles, none these bubble-gum vape simulator stuff are system sellers. You need core flagship that can showcase the consoles abilities first, let the 3rd parties make crack for the peanut gallery gamers.

[Gwiz]

This.

[AK91]

Phew as long as Shawn Layden is there we should be fine, though I still have my suspicions regarding John Kodera and Ken Yoshida. Not to mention the censorhip heavy Atsushi Morita.

[Melankolis]

No wonder PS4 has been so successful. Those decision makers at Sony think like gamers.

[Smokehouse]

Just keep doing what you are doing.

[Skankinruby]

Misleading title that initially upset me. They're doing exactly what they need to to keep a grip on the general market, zero sense in changing their strategy now.

[tonyjames404]

YESS... ENOUGH OF THIS BATTLE ROYALE GARBAGE (ASIDE FROM APEX) GIVE US MORE GOD OF WAR LIKE GAMES!
https://cogpoweruppodcast.p...

[Sophisticated_Chap]

"We are progressing the conversation about, how do we transform E3 to be more relevant? Can E3 transition more into a fan festival of gaming, where we don't gather there to drop the new bomb? Can't it just be a celebration of games and have panels where we bring game developers closer to fans?"

He's basically saying that Sony will have less exclusive announcements as time goes on. Not really what PlayStation fans are expecting.

[ShadowWolf712]

...I'd love to know how you arrived at that conclusion. ESPECIALLY with this unrelated quote.

Either way, it's the opposite. Things, as they are now, is the way forward, more or less. Fewer overall titles in volume, but making those titles as good as they possibly can.

[Sophisticated_Chap]

It's not an unrelated quote, it's in the article. You just said it yourself, fewer overall titles in volume.

[Wulfer]

That's a very nice looking casket image for this article.

https://s2.n4g.com/news/224...

[DerekTweed]

"we got to a point where June of 2019 was not a time for us to have a new thing to say."

Sounds like Days Gone is the only 1st Party AAA PS4 Exclusive from sony this year.

Everyone seems to overlook the fact that they only had 1 AAA 1st party PS4 exclusive in 2018. God of War.

[PEEPer]

What? And Spiderman? Detroit: Become Human?

[DerekTweed]

Neither of those are 1st party

[Mister_Wolf]

I hope next gen is better than this one, i have to say I lost alot of faith and respect for the industry this gen. The good thing to come out of it was that people are becoming more aware, and they are calling publishers out on their bullshit. If it wasn't for Sony's first party stuff and some (SOME!) Xbox and Nintendo first party stuff, I would've said this gen was a complete and utter fuck up.

[trouble_bubble]

My double take was the part about life post consoles. A unified gamertopia. Hmm. Talks highly of Switch, X1X, tablets etc as all bringing something good to the table.

[FernDiggidy]

Thank you Sony

[danny818]

you mean he wants to reduce initial investments to creat more profits? lol games are already big enough. Any bigger would be hampered by limited hardware

[neomahi]

Interesting how this article starts out with Fallout 76 and Battlefield V. Game Pass comes up as well with Microsoft and Crackdown 3, but I find that interesting. The culprit for this kind of thing? It's actually the Internet, more specifically the ability to download. Back in the day a Game Tester was an actual paid job. The purpose of the tester was to ensure game glitches were identified, reported, and fixed. Tothose whom have worked as testers, it was a tedious job they grew to hate as they played the same broken game over and over again never to enjoy the game in its perfected state and have that ah experience because there were no surprises. This is essentially what, unfortunately, Game Pass will become, except, Microsoft is not paying you to test games but you are. ID@Xbox right? Back in the earlier days this is how it was done. A game didn't go Gold to be pressed on a disc or to be installed into a cartridge until it passed testing. Today? Publishers press developers to hit deadlines being told: "Don't worry, just get the game done and we'll patch the thing with an update later." These are not the passionate game developers that studied Art, Animation, and Programming, or if they are, they've lost all of that, no, these are suits whose best known lines are "business is business" and "that was yesterday, what have you done for me today". This is the world we live in where it's instant gratification instead of patience. Don't EA and Bethesda have enough money to wait and allow a quality product? Microsoft and EA are both too much alike and perhaps why they work so close together. Both love Microtransactions and seem to get the same criticisms is they both release a mediocre product and then want to pick your pocket and then end up in the news and won't learn because of greed. Then with that money, they strong arm and buy off with their deep pockets, it's not fun anymore at that point. It's the Internet and patches that run things, not art, passion, or quality. It's a deadline and fix later, that's how today's developers are conditioned.