In an interview with CNBC, Shawn Layden shared his thoughts on the topic of acquisitions. The former PlayStation boss was never a fan of this trend, even before Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard.q
In the interview, he noted Microsoft and Embracer Group, but PlayStation is also involved in the consolidation. Over the past few years, the gaming giant has acquired Bungie, Insomniac Games, Firesprite, Housemarque, Bluepoint Games and others.
“I believe consolidation is it is the enemy of creativity.”
He noted that commoditization of a product leads to an increase in the number of identical products. To confirm his words, we can cite the recent acquisition of Bungie by PlayStation, after which the development of Destiny 2 did not lead to the best results, and the team was cut.
Shaun Layden sees this trend as a problem for the entire gaming industry.
But for Call of Duty, the recent acquisition may not be the worst outcome. Activision Blizzard has been struggling with the franchise lately, with Modern Warfare 3 being its lowest-rated release to date. More freedom on Microsoft's part could lead to a better Call of Duty. But Shawn Layden's opinion is not without merit, even if it is necessary to survive in the industry.