Ex-Sony Head Criticizes Live-Service Games: Success Depends on Luck

Shawn Layden stated that there is no universal formula for the success of live-service games, and their survival largely depends on luck, not on copying others' monetization and player retention schemes.

Former head of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Shawn Layden, criticized the live-service game industry, stating that there is no universal recipe for their success, and the survival of such projects largely depends on luck.

Amidst the latest failures of major online projects that consumed hundreds of millions of dollars and disappeared weeks after release, Layden spoke out against the widespread corporate drive to create live-service games.

On the Kiwi Talkz podcast, he called publishers' belief in a universal formula for success a "complete illusion." According to Layden, implementing engagement metrics, seasonal passes, and monetization systems alone does not guarantee a constant influx of players.

The market is so oversaturated with major projects that mechanically copying others' solutions often ends in financial failure. In single-player games, developers retain more freedom for experimentation and original ideas, while the audience for live-service games is increasingly less interested in templated projects created to meet analyst requirements. At the same time, small games with unusual concepts often gain popularity.