https://www.businessinsider.com/shawn-layden-interview-sony-playstation-4-success-2019-2Smith: I want to talk about management style for a bit. Do you feel like your approach with the studios is more hands on or hands off? How important are deadlines to you?
Layden: You know, we've been at this for over 25 years now. And I think we are understanding better the power of unleashing the creative — and really being able to speak with individuals, or with teams, that have a vision for a game they wanna bring forward.
Having done it so often over so many years, I think we're just getting better at it. We're more experienced at it. We understand what the real cost, time and money, for a great scope is, and prepare ourselves to deliver that.
Deadlines are important, but they're not an end unto themselves. Deadlines, or milestones, are ways that you measure your progress across a trajectory. They're check-in points. Are we achieving this level of artistic quality? If the story works, what are the beats? Are the animations executed? And more often than not, if we feel that we need to spend a little more time in any one of those categories, we've made provisions, and we're prepared to move a date if it's in service of achieving a greater result.
And I know in the game community, people are disappointed to find out that, "Hey! What do you mean you're moving it up 30 days, or 60 days, or 90 days?" But once we've come to market, everyone says, "Oh my God, I'm so glad you did." (laughs) Because we can only answer that disappointment by delivering an awesome result.
Felt this was important to highlight
Smith: The PlayStation 4 has been a huge success, but do you find there's anything over this past cycle that you think PlayStation whiffed on? Was there anything you thought you guys could have done better, or just didn't do it at all — and want to do better on the next cycle?
Layden: For all of the advances we've made, and the high bar we've focused on in storytelling. I mean, I dare anybody to experience something like "The Last of Us" and not feel emotional about it; and with "God of War," that story of a father and son; and "Horizon [Zero Dawn]," and the power of Aloy, the protagonist.
All of these things, I believe we've done quite well. I'm very happy with the "Spider-Man" game that went out last year. And looking forward, "Days Gone" is coming in a couple months. That's not only compelling and gripping, but it will emotionally try you very hard. I think all those things we do really well.
What we don't do so much in is multiplayer.
https://www.businessinsider.com/shawn-layden-interview-sony-playstation-4-success-2019-2Smith: Do you mean local multiplayer, where two people can play in the same room next to each other, or online multiplayer games?
Layden: Couch co-op — I mean that's a whole category I think the industry needs to look back at. We have that with sports titles, and some racing titles, but not with much else. And I think that speaks to the power of the internet on the one hand, but otherwise we might wanna revisit that to get more family engagement in the gaming experience.
But, no, I was referencing more with the things like "GTA 5 Online," or you look at "Call of Duty," or "Fortnite," or any of those experiences. Worldwide Studios, like I say, we've been going really heavy into story-driven gaming. The power of the narrative. Big, spectacular experiences. But not a whole lot in the multiplayer side of things, I think. That's an area where you will likely see us start to make more noise in the new term.
