PlayStation names two historic executives as new co-CEOs to replace Jim Ryan

After months of uncertainty PlayStation has new leaders. Sony has decided to appoint two of the most experienced executives from its video game division to take over the company, replacing the now-retired Jim Ryan.

The Japanese corporation announced that the co-CEOs of PlayStation will be Hideaki Nishino And Hermen Hulst. The executives will be responsible for their respective divisions within Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and will report directly to Hiroki Totoki, who remained as interim head of the subsidiary following Ryan’s departure.

Hulst and Nishino will begin their journey as the new CEOs of PlayStation next. June 1st. From this date, Totoki will become President of SIE and will continue to serve as President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Sony Group.

Of the new PlayStation executives, the name that resonates most with the public is Hermen Hulst. The executive director served as global leader PlayStation Studiosafter a long period of work as one of the main faces of Guerrilla Games.

Starting next month, Hulst will be responsible for the new Studio Business Group from SIE. This means that the manager will oversee everything related to the development and publication of games. first party from PlayStation. He will also continue to be involved with adapting video games into the world of film and television through PlayStation Productions.

Through your account X (Twitter)Hermen Hulst was excited about his new role at PlayStation. “I am honored to lead Sony Interactive’s new Studios business group. “I’m excited to continue working with incredibly talented teams and studios to deliver unforgettable gaming and entertainment experiences,” he said.

Hideaki Nishino and Hermen Hulst, new co-CEOs of PlayStation

When Hideaki NishinoWe are talking about another manager with an extensive career at Sony, where he held several positions over the past 20 years. The executive becomes co-CEO of PlayStation after serving as senior vice president of the Platform Experience Group. There he was particularly dedicated to developments related to PS5, PlayStation VR2 and PlayStation Network.

Starting in June, Nishino will become CEO of the new company. Business Group Platforms from Sony Interactive Entertainment. In this role, he will continue to be responsible for everything related to services, products, technologies and platforms, but will also act as a liaison in commercial relationships with third-party publishers and developers. Although the latter will not be limited to video games, but also the promotion and marketing of services, peripherals and other types of equipment.

For the first time, PlayStation will be led by two executives. A noticeable change that certainly meets the need distribute responsibilities Considering the expansion that the subsidiary has experienced since its inception in 2016. Nishino and Hulst face the difficult task of replacing Jim Ryan, who has become a key figure in the company during his more than 30 years at Sony.

Taking up the baton from Jim Ryan

Jim Ryan is credited with leading the transition to current generation consoles. A task made more difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before his retirement, the British executive said that the launch PS5 It was the greatest challenge of his career as a PlayStation executive.

“My job was to project a sense of calm and serenity. [Pero] In fact, I was sitting at the dinner table with my head in my hands wondering how we were going to do this. We assembled the vast majority of PlayStations in China, and no one could get there. [al país]. Another problem was the completion of games, when developers could not get together, eat pizza and brainstorm their projects. And the important mission of selling our product to consumers when retail was completely closed,” Ryan recalled about this moment.