PlayStation Studios’ former president Shuhei Yoshida is ready to go away the corporate subsequent 12 months, after being at Sony since its first ever console.
While many executives have come and gone over Sony Interactive Entertainment’s 30 12 months historical past, one behind the scenes fixed has been Shuhei Yoshida.
The video games business veteran joined Sony in 1993, underneath Ken Kutaragi’s management, when the corporate was creating the unique PlayStation. Yoshida went on to change into the president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios from 2008 to 2019, earlier than his present function as head of the corporate’s indie developer initiative.
In his earlier function, up till 2019, he was probably the most outstanding figureheads for the PlayStation model however on Tuesday, November 26, Yoshida introduced he’s leaving the corporate after 31 years, together with his final day being January 15, 2025.
Asked about his exit in a devoted PlayStation blog publish, Yoshida stated: ‘I’ve been with PlayStation from the start, and that is my thirty first 12 months with PlayStation. And after I hit 30 years, I used to be pondering, hmm, it could be about time for me to maneuver on.
‘You know, the corporate’s been doing nice. I like PS5, I like the video games which might be popping out on this platform. And we now have new generations of administration who I respect and admire. And I’m so excited for the way forward for PlayStation.’
Yoshida’s departure comes after fellow PlayStation veteran Jim Ryan stepped down as Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO final 12 months, with the corporate now led by joint CEOs Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino.
When requested what reminiscence stands out probably the most throughout his time overseeing PlayStation Studios, Yoshida highlighted the breakout success of 2012’s Journey.
‘One time [that] stood out for me in my reminiscence as one thing actually, actually particular was when Journey acquired the Game Of The Year award,’ Yoshida stated. ‘Journey was distributed by means of PlayStation Network. It was a digital-only, small sport. You can end enjoying the sport inside like three hours.
‘But that sport… [won] Game Of The Year towards all these AAA titles, I believe for the primary time within the business…. the creator Jenova Chen did a chat on the summit, and he talked a few letter he acquired from a woman who misplaced her father and he or she considered her father and he or she was in a position to transfer on in her life.
‘The entire viewers stood up and the entire room was stuffed with happiness and a tremendous feeling that this small sport might have such a big effect on individuals’s lives.’
While Yoshida is greatest identified for his function through the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 generations, new figures from Sony have additionally highlighted the dominance of the corporate’s largest success, the PlayStation 2.
The PlayStation 2 has remained the best-selling console of all time for many years, however there’s been some confusion across the precise gross sales figures, which had been previously put at 155 million by Sony themselves.
However, simply earlier than he left, former PlayStation boss Jim Ryan claimed that over 160 million PlayStation 2 consoles have been bought, though on the time it was unclear if he was merely rounding up or barely misremembering.
A brand new thirtieth anniversary replace on the PlayStation website, nonetheless, has listed the PlayStation 2 as promoting ‘over 160 million’ items worldwide since 2000 – the primary time the determine has been used outdoors of Ryan’s remark.
The lack of a precise determine appears peculiar, in what appears very very like company shenanigans to push the goalposts away from Nintendo, now that the Switch is inside shouting distance of the earlier PlayStation 2 whole.
The second biggest-selling console is the Nintendo DS at 154.02 million items, whereas the Switch is third at 146.04 million, as of September 2024, with a very good probability of eclipsing 155 million – however not essentially 160 million – earlier than it’s discontinued.
Although the successor to the Switch is considered imminent there’s nonetheless no official indication of when it will likely be launched, however even when that provides the unique Switch an extended run than anticipated Sony’s declare of ‘over 160 million’ can technically by no means be crushed. Unless Nintendo declare the Switch sells ‘over 161 million’.
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