For those of us who’ve been gaming since the days of Crash Bandicoot and Metal Gear Solid, it’s hard to ignore how much the gaming landscape has changed—and not necessarily for the better. Sure, today’s games are visually stunning and bigger than ever, but where’s the creativity? Former PlayStation president Shawn Layden pointed out at Gamescom Asia that gaming’s focus has shifted from crafting fun experiences to prioritizing monetization and profit margins. Honestly, it feels like we’ve all seen this happening for years.
From Fun to Profit: The Shift in Priorities
Layden’s point was simple yet poignant: the focus used to be on fun, not on microtransactions or DLC schemes. “We spent a lot more time asking, ‘Is it fun?’… Now it’s ‘What’s your monetization scheme?” Layden explained during the event. His comments are a sobering reminder of how modern gaming has become more about the bottom line than creating memorable, innovative experiences. I mean, when was the last time a big studio green lit something completely off the wall?
The issue goes deeper than just monetization strategies. The rising cost of developing AAA games has led to risk-averse publishers who are more interested in milking established franchises than fostering new ones. According to Layden, producing a blockbuster title now costs hundreds of millions of dollars, making studios reluctant to gamble on unproven ideas. It’s no wonder we’re seeing the same titles rehashed again and again.
Sequels and Remakes: The Safe Bet
If you’ve paid attention to the release calendar lately, it’s packed with sequels and remakes. Yes, remakes like Resident Evil 2 have been fantastic, but at some point, we have to ask: where are the new IPs? Do we really need another Skyrim port? And while I enjoyed Starfield to an extent, it feels like Bethesda just gave us Skyrim in space. Sequels and remakes are safe bets, but they don’t push the industry forward.
Layden himself has expressed concerns about this approach, warning that it leads to a “collapse of creativity”. He likened the overreliance on blockbusters to a “death sentence” for innovation. He’s right. It feels like gaming has become a race to see who can sell the most downloadable skins, rather than who can deliver the most memorable gameplay experience.
The Missing Middle: What Happened to AA Games?
One of the biggest casualties of this shift has been the AA games—those mid-budget, experimental titles that weren’t as resource-heavy as AAA blockbusters but allowed developers to take creative risks. Titles like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice proved that you don’t need a $100 million budget to create something impactful. But as Layden pointed out, AA games have all but disappeared, leaving the industry with a gap between AAA behemoths and indie projects.
This missing middle ground is a huge problem. Without these mid-tier games, developers have fewer opportunities to explore quirky or unconventional ideas. The result? A gaming industry that’s either focused on massive open-world games designed to maximize engagement—or tiny indie titles that don’t always have the resources to realize their full vision. It’s a frustrating space for creativity to thrive in.
Layden’s Call for Shorter, More Creative Games
Layden’s solution is refreshingly simple: we need shorter, more creative games that don’t rely on massive budgets. By lowering costs, developers could take more risks without worrying about the financial bottom line. It’s a vision of gaming where smaller, more unique experiences can once again flourish. But let’s face it: it’s going to take a major shift in both industry thinking and consumer behavior.
As Layden put it, if we keep supporting monetization models like microtransactions, they’ll continue to dominate the market. Developers will keep building games designed to “nickel and dime” the player if they know people will buy in. It’s a frustrating cycle, but one that won’t change unless we as gamers demand better.
Breaking the Cycle—Or Staying in It?
So, are we doomed to a future of endless sequels, remakes, and live-service models, or is there hope for something better? Layden remains cautiously optimistic that smaller, more experimental projects could breathe life back into the industry. There are glimpses of this happening already in the indie scene. Games like Hades and Celeste prove that creativity and innovation can still thrive without massive budgets.
But what about the big players? Will we ever see the same risk-taking from AAA studios that led to classics like Shadow of the Colossus or BioShock? It’s hard to say. The stakes are higher than ever, and for every successful gamble, there’s a flop that makes studios more cautious. But if enough voices like Layden’s are heard—and if gamers start demanding more innovation—there’s a chance we might see a return to form.
At the end of the day, gaming should be about fun, creativity, and pushing the medium forward. As Layden said, “If we’re just going to rely on blockbusters, that’s a death sentence.” It’s time for developers and publishers to take risks again, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll get back to what made gaming so great in the first place.
