Sony appoints new PlayStation boss but what difference will it make?Adam StarkeyPublished January 29, 2025 2:10pmUpdated January 29, 2025 2:11pm Nishino is the new top dog (Sony Interactive Entertainment)Theres been a shake-up in leadership at Sony Interactive Entertainment, but what could it mean for the future of PlayStation?Sonys PlayStation 5 might be easily outselling the Xbox Series X/S but theres still a lot of uneasiness around how Sony has been handling its business for the last couple of years and where things are going in the future.The company cancelled a number of projects this month, after the dramatic failure of Concord, although it is still seemingly pursuing the risky gamble of more live service games. There have also been several notable staff exits, along with layoffs and a number of studio shutdowns.Following the departure of Jim Ryan in March last year, PlayStation has been led by joint-CEOs Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino. Now, one of those has been promoted to the take on the job all by himself.As announced in a press release, Nishino has been appointed to the role of President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, effective from April 1, 2025. His previous job title was CEO of the Platform Business Group, so this is essentially a promotion.Hulst will continue to serve as CEO of the Studio Business Group, the same job he was previously appointed to in May last year, only now hell report into Nishino rather than being his equal.In a statement about the new job, Nishino said: I am truly honoured to be take the helm at Sony Interactive Entertainment. Technology and creativity are two of our biggest strengths as we continue to focus on developing experiences that deliver entertainment for everyone.We will continue to grow the PlayStation community in new ways, such as IP expansion, while also delivering the best in technology innovation. I want to thank Hermen for his expertise and leadership as he continues his role as CEO, Studio Business Group. I am deeply grateful for the PlayStation community and their continued support and I am very excited for what the future holds.As CEO of the Studio Business Group, Hulst leads the development, publishing, and business operations of Sony Interactive Entertainments first party content. In other words, hes in charge of internally developed games like God Of War and Horizon.Nishino was previously responsible for managing the technology and business side of PlayStation, along with overseeing third party publisher and developer relations and sales and marketing of PlayStation hardware.He joined Sony back in 2000, and before his prior role, he served as senior vice president of of the Platform Experience Group.While its not made explicitly clear, it sounds like hell continue to oversee these same areas, albeit with singular authority overall on PlayStations future. Will the failure of Concord change Sonys future? (Sony Interactive Entertainment)Beyond these changes, there are several other key shifts at Sony. Hiroki Totoki, president and chief financial officer of Sony Group Corporation, will step down from his role as chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment to become president and CEO of Sony at large.Lin Tao, senior vice president of finance and development at Sony Interactive Entertainment, will also step down to become chief financial officer at Sony as a whole. Her successor in the PlayStation division is set to be announced at a later date.It has been a pleasure working more closely with Hermen and Nishino-san and gaining insight into the ever-changing, fast-paced world of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Totoki said. As we hand the baton to Nishino and his exceptional leadership team, I am confident that Sony Interactive Entertainment will reach new heights in the days ahead.Totoki goes onto describe these leadership shifts as an exciting new chapter for Sony Interactive Entertainment, although its unclear what, if any change, this will bring about.Its still unclear whether Hermen Hulst or Jim Ryan was in favour of the push for live service games, or if one or the other tried to argue against it, but the disastrous launch of Concord took place under Hulsts reign.More TrendingThere are now several single-player first party games in the pipeline, including Ghost of Ytei, Marvels Wolverine, and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, but with so many scrapped studios and projects over the past year, it might be a while before Sonys slate is back at full strength. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is still a ways off (Sony Interactive Entertainment)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy