In a major video game leadership shakeup, Sony has confirmed that Jim Ryan, who has been the president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment since February 2019, will be retiring from the company in March 2024.
As Sony"s press release states, Ryan has been with the PlayStation division for nearly 30 years, rising to the top of the division in 2019 and helping to launch its PlayStation 5 console. Sony Group Corporation President Hiroki Totoki will take over as Interim CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment on April 1, 2024. He will work with Sony"s overall CEO Kenichiro Yoshida to not only lead the PlayStation business but also to work on finding a permanent new CEO for that division.
In his own statement, Ryan stated that a big reason for his departure was that "of late I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to strike the right balance between having my home in the UK and my job in the United States." He added:
I feel humbled at having the opportunity to lead a company delivering products that touch millions of lives. From award-winning games to the incredibly immersive technical achievements delivered with PlayStation 5, I’m immensely proud of what we have achieved and very optimistic for the future of Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Since the launch of the PS5 in 2020, Sony has sold, as of July 2023, 40 million units of that console. That number might have been even higher were it not for the Covid-19 pandemic that kept parts and supply chains down, which led to a lower number of consoles being shipped.
Lately, Ryan has been in the spotlight for his negative remarks about Microsoft"s plans to acquire Activision Blizzard. Ryan was a key witness for the FTC in its court battle with Microsoft this year. However, the judge in the case ruled in Microsoft"s favor. Soon after that, Sony accepted Microsoft"s deal that would keep the Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation consoles for 10 years if and when the acquisition of Activision Blizzard closes.