Shawn Layden advises Asha Sharma
بواسطة 🔫 Not A Real Sugar: Shawn Layden
Speaking on the Expansion Pass podcast, former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden told Xbox CEO Asha Sharma she needs to pick a lane between running a console platform or becoming a publisher. He stated you can't be successful at both roles simultaneously and questioned where Game Pass fits into that strategy. The advice came while discussing Microsoft's grand reset for 2026, with Layden noting Xbox has spent too much time shifting goals. He pointed to Sega's history after the Dreamcast era as an example of a company that successfully transitioned from hardware to publishing.
النص (en)
The voice of the man that guided PlayStation into an unprecedented era of success over the course of the PlayStation 4 generation has some choice words for the current direction of Xbox, and they're pretty blunt. It is no secret that the Xbox series consoles have seen a lot of ups and downs this generation, with so many pivots that even the most hardcore Xbox fans have had a bit of whiplash. But in looking to the future in this grand reset of Xbox Asha Sharma keeps talking about throughout 2026. Only one thing seems to be critical, according to PlayStation's former head of worldwide studios, Sean Layden. Speaking on the Expansion Pass podcast, Sean Layden argues that Microsoft and Xbox have spent too long moving between different goals and need to, quote, pick a lane. The former PlayStation executive explained he feels Xbox can either commit to competing with PlayStation or fully lean in and become one of the world's leading publishers. He said, quote, you can't be successful at both, while referencing Sega's post-Dreamcast era of their history where they moved away from hardware and became a massively successful publisher. He also questioned how Game Pass fits into the equation moving forward, and hey, he's not alone. Pretty much everybody's asking that these days. But what about you? What direction do you want to see Xbox go in the future?
