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Ex-PlayStation Boss Calls For A Return To The Good Old Days Of AA Gaming
Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden has urged the games industry to revive more “AA” titles: mid-budget games that sit between small independent projects and blockbuster releases. He argues that escalating development costs and the pressure to produce huge hits have made major publishers overly cautious, leaving players with fewer varied, affordable games.
Layden said the traditional blockbuster model has become increasingly difficult to sustain as budgets, team sizes and production times rise. He suggested developers should make shorter, more focused games with clearer creative identities, rather than treating every release as a large-scale, long-term service platform.
In short
- Layden wants more mid-budget “AA” games.
- Rising blockbuster costs are making publishers cautious.
- Shorter, focused games could broaden player choice.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The decline of mid-budget gaming has reduced creative variety and pricing options between indie projects and expensive blockbusters. AA games historically struck a balance between focused creative ambition and reasonable development costs. Reviving this segment would restore genre diversity, address the escalating unsustainability of AAA budgets, and provide opportunities for new creative voices without demanding blockbuster-level returns.
The case against
The current market structure reflects genuine economic realities rather than preference. AAA investment enables ambitious innovation and cultural significance, whilst an expanded indie sector provides experimental alternatives. The middle tier is commercially the most precarious—games requiring substantial investment but unable to sustain AAA-scale budgets often struggle financially. Modern distribution and live-service models have created profitability pathways that reduce the necessity of the historical AA model.
Explained simply
AA games are mid-budget video games that typically cost several million pounds to develop. They occupy the space between small independent projects and the most expensive blockbuster productions, historically offering developers the means to pursue creative ideas whilst remaining commercially sustainable.
In recent years, the costs and risks of game development have increased considerably. Major publishers have concentrated their spending on established franchises and projects expected to become long-term hits, reducing investment in the mid-tier games that characterised the industry's middle ground. Fewer games in this category now reach market.
Shawn Layden spent nearly three decades in senior positions at PlayStation, including responsibility for overseeing the company's game studios worldwide. His call for change carries weight because he has observed these industry trends from within one of gaming's most influential organisations.
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