Jim Ryan started his journey with Sony nearly three decades ago, in 1994, and became the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2019. His role as the leader of PlayStation has been impressive so far, with the PS5 launching to much success.
However, nearly three years after the release of the PS5, Sony has confirmed Jim Ryan’s decision to retire from the company.
Why it matters: Jim Ryan has been on a long journey with PlayStation, having worked with the company to launch consoles like the PS2, PS3, and more in parts of Europe.
Announcing his retirement, Jim Ryan thanked Sony for placing their trust in his abilities and allowing him to lead a renowned brand like PlayStation.
Jim Ryan confirmed that he will exit Sony Interactive Entertainment in March 2024 and said:
“After 30 years I have made the decision to retire from SIE in March 2024.”
He also pointed to the fact that living in Europe made it difficult for the CEO to work in North America. This, in addition to his fulfilling journey with PlayStation, motivated him to retire from the company after three decades.
Following the announcement, Hiroki Totoki from Sony is set to take on the role of SIE Chairman from October 2023. Hiroki Totoki will be positioned as the Interim CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment from April 2024 as the company transitions.
His role will help the gaming giant find its next CEO after Jim Ryan’s departure.
Jim Ryan has done a fine job as the Head of PlayStation. Under his leadership, the company launched the PS5, selling over 40 million units in less than 4 years.
He accelerated the process of adapting to the PC gaming market, bringing several PlayStation first-party games to PC, motivating Sony to continue this approach in the future after recent success.
Over the last few years, PS Plus has gone through several revamps, offering multiple tiers as competition to Xbox Game Pass. Jim Ryan also introduced ten live service projects, hoping to secure PlayStation’s place in this genre of gaming.
Other contributions from Jim Ryan include a major acquisition drive, leading to studios like Bungie becoming first-party developers. Bungie is expected to help the gaming giant with its live service ambitions.
Moreover, Jim Ryan has been important in opposing the Activision Blizzard acquisition, hoping to block the merger as he believed it would have a massive impact on the industry and PlayStation.
Nonetheless, this announcement marks the end of Jim Ryan’s long journey at PlayStation. He will continue serving as PlayStation’s boss for the next few months, leaving after 30 long years.
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[News Reporter]
Abiyan is on track to complete his Computer Science bachelor’s degree. His enthusiasm for writing and gaming motivates him to keep readers and gamers updated with the latest information from the industry. In his free time, Abiyan enjoys playing Dota 2 and Rocket League. Abiyan has also been cited in reputed websites such as Kitguru, Comicbook, GamingBible, Eurogamer and Gamingbolt.
