Shawn Layden, the former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, has defended the importance of exclusive games in a context where they are becoming increasingly rare. In a recent appearance on the podcast Pause for Thought, Layden noted that while not all games need to be exclusive to a console, the existence of unique titles adds significant value to the platform brands, such as PlayStation and Nintendo.
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Layden emphasized that cross-platform games are often “programmed for the lowest common denominator”, which can negatively impact the quality of the final product. According to him, exclusive games allow developers to “maximize quality” by fully leveraging the technical capabilities of a console. However, he also acknowledged that the future may see the coexistence of exclusive titles and massive multiplayer games, which will likely be cross-platform to attract a wider audience.
Currently, Xbox has begun porting almost all of its exclusives to other consoles, while PlayStation has started sharing some of its games, such as Helldivers 2 and Lego Horizon Adventures, with Microsoft and Nintendo. Despite this trend, Layden pointed out that Nintendo has shown no interest in opening its intellectual property to other platforms, which contrasts with the recent policies of PlayStation and Xbox.
Layden concluded that although the trend of exclusive titles seems to be diminishing, there will still be space for some unique games in the future, especially those looking to make the most of the player experience. His analysis resonates at a time when the industry is reevaluating how games can be distributed and played across multiple platforms.