Former PlayStation CEO says he left Sony partially because of shift to live-service models

In context: As an old-school single-player gamer, I will never understand the allure of the live-service model. Between the cheaters, the nickel-and-diming microtransactions, and the toxic children you are forced to play with, I just don't see the value as a consumer. I'm in good company. Former PlayStation Boss doesn't get it either. When Shawn Layden left Sony in 2019, it came as a shock to PlayStation fans. Layden had spent more than half of his life with the company (32 years), with the last few in upper executive positions, including president and CEO of SCEA and Chairman of Sony Worldwide Studios. Layden's abrupt departure came just before the PlayStation 5's debut. At the time, there were rumblings of a dispute between him and SIE President Jim Ryan. Layden later dispelled the rumors, telling Bloomberg he had left out of exhaustion and felt it was just a good time to "put the pin" in it. The former PlayStation boss recently sat down for an interview with Save State Plus (abov ... Read full article.