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PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst appears to have gotten a slight demotion as he is no longer the co-CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, the company responsible for PlayStation. PlayStation has had a rough go in recent years, especially compared to the highs that it felt during the entirety of the PS4 generation. The PS4 was a win from its initial reveal in 2013, something Sony desperately needed after a bad start with the PS3. The PS4 came in at a lower cost than the Xbox One, had no DRM, and was generally checking all the boxes for gamers in addition to having great franchises like Uncharted and The Last of Us.
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Many hoped that momentum would carry into the PS5 generation, but it has been pretty rocky. On top of struggling out the gate with COVID related issues, it was clear PlayStation made wrong moves while mapping out its generation. It bet big on live service by having Bluepoint work on a now-canceled live-service God of War game, it bought Bungie which has caused all kinds of strain, and it canceled other live-service games related to big franchises like Spider-Man, The Last of Us, and more. On top of that, major studios like Naughty Dog have yet to release a new game for the console. That’s not to say there haven’t been wins such as God of War Ragnarok and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but by and large, it’s been a struggle.
PlayStation Studios Boss Hermen Hulst No Longer Co-CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment
Some PlayStation fans pointed the finger at former PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, who vacated the company last year. He was succeeded by former Guerilla Games boss and PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino who became co-CEOs of Sony Interactive Entertainment. However, things have once again changed as Hulst is no longer Co-CEO and Nishino has been promoted to sole CEO of SIE. Hulst will however remain in charge of PlayStation Studios and assist SIE in developing its franchises into films/television shows, so it’s possible that the co-CEO position was always temporary as the company evaluated its plan post-Jim Ryan.
“I am truly honored to 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,” Nishino said. “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 for if this will bring any notable changes, it really remains to be seen. Co-CEOs sound good on paper, but the conflicting visions and business philosophies can sometimes cause problems and conflict. Nevertheless, Hulst will still be leading the charge on PlayStation’s first-party efforts. Some fans hope to see major changes to PlayStation following the Concord disaster and it looks like that may be happening.
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Cade Onder