By “Turns out, I’m still not fond of the gaming equivalent of Netflix.”
An extensive – and remarkably revealing – examination of the industry’s present climate has been published by GamesIndustry.biz, featuring interviews with analysts such as Circana’s Mat Piscatella.
Yet it’s comments from former PlayStation leader Shawn Layden stealing the spotlight, thanks to his pointed critique of Xbox Game Pass.
During a broader conversation about video-game price points, the long-time Sony executive argues that day-one subscription drops could be “harmful,” drawing parallels with Spotify.
He reminds readers that recorded music has become essentially value-less, but bands still make cash through “adjacent revenue” like concerts. Such a secondary source simply doesn’t exist for games.
Though he concedes subscriptions might benefit indies chasing exposure – take something akin to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, maybe? – he fears developers will morph into “wage laborers,” stripped of the motivation to create breakout hits with eye-watering upside.
“Plenty of arguments circulate. Is Game Pass profitable? Is it bleeding money? Honestly, that framing misses the point entirely.
With enough spreadsheet gymnastics you can make any corporate venture appear financially rosy. Shift the right costs off-page and—boom—suddenly it’s in the black. The deeper concern for me is: Is Game Pass good for those who actually make the games?
Studios aren’t forging a product, launching it to market, craving a smash-hit payoff and sharing in the windfall. Instead it’s, ‘You cut me a flat hourly cheque; I hand you a finished game; you plonk it on your servers.’
I just don’t believe that model excites creators.”
Expect these remarks to ignite yet another firestorm, prompting endless finger-pointing.
We somewhat grasp Layden’s underlying worry: if a title’s success is capped by a subscriber headcount that’s already been billed, where’s the encouragement to go above and beyond creatively? Still, we suspect most teams will push back.
In the end, developers want to ship dazzling experiences – and guaranteed income can sometimes fund that ambition rather than stifle it.
One thing remains crystal clear: no matter how Microsoft spins it, the subscription surely lacks the firepower to bankroll its entire studio slate – which is precisely why the company is now porting nearly every first-party asset across to PS5.
The back-and-forth will drone on, but Layden isn’t budging: he detests the Game Pass blueprint and it’s unlikely any debater will flip the script.
[source GamesIndustry.biz]
As Editorial Overlord at Push Square, Sammy has spent well over a decade-and-a-half dissecting the PlayStation ecosystem – from PS3 to PS5 and all the handheld detours along the way. A bona fide authority on PS Studios, industry trends, sports sims, and, when spare time permits, sprawling RPGs with generous loot-throwers in which he happily swims like a giant gacha whale.