Ex-PlayStation chief Shawn Layden has revealed during a chinwag with HipHopGamer that he would have greenlit new entries in the Resistance and Jak & Daxter franchise by now if he was still at Sony.
When asked if he would have greenlit a new game in both franchises if he were still heading PlayStation, Layden simply confirmed he would have. He followed this up by stating that he gave the go-ahead to Ratchet & Clank on PS4, despite marketing and sales folk being against the idea as they argued gamers wouldn’t be interested in an “old game.” Layden argued that at the time, data revealed that a large chunk of PS4’s user base were not familiar with the series, and therefore it would be considered a new game to them.
Layden, who served as chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios prior to leaving the format holder, recently touched base on rumours about a PS6 handheld during a chat with KiwiTalkz, noting Sony has traditionally struggled handling two pieces of hardware.
He also responded back in July to Sony’s plans to scrap production of PlayStation game discs, stating he doesn’t necessarily agree with the decision while also reminding folk that he doesn’t actually work in the business anymore.
The Resistance franchise first appeared in 2006 as a launch title for the PS3, and received two major sequels in 2008’s Resistance 2 and 2011’s Resistance 3. Two handheld game were also developed, namely Resistance Retribution for PSP in 2009 and Resistance Burning Skies for PS Vita in 2012. The franchise has been on ice ever since, with not even a remastered collection seeing the light of day.
Jak & Daxter meanwhile arrived in 2001 for the PS2 and spawned a successful franchise that included various spinoffs, with the last brand new instalment being 2009’s Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier for PSP and PS2. The series was remastered in 2012 with the Jak & Daxter Collection, but like Resistance, has been gathering dust ever since.
[Source – HipHoGamer Interview with Shawn Layden via Arkham Dreamer on X]