Outgoing PlayStation Exec Says Sony Must Continue to Entertain, Surprise, and Delight

Jim Ryan is hanging up his DualSense and leaving PlayStation after a wildly successful 30-year career next month. While his misunderstood, deeply dry sense of humour has landed him in hot water with enthusiasts on numerous occasions, no one could criticise his achievements at the company, which has seen Sony become synonymous with gaming in Europe – and ultimately all around the world.

As he prepares for his departure, he spoke with Variety about his advice for his temporary successor Hiroki Totoki. “Never forget that we’re an entertainment business,” he said. “If we continue to entertain, delight, and surprise our community of gamers, I think Totoki-san and whoever follows him will be just fine.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Ryan noted that launching the PS5 during the pandemic was by far his biggest achievement. “It was my job to exude a sense of calm and serenity,” he pointed out. “Actually, I was there at my dining-room table, head in my hands, wondering how we were going to do this. I’m so proud of what the team achieved back in 2020.”

Ryan hinted that he does have new projects lined up, so this isn’t an outright retirement, but it sounds like whatever he’s up to will be different to his job at PlayStation. “I’m going to take my life in a little different direction,” he noted.

To round out the interview, he revealed his favourite game from each generation of console hardware, starting with Ridge Racer and GTA 3 through to Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and God of War Ragnarok. “It’s had a huge and lasting impact on the gaming industry and certainly on PlayStation,” he said of GTA 3.

[source variety.com]