AAA game costs are an “existential threat”, the former head of PlayStation warns

Develop AAA Games This has become incredibly expensive, with budgets, which in many cases exceed wide profit for Hollywood film production. AND Sean LeidenFormer President of PlayStation Studios, did not hide anxiety about this already normalized trend in the industry GamesField

Experimental, which for years has been one of the main visible PlayStation persons in North America, as a result of which exorbitant costs for the production of AAA games as “Existential threat” For the sector. In other words, this is not the first time that Leiden in the spotlight leads to a cruel increase in names at the first level and their potential negative consequences.

The comments of the current Tencent strategic adviser arose from his participation in the Podkasta Destin Legarie. Answering the question whether he believes that the reduction in the number of AAA games that are launched from year to year added to increase their development costs, it was something positive or negative, the former leader of the PlayStation Studios without hesitation.

“I am very worried about this. I think this is an existential threat to him Games that we see these exorbitant budgets for the AAA games, [porque] As the budget increases, Risk resistance very quickly to zero“He also emphasized. He said that there are more names of this type that fails than those who are successful.

Sean Leiden (PlayStation) is again loaded compared to the costs of the AAA game

Referring to an increase in the AAA games, Leiden insisted that it was necessary to change the strategy in the industry. “We do not insist on the failures of the past and try to learn from them so as not to repeat them. […] We need to find a way to reduce costs or attack a new market again, ”he said. About the latter, he believed that revive the double title market That would be a very interesting starting point.

This is not the first time that Sean Leiden criticizes the brutal increase in the costs of developing the AAA or the first level. At the end of last year, Exexecutive PlayStation said that spending hundreds of millions of dollars in video games It was smooth and clearly unstableIn addition, he questioned the expansion of this type of proposals.

“With each new generation, the creation of title costs is doubled. That costs $ 1 million in PS1, it cost 2 million, 4 million or 16 million. The increase was exponential. In PS4, the development of the game cost $ 150 million if you point out the best, not counting marketing. So, according to these calculations, PS5 games should cost between 300 and 400 million, and it’s simple that this is because it just approaches everything.

Criticism of Sean Leiden suggests that many of the AAA games that are absurd money They have no chance of restoring investmentsNo matter how successful. The problem that becomes more complicated when it comes to the exceptional names of the platform or console.

PlayStation comes from suffering a rather strong slap in the face with Agreementwhich would be the most expensive failure in his history with a cost of $ 400 million. Warner Bros also comes from suffering in its own flesh, similar to a situation with Suicide squad: Kill the Justice LeagueWhich not only made him lose $ 200 million, but also made him make rather complicated decisions. Among them, cancellation Miracle is a woman and closing Monolith Productions.

Activision is one of the companies that can still be luxurious to spend giant amounts in their most famous AAA games. However, It is assumed that the numbers have gone out of controlFor example, at the beginning of this year it was known that the development Call of Duty This can reach $ 700 million.