Shawn Layden, the former head of PlayStation recently discussed his opinions on the state of the video game industry. Specifically, Layden believes that there is not enough being done to preserve games and thinks that consolidation will threaten creativity within the industry.
In an interview with the Lan Parties podcast, Layden says that “preservation is important. I’m hoping that more people in the industry, certainly the big players, begin to realize that there’s an obligation and responsibility. This isn’t throw-away stuff we’re making. This is stuff that should be around for a long time because future generations will enjoy it in the same way that we have and it’s criminal that we’re not doing more to protect it.”
Shawn Layden isn’t the only one concerned with game preservation. Xbox has done a lot to make sure older games are still available to play. There are hundreds of Xbox 360 titles an a handful of original Xbox titles playable via backward compatibility but that will not last. Come July 29, 2024, it will no longer be possible to buy any games or DLC from the Xbox 360 marketplace.
According to VGC, there will be many games still playable by other means but around 220 of them will not and will essentially disappear forever. Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox said “We would love to find solutions for those games to continue to play.”
Layden shared his concerns on consolidation during his keynote speech at the GamesIndustry.biz Investment Summit. “First, consolidation can be an enemy of creativity. I also think rising costs in gaming are an existential threat to all of us. And the entry of [Google, Netflix, Apple and Amazon] into the sector—otherwise known as the ‘barbarians at the gate.’”
“My concern around consolidation is that often it impacts creativity. For instance, it takes some kind of small, independent, wildhorse studios and brings them into a larger conglomerate and essentially time slows down the bigger you are, time slows down,” Layden said expanding his thoughts on the podcast. “I’m also concerned when studios get bought and instead of enabling a way to create their game, they maybe get absorbed into a larger enterprise that’s making a larger game, you know, how many studios are involved in making blockbuster games that will stagger the mind.”
Layden thinks that acquisitions can save studios from shutting down in specific situations but remains worried about the lasting impact of the larger trend.
“I’m just concerned about what it does to the creativity urge inside of the studios, and can they keep that sort of independent creativity alive or do they just get absorbed into the larger whole? Time will tell, but it’s a bit concerning. When you go from hundreds of voices to dozens of voices, you lose some voices,” Layden said.