Sony has named existing company veterans Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino as the new heads of PlayStation. Hulst will take over and run a new Studio Business Group while Nishino is in charge of the Platform Business Group. The division of roles replaces former CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Jim Ryan, who retired earlier this year, and comes as Sony searches for its next PlayStation 5 blockbusters amid cost-cutting and cancellations.
“Sony Interactive Entertainment is a dynamic and growing business that delivers incredible entertainment experiences through the connection of content and technology,” interim SIE CEO Hiroki Totoki said in a press release. “These two leaders will have clear responsibilities and will manage strategic direction to ensure the focus remains on deepening engagement with existing PlayStation users and expanding experiences to new audiences.” Both will continue reporting to Totoki who is also Sony’s President, COO and CFO.
Originally the head of Guerrilla Games, maker of Killzone and Horizon Zero Dawn, Hulst was promoted to head of PlayStation Studios in 2019 following the departure of Shawn Layden. He’s responsible for overseeing Sony’s first-party game development, including hits like Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarök. Nishino was previously in charge of PlayStation platform technology and experiences, which he will continue to lead, in addition to now being in charge of third-party relations and commercial operations. Both men take over their new roles on June 1.
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Ryan announced he was stepping down from PlayStation after decades with the company last fall. Earlier this year, Sony announced a series of cost-cutting measures, including hundreds of layoffs and project cancellations at its studios, and the closure of London Studio. The changes come as big-budget game makers try to negotiate spiraling development costs and a stagnating console gaming market. Sony’s big annual spring PlayStation Showcase is rumored to be happening later this month, though the company previously confirmed that no major new sequels were planned to release in the current fiscal year.
“I am thrilled to lead the Studio business group and continue to build on our success with PlayStation 5, while preparing for the future,” Hulst said in a press release. “The video game industry is one of the largest entertainment industries in the world and has been built on the marriage of content and technology, and I look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of play and entertainment.”