Former PlayStation leader Shawn Layden acknowledges that the PS3 represented Sony‘s “Icarus” moment, leaving everyone “relieved to have come through the ordeal.”
This week, Sony is marking 30 years of PlayStation—a journey that features the triumphs of the PS2 and, unfortunately, the struggles of the PS3. In a fresh discussion with Eurogamer, Layden describes the PS3 as an “Icarus” moment for Sony since the team “flew too close to the sun.” While everyone was thankful to have made it through, they emerged with several lessons learned.
“We had PS1, PS2… and now we’re creating a supercomputer!” Layden reminisces. “And we’re going to install Linux on it! And we’re going to do all these types of things! We flew too close to the sun and were fortunate and grateful to have survived the ordeal, but it taught us immensely.
“As we transitioned to PS4, we understood the importance of focusing on core gaming rather than trying to do everything, such as stream movies or play music. We could establish a better price. We could negotiate with suppliers instead of developing our own solutions.”
Layden continues by emphasizing that Sony learned the crucial lesson that the “core” of the PS4 should be gaming, not ancillary services.
“Just make it the ultimate gaming machine,” he asserts. “I believe that’s what truly made the difference. When the PS4 launched, it positioned us against what Xbox was attempting to accomplish. [They aimed to] create more of a multimedia experience, while our goal was to develop an outstanding gaming machine.”
Although the PS3 did not achieve the same success as Sony’s other consoles, it eventually became profitable. The system lacked the online capabilities of the Xbox 360 and, according to Layden, attempted to tackle too many features overall. Nonetheless, PS3 hardware eventually turned profitable after a “lengthy period.” In contrast, the PS4, with its lessons learned,