"According to Shawn Layden, a live-service game "isn't really a game." The former PlayStation executive said in an interview that a live-service game is better described as a "repetitive action engagement device." Then what is a game? Speaking to The Ringer, Layden said a game needs three elements. "I need a story, I need a character, and I need a world," he said."
"Layden left Sony in 2019. He hasn't said exactly why he left, but explained in the interview that live-service was "not my skillset." At the time, Sony was investing heavily in live-service and was planning to release a dozen live-service games by 2026. Sony later cut that projection in half, and some of the titles it has released, like Concord, failed spectacularly. Others, like Helldivers 2, have been enormously successful."
Live-service games function as repetitive action engagement devices that focus on simple, repeatable activities, social interaction, and ongoing player retention. A complete game requires three elements: story, character, and a coherent world, as seen in Horizon, God of War, and Uncharted. Sony invested heavily in live-service, originally planning a dozen titles by 2026 before cutting that projection and experiencing mixed results, including failures like Concord and successes like Helldivers 2. Sony invested more than $1.45 billion in Epic Games and continues development on live-service projects such as Bungie's Marathon, which has faced delays and controversy.
Read at GameSpot
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