A clear definition of what a video game is
In this interview, Shawn Layden talks at length about what he considers to be the definition of a “real game”. He argues that, like flagship PlayStation titles such as Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War and Uncharted 4, a game must absolutely have three pillars: a story, a character and a world.
A live‑service game only needs repetitive action, players to communicate in that world, and the desire to do it again and again.
He then describes live‑service titles as a “mirage on a sand dune”:
“…we chase them, we can’t reach it, and if we do, what you brought to the table, no one wants to play it.”
He considers thathe pressure on PlayStation to move more into live-service games was, directly or indirectly, one of the reasons for its departure in 2019. Behind the scenes at Sony, an ambitious plan had been unveiled with just under a dozen live-service games coming by 2026. But several titles were canceled (including The Last of Us Online) or did not meet expectations. Helldivers 2 remains the only exception, especially since the game was validated by Layden at the time, however he unfortunately does not give more details on this subject during the interview (apart from a sign of pride when talking about the acquisition of Insomniac Games, also his own doing).
Where to put the line?
However, even if we can agree with certain points of his analysis of service games, we can find his definition quite restrictive insofar as it excludes many games (mostly independent) which do not tick all of his boxes (a Tetris has no story or character for example). We can also cite well-known MMORPGs or titles such as Genshin Impact or Zenless Zone Zero which correspond to its definition.
It is undeniable that the “all-in” made by Jim Rayan towards service games was a monumental error for the firm, and today it seems that we are witnessing a rebalancing between single-player games and multiplayer games. Although the development of service games is subject to a huge risk of flop, the model is still seen as a source of recurring revenue for publishers, especially in a context where production costs are exploding. We must therefore always expect new attempts in the coming years. Starting with Marathon, from the Japanese manufacturer.
And you, what is a “real” game according to you?