Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has discussed cancelling games during his tenure at the company, including a new IP from God of War developer Santa Monica Studio. Sony had invested $25 million into the game, saw potential in it, but ultimately decided to shut it down and eat the cost.
Yoshida said on the My Perfect Console podcast that this new game was not a God of War title, but it had a “really amazing concept and very interesting gameplay ideas.” Sony worked on this game for “many years” but after spending $25 million on it, the studio itself approached Yoshida to say things were not working out.
“They came to me and said, ‘We have to stop.’ I do not exactly remember the reason–probably the team was not able to find the game. It was a great concept, great idea, but you know, the gameplay didn’t really come to be,” he said, as reported by VGC.
It’s always interesting to hear behind-the-scenes stories from the gaming industry. It’s a tough decision to cancel a project, especially after significant investment. Thanks for sharing this insight!
Absolutely, the decision-making in game development can be quite complex. It’s fascinating to think about how much effort and creativity goes into a project before it’s ultimately canceled. It really highlights the risks involved in bringing new ideas to life in such a competitive market.
about how many factors play into those choices. It’s also interesting to consider the potential risks and rewards of investing such a large sum upfront. Sometimes, despite the investment, a game might not align with market trends or player expectations, leading to tough calls like this.