PS5: Ex-Playstation boss warns of increasingly expensive games

Nice In the days of the Playstation 4, the production costs of games were often over 100 million dollars. This sum should double again with the PS5 – and that can have consequences.

Layden was CEO of Playstation Worldwide Studios for years and stepped down in 2019. In a strategy discussion, the former software boss sounded the alarm: The exploding development costs are decimating the types of games and types of players. He advocates more studios and better working conditions there. Bloomberg reported the conversation first.

Layden formulates the assumption that the development costs for the games will double with each new generation of consoles. At the time, the budgets for the last major Playstation 4 titles were around 100 million US dollars. “If we can’t keep the cost curve from going up, all we can do is try to reduce the risk,” he said verbatim. This is how he explained the trend towards sequels in the AAA area. Layden’s forecast: The production of a PS5 game will cost $ 200 million in the future. That would be the budget of a Hollywood blockbuster. “Spiderman 2” cost this sum; “Robinhood”, “James Bond 007 – Skyfall” and some Pixar sequels too. “Titanic” was the first film to cost $ 200 million. That was already 1997, however, adjusted for inflation, that was almost 350 million dollars on the release date of “Skyfall”.

In addition to his doubling theory, the ex-Sony manager presents another law. He predicts that starting with the PS5, costs will continue to develop exponentially. The result of the cost explosion is an endless series of annual new editions of franchises such as “Call of Duty” or “Fifa”. As soon as something new is successful, all publishers pounce on it, he gives to understand and names “Candy Crush”, “Fortnite” and “Roblox” as trends worth billions. The result: “Diversity is being displaced,” says Layden.

The ex-manager downplays his own responsibility. “I think I’ve done my part in showing the world what great gameplay can look like.” Layden’s time included big, expensive games like Uncharted 4, Ghost of Tsushima, and God of War. As a premium example for even more magnificent graphics and larger worlds, “Horizon Zero Dawn” can be considered, the development of which also falls within his area of ​​responsibility.

Layden is working today at the consultancy Streamline, which advises studios for computer games. He hopes his new employer’s focus on promoting game development around the world will result in a greater variety of games. The heavyweights at the top of the industry could ultimately compensate for that.