- Sony’s new CFO, Lin Tao, has stated that the company has made two big changes in strategy.
- The first one is more emphasis on MAU and engagement rather than hard sales numbers.
- And, the second one demands more control over expenditure from the first-party studios.
Despite the PS5 selling considerably well, Sony has had to face a lot of hurdles this generation. From the failure of its live-service ambitions to a lack of exclusive titles, the company hasn’t had it easy, and as a result, made several changes at the top of the food chain at the start of 2025.
Hideaki Nishino replaced the now-retired Jim Ryan as the head of the PlayStation division while Hermen Hulst became the CEO of its studio business group. And, as part of its financial year report, Sony has revealed what changes this leadership shake-up has brought.
Why it matters: Ballooning budgets have been the biggest enemy of AAA titles, and Sony is trying to fix this mistake shows it’s moving in the right direction.
According to the company’s CFO, Lin Tao, there have been two major changes at Sony because of the new leadership: more focus on MAU and financial discipline within the studios.
New CFO emphasized Sony’s change from unit sales to engagement and monthly active users (MAU), linking higher MAU to long-term profitability.
Lin Tao also stressed tighter financial discipline in first-party studios, acknowledging past issues but noting a major shift in spending mindset.
Considering the number of live-service bombs and the $2 billion the company put aside solely to research the niche, this financial control isn’t a bad idea. Concord alone cost $400 million, while the cancelled Days Gone live-service title had already spent $250 million.
With the upcoming Trump tariffs also predicted to cost the Japanese gaming giant a massive $680 million, right now is the perfect time for financial control on first-party titles.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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