This refers to titles such as Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Ninja Theory, the studio that developed it, also classified the production as an AA game.

Developing modern AAA games requires more time and larger teams, putting enormous pressure on publishers to achieve blockbuster-level sales. Many industry veterans have acknowledged the drawbacks of modern game development. The former head of PlayStation has once again brought up the current crisis in game development. He believes part of the solution lies in Sony’s past.

In an interview with Eurogamer, Layden argued for a renewed focus on AA games inspired by the PS2 era. These projects would prioritize strong gameplay and memorable characters rather than chasing photorealistic graphics, massive worlds, and ever-longer playtimes. Layden’s model would also focus on games that can be completed in 12–15 hours. He claims that games are so costly nowadays that securing publisher approval often necessitates a sequel or a mainstream franchise. At the same time, he notes that this means the kind of unconventional games from the PS1 and PS2 eras no longer see the light of day.

This is precisely why the former Sony executive is heading in the opposite direction. In his view, the gaming industry keeps churning out the same thing over and over. This is why Layden is launching a publishing venture that will focus on the AA market. As always, the former PlayStation boss presents many compelling arguments in his latest line of thinking. Like him, many others have discussed the pitfalls of rising budgets and an excessive emphasis on photorealism.

Just think about how many PS2 games have since become major franchises. Call of Duty, for example, got its start back then and has released a game every year since, with mostly varying quality. Even when it comes to Sony exclusives, we can cite examples: Jak & Daxter, Sly Cooper, and Ratchet & Clank. While Sony tried to revive Ratchet and Clank on the PlayStation 5, it didn’t do the same with the other two.

Source: Tech4Gamers, Eurogamer