Tokyo (AFP) – The CEO of Sony’s video game division, Jim Ryan, will leave his position at the end of March after a long career at the Japanese group where he oversaw the launch of its latest console, the PlayStation 5.
Published on: 09/28/2023 – 08:29
3 mins
“Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), has made the decision to retire in March 2024 after nearly 30 years in the PlayStation business,” Sony announced in a statement released Thursday.
“I enjoyed the opportunity to have a job I love, in a very special company, to work with great people and incredible partners. But I found it increasingly difficult to balance my life in Europe and my work in North America,” Mr. Ryan was quoted as saying in the press release.
The 63-year-old Brit joined SIE’s European branch in 1994 before holding various positions within that department, notably playing a role in the launch of PlayStation consoles since the PS2.
He had been CEO of SIE since 2019 and in this role oversaw the launch of the PS5 the following year, whose production initially suffered from the semiconductor shortage amid the pandemic. Then sales increased, reaching 40 million units at the end of July.
The announcement of Mr. Ryan’s departure was “quite surprising,” reacted analyst Serkan Toto from the Tokyo company Kantan Games. “I don’t think anyone expected him to leave so quickly” because “his career as CEO is quite short,” he said in an interview with AFP.
Crucial choice of a successor
To prepare for the transition, Sony’s operations and finance director Hiroki Totoki will take over as president of SIE next month and then assume the role of interim CEO of the division in April 2024, Sony said.
For Serkan Toto, the choice of Mr. Ryan’s successor will be crucial because even if “the PS5 is doing very well at the moment, the entire gaming industry is moving very, very quickly.”
The PlayStation 5 at Sony headquarters in Tokyo, May 9, 2022 © Philip FONG / AFP/Archives
Sony announced last year its intention to accelerate the release of games on smartphones and PCs and to increase its presence in online games called “live services,” which are designed to stimulate long-term interest among players by regularly enriching them with additional monetized content .
In competition with the American Microsoft in the video game market, Sony Interactive has pursued an intensive strategy of studio buyouts in recent years under the leadership of Jim Ryan, notably acquiring the American Bungie (creator of “Halo” and “Destiny”) in 2022 . for $3.6 billion.
Sony also strengthened its stake in Epic Games (“Fortnite”) and invested in the capital of the Japanese company FromSoftware (“Elden Ring”, “Dark Souls”).
Jim Ryan was also at the forefront of Sony’s fight to stop Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, publisher of “Call of Duty,” “Diablo” and “Candy Crush,” for a whopping $69 billion.
This acquisition, which has been in the crosshairs of various competition authorities since it was announced in early 2022, is now nearing completion after the UK authority gave the preliminary green light.
“There are changes in the gaming industry right now, especially for Sony,” given the success of this acquisition by Microsoft, commented Mr. Toto, adding: “I think it would have been better for PlayStation if Ryan had worked at another company would have remained top.” for three years.”
© 2023 AFP