GamesFormer PlayStation boss says exploding AAA budgets squeeze out creativity as the “finance guys” hunt for their own GTA and find a “lot of copycats, a lot of sequels"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesFormer PlayStation boss says exploding AAA budgets squeeze out creativity as the “finance guys” hunt for their own GTA and find a “lot of copycats, a lot of sequels"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
PlayStation’s former boss thinks that ballooning development budgets are “squeezing” the creative juices out of AAA game development.
Shawn Layden is no stranger to huge game budgets, having served as a senior executive at the console maker for years. Poorly redacted legal documents previously revealed that blockbuster games he’d been involved with, includingThe Last of Us Part 2 and Horizon Forbidden West, had budgets exceeding $200 million, but Layden now feels those huge price tags are negatively affecting how games are made.
“I guess you get new genre activity at the indies level, where there’s more risk tolerance,” Layden says in an interview withEurogamer. “You have got to take the risk, otherwise you’re not gonna get anywhere. But I’m afraid that the current cost of game development, with AAA console titles costing in the hundreds of millions, squeezes risk tolerance out of the room.”
Layden explains that when a game studio plans to spend $160 million or so on a project, the company’s “finance guys” will immediately want another successful game to compare it against. “‘What is that comparable to? How are you going to make me feel better? Can you show me how the trend line is going to be exactly like Grand Theft Auto, so then I can feel fine putting money behind it?'” Layden says the risk averse attitude “results in a lot of copycats, a lot of sequels” and mindsets like “‘Give me GTA 7, because I know how to plot that course.'” As a result, big budgets are “squeezing, I think, creativity out at the high end and that’s a problem.”
Layden also points to the PS1 and PS2 generations where one console owner might buy up to 25 games during those consoles’ lifecycles, and compares it to where we are now with millions of people dedicated to a select few never-ending live services. People who log ontoFortniteand Warzone every night are less likely to check out or buy other, newer releases, for example.
Borderlands 3 and The Elder Scrolls Online’s director recently talked about the same woes, claiming that AAA studios are playing it safe since “you have people who get nervous because big money is involved.”
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”