Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden believes the video game industry has lost its way. According to him, development discussions are no longer centered on enjoyment and creativity, but on monetization, engagement metrics, and market calculations. He argues that shorter, lower-budget games focused on fun should make a comeback.

The current direction of the video game industry is increasingly difficult for Shawn Layden to understand. The former PlayStation boss says that while many ideological debates have faded into the background, studios are now overwhelmingly focused on maximizing profits. In his view, this shift has come at the expense of the very thing that made games appealing in the first place: fun.

Layden explains that when developers pitch games to him today, the conversation rarely starts with gameplay or player experience. Instead, many presentations open with monetization plans, addressable market,s and engagement strategies. At that point, he often stops the discussion to ask what he considers the most important question: Where is the fun?

While he acknowledges that economics matter in any business, Layden insists they cannot replace creativity. Games succeed when they deliver memorable experiences. Without that foundation, even strong financial results cannot compensate for a loss of quality and long-term relevance.

According to Layden, the industry has become overly fixated on producing 80–100-hour games designed to maximize player engagement. He believes studios should instead return to tighter, 20–25-hour experiences that respect players’ time while delivering a more focused and enjoyable journey.

This shift would also impact budgets. Rather than relying on projects that cost hundreds of millions of dollars, studios could once again develop games with double-digit million-dollar budgets. Layden argues that such an approach would be healthier for both developers and players.

Recent successes support his argument. Several independent and smaller-scale titles have shown that prioritizing creativity and enjoyment can lead to financial success without the need for aggressive monetization systems.

Layden Says the Industry Has Forgotten How to Be Fun

Layden has expressed disappointment that fun is no longer the primary goal for much of the industry. He believes many studios design games around engagement metrics rather than enjoyment, causing the core appeal of gaming to fade.

Most players, he suggests, recognize this shift, as many modern games feel more like obligations than entertainment. Still, Layden points out that standout projects continue to prove there is another path forward.

In his view, the future of gaming does not lie in increasingly complex revenue models, but in delivering well-crafted, enjoyable experiences that reconnect players with why they fell in love with games in the first place.

Source: tech4gamers