Former Sony executive acknowledges that they have canceled games in very advanced stages of development

Shuhei Yoshida, a veteran PlayStation producer who has been at the helm of some of the company’s most iconic titles, has opened a new chapter in his career by founding his own consultancy. In a recent interview with Game File, Yoshida discussed the delicate process of deciding when a game has no potential for success and, consequently, must be canceled.

Sometimes they have had to make very difficult decisions

Yoshida revealed that, in the most extreme cases, the team evaluates how much additional investment is needed to complete a game. “If the revenue seems to be lower than the money we need to spend to finish, we cancel the project,” he explained. His experience indicates that numerous projects have been canceled in the prototype phase, decisions that often remain in the dark. “That’s fine. It’s just a process,” he added.

However, what is particularly shocking is the revelation that some games are canceled even in advanced stages of production. Yoshida shared that he has made the difficult decision to cancel projects that required an investment of up to 25 million dollars, something considerable in the past, although today it may not seem like much in the industry. “I really felt bad for not being able to foresee this,” he admitted.

Despite these losses, Yoshida considers himself fortunate to have worked with a variety of developers and studios. He argues that his ability to collaborate effectively stems from his respect for the different creative roles within the production process. His meticulous approach has influenced strategic decisions such as necessary delays in titles like God of War, thus ensuring their quality and performance in the market.

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