Former PlayStation Executive Claims Studios Favor Live-Service Models for Better Project Approval Chances

Great news, folks! Shuhei Yoshida, the former PlayStation executive, recently assured us that no first-party studio under PlayStation’s wing has been coerced into developing live-service games. According to him, these studios have likely chosen to align with what he describes as a “big initiative,” reasoning that it increases their chances of getting their projects off the ground and backed by the company.

Yoshida, soon to lend his voice to a duck mascot, shared these insights during a chat on Sacred Symbols+ (courtesy of Push Square), and it’s the kind of statement you’d anticipate from someone who’s sat at the helm of such a prominent company.

In the interview, Yoshida mentioned that studios aren’t strong-armed into focusing on live-service games. Instead, he explained, “When studios notice a company emphasizing a major initiative, they understand that going with the flow can bolster their odds of having a project greenlit and supported.”

He further articulated, “It’s not as if [current PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst] is mandating teams to produce live-service games. It’s probably more of a mutual decision.”

While technically accurate, Yoshida’s comments dip into corporate jargon. If studios observe leadership’s fixation on a particular direction and conclude that following along might prevent them from falling into the dreaded limbo often faced by those whose ideas repeatedly get shot down, that’s not exactly the healthiest scenario. Executives need to be mindful of this dynamic.

Ideally, you’d hope that companies like PlayStation would cultivate an atmosphere where their top-tier studios feel trusted by the higher-ups. This, in turn, should allow them the freedom to propose game ideas that they believe, based on their expertise, are the best fit for the market and their unique skills. Rather than joining a bandwagon and saturating an already competitive space—particularly in the live-service genre—fostering creativity and innovation should be the goal.

Granted, I haven’t spent decades steering a giant like PlayStation. And to give Yoshida some credit, he doesn’t necessarily tout this as a positive; he’s merely making an observation.

He also understood the less glamorous side of things when discussing PlayStation’s axed live-service projects, candidly acknowledging, “Yeah, it sucks.”