After over three decades, Shuhei Yoshida is saying goodbye to Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Yoshida, who started as an account executive before becoming the SIE president, announced his departure in a PlayStation Blog interview, noting that his final day will be January 15, 2025. “I’ve been with PlayStation from the beginning,” he shared with Sid Shuman. “When I hit 30 years, I was thinking, ‘Hmm, it may be about time for me to move on.’ You know, the company’s been doing great. I love PS5, I love the games that are coming out on this platform. And we have new generations of management who I respect and admire. And I’m so excited for the future of PlayStation. So you know, PlayStation is in really good hands. I thought, ‘Okay, this is my time.'”
In 1993, Yoshida joined Sony, playing a pivotal role in the PlayStation project. As the first “non-technical” member, he was instrumental in introducing the original PlayStation to the world by connecting with publishers and developers in Japan.
Reflecting on those early days, Yoshida remarked, “That was a really fun time, but also a really challenging time,” he said. “Not many people in the industry believed in 3D graphics technology.”
Throughout his career, Yoshida wore many hats at Sony, including serving as the worldwide president of SIE from 2008 to 2019. He became a key figure behind major PlayStation games like Gran Turismo, God of War, and The Last of Us. Among his experiences, Journey holds a special place in his heart, particularly when it won Game of the Year at DICE.
“Journey was distributed through PlayStation Network. It was a digital-only, small game. You can finish playing the game within like three hours,” Yoshida said. “But that game…[won] Game of the Year against all these AAA titles.”
Fans often find that small games can have a big impact.
He recalled a moving story shared by Jenova Chen about a girl who, after losing her father, found comfort and healing through Journey. “The whole audience stood up and the whole room was filled with happiness and an amazing feeling that this small game could have such a big impact on people’s lives.”
Although Yoshida plans to retire in 2025, he hinted at staying connected with the gaming world, as seen in his statement
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