BOMB: Jim Ryan may be leaving PlayStation

After almost 30 years with the company, a new rumor indicates that Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (aka PlayStation), is stepping down. The information came from Jason Schreier, a highly respected journalist in the industry.

The information took everyone by surprise, because despite questionable choices, it generated absurd income and great growth for the Sony brand.

The current CEO of PlayStation has had a long journey within the company, starting back in 1994 helping to establish the company in Europe. Well, it goes without saying that it was a success, doesn't it? After all, this is perhaps PlayStation's biggest market today.

He took over as CEO after Shawn Layden stepped down. But he was marked by his lack of communication with the public, in contrast to Phil Spencer who is always approachable.

It was widely criticized for moving the efforts of the company's studios into areas that the brand's fans didn't approve of, but even so, its success, whether acclaimed by fans or not, is undeniable.

UPDATE: Sony has just confirmed its intention to retire.

"Sony Group Corporation and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) today announced that SIE President and CEO Jim Ryan has made the decision to retire in March 2024 after nearly thirty years with the PlayStation business. Ryan's transition will see the President, COO and CFO of Sony Group Corporation, Hiroki Totoki, take over as President of SIE from October 2023. From April 1, 2024, Mr. Totoki will take up his current position at Sony Group Corporation. Mr. Totoki will work closely with Sony Group Corporation President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida and the SIE management team to help define the next chapter of PlayStation's future, including the succession to the position of SIE CEO.

Jim Ryan joined Sony Interactive Entertainment's European-based legal entity, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe (SIEE) - which was then Sony Computer Entertainment Europe - in 1994. Since then, he has held several senior positions in the company, including President of SIEE, Head of Global Sales and Marketing of SIE and Vice President of SIE since January 2018, before being appointed President and CEO of SIE.

Comment by Kenichiro Yoshida

"Jim Ryan has been an inspirational leader throughout his time with us, but never more so than in overseeing the launch of the PlayStation 5 in the midst of the global COVID pandemic. This extraordinary achievement by the entire SIE team has been continually built upon and the PlayStation 5 is well on its way to becoming SIE's most successful console to date. I am immensely grateful to Jim for all his achievements. Respecting Jim's decision to end his long career at Sony leaves me with an important decision regarding his succession, given the importance of the games and network services business. We have discussed this intensively and determined the new management structure. Our goal is to achieve further evolution and growth of the Sony Group, bringing even greater success to the games and network services business."

Comment by Jim Ryan

"Defter 30 years, I have made the decision to retire from SIE in March 2024. I've loved the opportunity to have a job I love in a very special company, working with great people and incredible partners. But I have found it increasingly difficult to balance living in Europe and working in North America. I will leave having had the privilege of working on products that have touched millions of lives around the world; PlayStation will always be a part of my life and I feel more optimistic than ever about the future of SIE. I want to thank Yoshida-san for putting so much trust in me and for being an incredibly sensitive and supportive leader."

Comment by Hiroki Totoki

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Jim Ryan for his outstanding achievements and contributions throughout his 30-year career at Sony, including the highly successful launch of PlayStation 5. The PlayStation business managed by SIE is an essential part of the Sony Group's entire business portfolio. I will work closely with Jim and the senior management team to ensure our continued success and further growth. I also look forward to creating the exciting future of PlayStation and the games industry together with everyone at SIE and its business partners."

Link to original article.

Now it remains to be seen who will be in charge of this position in the future, and how Sony PlayStation will move forward from here. Any opinions? Let us know in the comments!

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