At 60 years old, Shuhei Yoshida, former producer and ex-president of what was once known as Sony Worldwide Studios, has announced his departure from Sony Interactive Entertainment. He will leave the company on January 15, 2025, after 31 years of dedicated service. Although the reasons for his departure have not been disclosed, it is presumed that he wishes to enjoy retirement. This marks a significant change for the PlayStation brand, given his pivotal role in making it more accessible through his cheerful demeanor and consistent good humor. He revealed his decision in a PlayStation podcast, expressing nostalgic sentiments.
I have been with PlayStation since its inception, marking my 31st year with the company. Upon reaching the age of 60, I considered it appropriate to move forward. The company is in excellent health, and I am passionate about the games released on this platform. There are also new generations of leaders whom I greatly respect and admire. I am enthusiastic about PlayStation’s future, recognizing that it is in capable hands. It felt like my time to step aside.
If he has dealt with numerous matters within Sony and the PlayStation brand, it was his intervention at E3 2013 that solidified his popularity among gamers. At the Los Angeles trade show, Xbox was facing challenges with its Xbox One and its multimedia console concept, which already advocated for a fully digital approach. This situation provided an opportunity for Sony to demonstrate that physical support remained a priority for the Japanese manufacturer and that lending games to friends still held value, eleven years later.
Shuhei Yoshida joined Sony Interactive Entertainment, then known as Sony Computer Entertainment, when it was still just a department under the leadership of Ken Kutaragi, the creator of the PlayStation.
According to Yoshida, “Ken’s team handled development, and there was another team under Sony Music Entertainment Japan creating games for the Super Nintendo, while a smaller team prepared for PlayStation game development.” He continued, “The two teams merged—Ken’s team under Sony and Sato-san’s team under Sony Music Entertainment Japan—to form Sony Computer Entertainment in November 1993. When the company was established as a joint venture, we celebrated with a gathering of about 80 people in a hotel room. We were quite small.”
Shuhei Yoshida’s work involved communicating with publishers and developers in Japan, making phone calls and visiting them to encourage game development for the PlayStation. He eventually became president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, now known as PlayStation Studios, before retiring to lead Sony Interactive Entertainment’s independent games initiative. Throughout his career, he focused on emerging new Asian markets, particularly China, South Korea, and Malaysia. In 2019, Shuhei Yoshida made Kuala Lumpur a significant hub in the video game industry by launching PlayStation Malaysia with support from the local government.
“When I was directing in collaboration with major studios, creating AAA games was great,” said Yoshida. “However, when I attended events like E3 or Gamescom, I always went to the indie games area. There, I discovered games that I enjoyed and often had the opportunity to meet the developers who presented them. So, I would take a photo with the developer in an effort to help promote these games.”
As for what the future holds, Yoshida stated that although he does not have any current projects, he wishes to remain in the industry and assist independent game developers.
I will attend several upcoming events. The Game Awards are scheduled for December. I have commitments for the Taipei Game Show in January and the DICE Summit in February, as I am a member of the board of directors… so I will continue to do so. However, aside from these engagements, I currently have no active projects. “I appreciate my free time… I would like to continue assisting independent developers or publishers if they need me. Therefore, I plan to continue supporting these creative and talented independent teams in the future.”
Shuhei Yoshida, a key figure at Sony Interactive Entertainment for 31 years, will leave an indelible mark on the video game world following in the footsteps of Ken Kutaragi, Kazuo Hirai, Jack Tretton, Andrew House, Shawn Layden, and Jim Ryan, although the latter’s tenure was more controversial. Not everyone has the same approachable image as Yoshida-san, who is known for his friendly demeanor.
