As a longtime single-player gamer, I’ve never understood the appeal of the live-service model. Between rampant cheating, aggressive microtransactions, and the often-toxic player base, I struggle to see its value. Apparently, I’m not alone—former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden doesn’t get it either.
Layden’s departure from Sony in 2019 was a shock to PlayStation fans. Having dedicated 32 years to the company, he held several high-ranking positions, including President and CEO of SCEA and Chairman of Sony Worldwide Studios.
His sudden exit occurred just before the PlayStation 5’s launch. At the time, speculation swirled about a possible rift between him and SIE President Jim Ryan. However, Layden later dismissed those claims, telling Bloomberg he left due to exhaustion and felt it was simply the right time to “put the pin” in his tenure.
Recently, Layden sat down for an interview with Save State Plus (above), where he revealed that beyond timing, he also disagreed with Sony’s growing emphasis on live-service gaming and continuous monetization. The shift toward subscription-based and recurring revenue models didn’t align with his interests.
“To be honest, you know, the company was making some strategic decisions about where they want to take the platform in the future with a heavy emphasis in games as a service, live-service gaming, subscription formulas, recurring revenue, whatnot, and that was kind of not my wheelhouse.
I just make things like God of War and Spider-Man and Last of Us and Uncharted. Horizon. I didn’t have the vision or the energy to try to, you know, take it to this this new area of live-service gaming so, all that considered, it seemed like a good time to step down after 32 years at Sony.”
PlayStation boss Shawn LaydenEven before the PlayStation 5’s arrival, Sony had been shifting its business model toward live-service games and subscriptions. Layden had a firsthand view of these changes and ultimately chose to step away before PlayStation Plus and first-party development underwent major transformation.
Sony’s restructuring led to a revamped, multi-tiered PlayStation Plus service, which has performed well. However, its venture into multiplayer-focused, microtransaction-heavy games has been inconsistent.
A prime example is Concord, which flopped spectacularly, peaking at just 2,388 concurrent players before Sony delisted it less than two weeks post-launch—making it the third fastest failure in live-service gaming history, according to DualShockers.
Layden’s stance isn’t surprising. He has been openly critical of the industry’s current trajectory. Speaking at Gamescom last year, he argued that publishers have prioritized monetization over creating enjoyable games. He has also expressed doubts about the future of console gaming, suggesting that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles could mark the last major hardware leaps.
That said, there’s no bad blood between Layden and Sony. He enjoyed a fulfilling 30-plus years with the company and left on good terms.
Sony bid him farewell in 2019, stating, “His visionary leadership will be greatly missed. We wish him success in future endeavors and are deeply grateful for his years of service. Thanks for everything, Shawn!”
