Jim Ryan will retire from Sony Interactive Entertainment in March 2024. Sony Group Corporation President, COO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki will act as Chairman of SIE starting in October 2023 and then Interim CEO in March 2024. You can read statements from Ryan, Totoki, and Kenichiro Yoshida below from Sony:
Jim Ryan Retiring from PlayStation in March 2024
Comment from Kenichiro Yoshida
“Jim Ryan has been an inspirational leader throughout his entire period with us, but never more so than in overseeing the launch of PlayStation 5 in the midst of the global COVID pandemic. That extraordinary achievement made by the entire SIE team has been steadily built on and PlayStation 5 is on track to become SIE’s most successful console yet. I’m immensely grateful to Jim for all his achievements. Respecting Jim’s decision to finish his long career at Sony leaves me with an important decision regarding his succession given the significance of the Game & Network Services business. We have discussed intensively and have determined the new management structure. We aim to achieve Sony Group’s further evolution and growth through bringing even greater success to the Game & Network Services Business.”
Comment from Jim Ryan
“After 30 years, I have made the decision to retire from SIE in March 2024. I’ve relished the opportunity to have a job I love in a very special company, working with great people and incredible partners. But I’ve found it increasingly difficult to reconcile living in Europe and working in North America. I will leave having been privileged to work on products that have touched millions of lives across the world; PlayStation will always be part of my life, and I feel more optimistic than ever about the future of SIE. I want to thank Yoshida-san for placing so much trust in me and being an incredibly sensitive and supportive leader.”
Comment from Hiroki Totoki
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Jim Ryan for his outstanding achievements and contributions over his 30-year career at Sony, including the great success of launching the PlayStation 5. The PlayStation business managed by SIE is an essential part of Sony Group’s entire business portfolio. I will work with Jim and the senior management team closely to ensure our continued success and further growth. I am also looking forward to creating the exciting future of PlayStation and the game industry together with everyone at SIE and its business partners.”
Original Article:
According to Jason Schreier, Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment and PlayStation head, is set to step down. Two separate sources reported this to Bloomberg News. No reason for Ryan’s departure was given.
Under Ryan’s tenure, the PlayStation 5 console has sold over 30 million units, with titles selling extremely well alongside it. Sony’s recent transition to PC titles and GAAS titles has had fans concerned with Ryan’s leadership. However, it is a very interesting time to step down from the reigns of PlayStation. Read Jason’s tweet below:
BREAKING: PlayStation boss Jim Ryan is stepping down, two sources tell Bloomberg News.
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) September 27, 2023
Sony Interactive Entertainment describes the company as the following:
Sony Interactive Entertainment pushes the boundaries of entertainment and innovation, starting from the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan in 1994. Today, we continue to deliver innovative and thrilling experiences to a global audience through our PlayStation line of products and services that include generation-defining hardware, pioneering network services, and award-winning games.
Headquartered in San Mateo, California, with global functions in California, London, and Tokyo, and game development studios around the world as part of PlayStation Studios, we believe that the power of play is borderless. Sony Interactive Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.
Sony Interactive Entertainment is known for the PlayStation line of consoles, with currently the PlayStation 5 being the company’s flagship console. The company has multiple studios that create titles for the console, including series such as Marvel’s Spider-Man, God of War, Ratchet & Clank, and Ghost of Tsushima, to name a few of recent years. The next major title for the console is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, launching on February 29, 2024.
We have no indication of where Jim Ryan will head when he does indeed step down. More information is assuredly coming soon with the news breaking from Bloomberg. Expect to hear more soon, which we’ll update accordingly in this article.
