Shawn Layden criticizes excessively long games and defends more compact experiences

In times when a good portion of major releases seem to want to hijack your time for hundreds of hours, whether in gigantic open worlds like Assassin's Creed Shadows or in continuous services like Fortnite, a critical voice emerges from within the industry. Shawn Layden, former head of PlayStation, brought a refreshing (and necessary) perspective on the subject.

During a recent interview with Player Driven, Layden got straight to the point about the fatigue that excessively long games have been causing in part of the audience. With adult life, work, parenthood, and so many other commitments, the idea of investing 100 hours in a single game becomes less and less appealing.

"I don't need you to spend 100 hours on my game," stated Layden. "I want you to drop the controller after 20 hours and have sweaty hands."

This criticism comes at a good time, especially considering that some of PlayStation's own franchises have fallen into the trap of unnecessary expansion. The Last of Us Part 2 and God of War: Ragnarok are emblematic examples: although technically impressive, both have been criticized for their extended length and heavy pace, with few moments of lightness, especially in the case of The Last of Us Part 2.

On the other hand, Layden praised the work of Team Asobi in Astro Bot, highlighting the studio's efficiency in creating memorable experiences without resorting to unnecessary bloat:

"They have all the technology at their disposal — infinite rendering distance, all the memory they could need. Even so, they made each level lean and well-crafted," he said.

Layden also emphasized another point that has been lost in the modern industry: "a feeling that we have lost in the last five, six or seven years is the idea of finishing a game." In a market dominated by endless experiences and constant updates, the satisfaction of completing a solid and well-paced campaign seems increasingly rare.

It is ironic to realize that, while Shawn Layden advocated for shorter and more intense experiences, Sony itself under his leadership also began paving the way for this culture of extensive blockbusters. However, his comments make it clear that he believes in a quality experience that respects the player's time — something that many feel is missing in modern games.

In times of games that seem like never-ending marathons, Layden's proposal sounds almost like a nostalgic call to an era where "finishing a game" was the pinnacle of the experience. Will the industry heed this message?