Shawn Layden, the former PlayStation boss, departed the company in 2019, and recently shared his thoughts on the PlayStation's 30th anniversary in an interview. Layden discussed a variety of topics and expressed his desire to see a beloved PlayStation franchise make a comeback. He told Eurogamer that he would love to see the MediEvil series return for modern audiences. Layden explained that he was captivated by the game the first time he saw it and was a huge fan of the team behind it, so much so that he played a role in getting a sequel released and later a remaster on PS4.

"I would love another shot at MediEvil," he said. The original MediEvil, launched in 1998, was developed at Millennium before Sony acquired the studio and formed SCE Studio Cambridge. This studio later evolved into Guerrilla Cambridge, which closed in 2017. The MediEvil series drew inspiration from Tim Burton and Monty Python, and Layden acknowledged that it was challenging to adapt the humor for different audiences through localization. A sequel, MediEvil 2, was released in 2000, followed by a PSP version, MediEvil: Resurrection, in 2005. A remake of the first game was released in 2019 for PS4 by Other Ocean Emeryville.

"If I could use a magic wand to have one more chance, it would be with MediEvil," Layden stated. Additionally, Layden revealed in the interview that he was envious of a game from a rival platform—Tomb Raider. During his time in Tokyo working with the PS1, Layden's role was to introduce Western titles to Japan. When he saw Tomb Raider from Derby-based Core Design, he was eager for it to be a PlayStation exclusive. However, 1996's Tomb Raider initially launched as a Sega Saturn exclusive before coming to PlayStation.

"I wanted it on PlayStation. I met the [Core Design Jeremy Heath-Smith and Adrian Smith] brothers, and they were enthusiastic about the idea. We discussed it thoroughly. They considered it and eventually signed with Sega Saturn. Sega?!" Layden recounted. "Shortly after, it did arrive on PlayStation in Japan, but it debuted on Sega. That always felt... What could I have done differently to secure it? I was so close."

Source link:   https://www.gamespot.com