Former PlayStation Chief Shawn Layden Says He Would Have Greenlit New Resistance and Jak & Daxter Games

Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden has revealed that he would have greenlit new entries in both the Resistance and Jak & Daxter franchises by now if he were still working at Sony. Layden made these comments during an interview with HipHopGamer, confirming his support for the long-dormant franchises.

During the interview, when asked if he would have given the go-ahead to new games in both series if he were still heading PlayStation, Layden simply confirmed that he would have. He supported this by sharing a past decision from his tenure as chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios. Layden explained that he previously greenlit the Ratchet & Clank remake on the PlayStation 4 despite resistance from marketing and sales teams. Those departments argued against the project, claiming players would not be interested in an "old game." However, Layden pushed forward because data showed a large portion of the PlayStation 4 user base was unfamiliar with the series, meaning the title would feel like a new game to them.

Both the Resistance and Jak & Daxter franchises have been inactive for over a decade. The sci-fi shooter series Resistance debuted in 2006 as a launch title for the PlayStation 3, followed by Resistance 2 in 2008 and Resistance 3 in 2011. Handheld spin-offs Resistance: Retribution for the PSP and Resistance: Burning Skies for the PlayStation Vita arrived in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Meanwhile, Naughty Dog's platformer Jak & Daxter debuted on the PlayStation 2 in 2001. The last original entry was 2009's Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier for the PSP and PlayStation 2, though the series did receive a remastered collection in 2012.