Former PlayStation Head Shawn Layden gave his two cents about the industry’s greatest weakness and how Helldivers 2 is carrying the platform. The current state of PlayStation hangs on a balance between a successful live-service title shared across a different platform and the lackluster reception and aftermath of their multimillion-dollar triple-A game. There has been a shift within the entertainment industry and Sony is all over the place.
It is evident that Layden’s years of experience validate his sentiments regarding the issue and therefore make him an authority on the topic, his former company is spread too thin and they lose more than they make with their first-party games. The interests of the people are steering towards multiplayer games that are free-to-play but there will always be a demand for strong single-player games, the problem is how to deliver both with high quality and on time.
Helldivers 2 Succeeds Where Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Fails, Shawn Layden Is Dropping Facts
There is no denying that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 would move units, the game has been highly anticipated since the credits rolled for the first game in 2018 and the success of a follow-up spinoff revolving around Miles Morales upped the excitement even more with the PlayStation 5’s capabilities.
However, things tend to go sideways when a project goes over budget. Layden cited that exclusivity was their Achilles’ Heel, and while the game may be successful, it is not moving as fast as it needed to break even. The irony here is that Layden was around during the time PlayStation took off because of their exclusives like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and The Last of Us Part 2.
PlayStation Needs To Rethink Their Game Plan
On the opposite end, fans received Helldivers 2 for the PlayStation 5 and PC, a rare occasion where a Sony-published game gets the same day release. The game gained thousands of players and none were able to predict its success. Servers constantly crash due to being overwhelmed by the number of players. Despite being a live service and constant changes to the game like new content and planetary hazards, Helldivers 2 never left the public eye.
Exclusivity is now the gaming industry’s worst concept, there was a time when exclusive games were the lifeblood of each platform. Sony had a strong lineup, and so did Nintendo and Microsoft continued to struggle. It narrows down its target market to a specific consumer base while the rest are more drawn to the competitors.
PlayStation may have gained notoriety through its strong single-player games but also struck gold with the live service aspect while not blowing out a huge amount of money, and Shawn Layden can already see the company implode if it fails to adjust for its longevity.
Do you agree with Shawn Layden’s opinion about Helldivers 2 and its impact on PlayStation? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
