A couple of changes are coming to Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) with the company stating that Jim Ryan, as of April 1, will be next President and CEO of SIE. The announcement confirmed that SIE's previous President and CEO, John Kodera will swap places with Ryan and take on the role of Deputy President at the company.
Kodera is set to shift his focus towards the company's networked service and user experience areas while Ryan will spearhead the management and business side of Sony's gaming subsidiary.
The current President and CEO of Sony, Kenichiro Yosida, said: "Our Game & Network Services business has grown into the Sony Group's largest business in terms of both sales and operating income.
"Based on extensive discussions with John [Kodera], I have decided to change the management structure of SIE to ensure sustainable evolution of the PlayStation® platform and further growth of the network area."
Ryan's previous experience stems back to 1994 where he worked for SIE's European branch, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe (SIEE). In 2011 he was made the President of SIEE but since early 2018, he has worked alongside Kodera as Deputy President of SIE.
With 25 years of experience with the company, Kodera said: "Jim [Ryan] has extensive knowledge around the game business and industry, as well as deep understanding of the PlayStation® culture and strengths."
However, Ryan has a history of making statements that tend to irritate some PlayStation fans. For example, in an interview with Time Magazine in 2017, Ryan questioned why players would want to play older PS1 and PS2 games. As you can expect, this angered the many fans who have been asking for backwards compatibility on the PS4 for years.
While not allowing the use of old game discs on the PS4, the company introduced the PlayStation Classic and has brought back classic PS1 games with a new coat of paint. We can see this through the releases of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and not to mention the recently announced MediEvil remake.
Perhaps, it's all about what will help the business be profitable and move forward. While Ryan has made comments that have displeased fans in the past, if we look at his extensive experience with the company, this could be the best decision for the future of SIE.
