Sony Interactive Entertainment has appointed Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino as the new co-CEOs of its PlayStation business, replacing Jim Ryan, effective June 1, 2024.
Hulst, who previously headed PlayStation Studios and Guerrilla Games, will become CEO of the new Studio Business Group, where he will be responsible for all PlayStation game content as well as taking the franchise into new media such as film and television. Also in charge of
Mr. Nishino, who previously served as SVP of SIE's Platform Experience Group, has been appointed CEO of SIE's Platform Business Group and will continue to lead technology, products, services, platform experiences, and third-party publishers and development. You will be in charge of relationships with people. Commercial operations, including sales and marketing of hardware, services, and peripherals.
Hiroki Totoki, who has served as SIE's interim CEO since Jim Ryan's retirement, will become SIE's chairman in addition to his roles as president, COO, and CFO of Sony Group Corporation. Mr. Nishino and Mr. Hulst will report directly to Mr. Totoki and will work closely together, Sony said.
“Sony Interactive Entertainment is a dynamic, growing business that delivers great entertainment experiences through the connection of content and technology,” said Interim CEO Totoki.
“These two leaders have clear responsibilities and will manage our strategic direction with a focus on deepening engagement with existing PlayStation users and expanding the experience to new users.”
“We will continue to connect players and creators through world-class products, services, and technology,” said Nishino. “At Sony Interactive Entertainment, we are constantly striving to innovate in all fields and grow our community even further. .
“I am honored to have been appointed to this important role alongside Hermen. By working more closely together, we will be able to build great experiences for our ever-expanding audience now and in the future. ”
Hulst added, “I'm excited to lead the Studio Business Group and build on our success with PlayStation 5 as we prepare for the future.”
“The video game industry is one of the largest entertainment industries in the world, built on the convergence of content and technology, and I look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of play and entertainment. .”
Last September, Sony announced that Jim Ryan, who had been CEO of SIE since 2019, had decided to retire in March 2024 after working in the PlayStation business for about 30 years.
In his statement, Ryan said he was having difficulty juggling his family life in Europe with his work responsibilities in North America.
In February, during a Q&A session after Sony's latest financial results briefing, Interim CEO Totoki said he hoped Sony would be “aggressive” in improving profit margins in the gaming division. He said this could be achieved in part by placing greater emphasis on delivering benefits. First party games on his PC.
This was followed by news that the games division had taken the “very difficult decision” to reduce its overall headcount by “approximately 8% or approximately 900 people”, including at its long-running London This included closing the studio.
PlayStation Studios boss Hulst said at the time that the platform holder was “re-evaluating the way we operate” and that an unnamed game project had been scrapped due to job cuts.
