Modern AAA gaming appears to be in trouble, with major executives and authorities highlighting red flags with the industry’s current approach. One such executive is Shawn Layden, who previously declared AAA budgets a major threat to the industry.

In a new interview, the executive has once again warned the industry. He believes that the obsession with making games longer and longer is a major problem and a mismatch in today’s time.

Why it matters: The gaming industry is currently haunted by layoffs and studio closures. Therefore, such warnings should not be taken lightly.
Shawn Layden Has Not Been Able To Make Time For Red Dead Redemption 2
Speaking to Eurogamer, Shawn Layden highlighted that games cost around $150 million to produce during the PS4 generation. The average AAA production costs a lot more today, with success becoming less likely due to saturation across various genres.

According to the executive, the solution to this problem is simple. He argues that studios should focus on producing shorter games that can be created on small budgets. As per Shawn Layden, this would also be beneficial to the fans.

The former Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO argues that most gamers today don’t have too much free time on their hands. Citing his own example, he revealed that he has yet to play Red Dead Redemption 2.

Games are too long. Our approach is a mismatch to reality. I haven’t even opened Red Dead Redemption 2 because I don’t have 90 hours.

-Shawn Layden

PlayStation’s First-Party Output Has A Major Budget Problem
While Red Dead Redemption 2 is an incredible game in many ways, Shawn Layden brings up an interesting point about its length. For many players, this can prove to be a major hurdle.

PlayStation itself seems to be facing this issue, with each new game requiring bigger and bigger budgets to produce. Still, recent releases like Astro Bot have shown how PlayStation could mitigate the problem using Shawn Layden’s philosophy.