PlayStation crisis and layoffs blamed on games-as-a-service, report says

The departure of Connie Booth and more employees would be linked to the change of strategy

PlayStation crisis and layoffs blamed on games-as-a-service, report says

The departure of Connie Booth and more employees would be linked to the change of strategy

Over the past few weeks, there have been reports of several unexpected layoffs and departures of top executives at PlayStation. A few hours ago, it was confirmed the report from David Jaffe, creator of God of War, about Connie Booth, a directive who left the company after a long and prolific career.

What's interesting is that Jaffe also revealed other details about PlayStation's current situation that may well be accurate. Specifically, he stated that all of these problems have the same cause: the shift in focus to games as a service.

Games as a service would be the big problem for PlayStation
Games as a service would be the big problem for PlayStation

Games as a service would be responsible for chaos at PlayStation

According to Jaffe, many teams at PlayStation Studios disagree with the strategy shift to games-as-a-service. According to sources, the developers believe that they should continue making single-player titles, as this is the type of project where they know and can tap into their potential.

The report mentions that the teams' discontent is really great, especially after what happened with Naughty Dog, which was impacted by layoffs and whose multiplayer for The Last of Us is apparently in trouble.

Jaffe insists that Booth was fired without warning, all because of the differences this shift to games-as-a-service has generated. The creative speculates that there may have been a clash of positions with Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios.

Finally, Hulst is said to have favored cutting Japanese studios from the company in the past, which may have further contributed to a difference between perspectives and thus internal conflict.

Jason Schreier, Bloomberg journalist and one of the industry's most trusted sources, had previously reported that the PlayStation Studios teams were not at all happy with games-as-a-service or Jim Ryan's strategy for the future of the brand.

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