“This is for the Players”, but is it for the Leaders? Shawn Layden is the Latest Executive to Leave Sony

With the PS5 just announced for holiday 2020, development is likely coming to an end. One would likely think that this is the worst possible time for high up members of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Despite this, both Kaz Hirai (ex-chairman of Sony) and Shawn Layden (ex-chairman of SIE) have left this year alone. Read on for insight onto the possible reasons for why he left, as well as the legacy he left behind with some of his major video game credits

After 32 years working at Sony, Shawn Layden becomes the latest in a long list of executives to leave the company. On 1st October he stepped down as the Chairman of Sony Worldwide Studios after 3 years in that position . There has been no official statement as to why he has stepped down, nor has there been any mention of a potential successor. Many people know Shawn as the face of Sony (at least during E3) and remember seeing him onstage as a part of the big 3 at the game awards last December. This makes his leaving feel reminiscent of Regi Fils-Amié’s (Nintendo of America) departure earlier this year.

An Official Statement by Sony’s Twitter account said, “It is with great emotion that we announce that Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden will be departing SIE.” They then go on to note that “His visionary leadership will be greatly missed.” And that “We wish him success in future endeavors and are deeply grateful for his years of service. Thanks for everything, Shawn!”

Such heart-warming words on display make it clear that there was no bad blood between Shawn and the rest of Sony, and with the PS5 just around the corner maybe it is time for a fresh set of eyes to take up the mantle of Chairman.

Now that his decades-long career of climbing Sony’s ranks has come to an end , let’s look at the legacy of Shawn, the strange pattern of people leaving Sony and a look at what to expect from Sony Interactive Entertainment next.

Legacy

The first thing to note about Shawn Layden is that his position at Sony has not always been as large and illustrious as it was in recent years. His tenure with Sony began way back in the 1980s. He began in 1987 in the communications department, Tokyo, where he acted as a communications assistant for several years.

Until 1999 he managed international software development from London where he was credited in many games such as Gran Turismo 2. The next 8 years of his career would go on to be very influential as he would hold the mantle of Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Credited on timeless games such as Shadow of the Colossus, Uncharted and Gran Turismo 3, the soon to be President of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan had not even reached his peak yet. He held this new presidential position for 3 years (until 2010) where he supervised many generation-defining games for the PS3, as well as, being critical in the PS3’s success. He was the main supervisor on projects such as Little Big Planet, Demon Souls and again, Gran Turismo; he was also an executive producer of Gran Turismo 5.

In 2010 he was one of the founding members of Sony Network Entertainment International (the basis for PSN) as well becoming the COO and Vice President. In 2014 Shawn Layden succeeded Jack Tretton as President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America. This is how he became the face of Sony in the west, appearing in all Sony E3 conferences from 2014-2018 and being pivotal in the success of the PS4.

In 2016 he became the Chairman of Sony Worldwide Studios, overseeing the latter 3 years of the PS4 as it surged to dominance selling over 100 million units. Games such as God of War,

Horizon: Zero Dawn, Days Gone and who can forget the ever loved: Knack 2 where all made under his leadership.

Not only this, but Layden played a fundamental role in acquiring developer Insomniac Games, creators of Marvel’s Spider-Man and the Ratchet and Clank series (a personal favourite of mine). His recent years have been very successful in not only maintaining the success of Sony but also in paving the way for Sony’s future success.

Layden’s leaving may leave some in dismay, with the PS5 around the corner and no word yet of anyone picking up the position… but this is not uncommon within Sony and PlayStation in recent years.

Dearly Departed

Layden is only the latest to join a growing list of high-profile PlayStation executives to suddenly leave the company. The first of the recent bunch to leave was in 2014 the aforementioned Jack Tretton, ex-head of PlayStation. In 2016, Adam Boyes, the man in charge of relations with 3rd party companies left to “return to the world of game development” – according to his Twitter. You might remember Boyes from the E3 2013 meme-worthy PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video, in which he simply received a game and said “thanks”.

2017 saw the exit of Andrew House, a long-time leader of PlayStation… although in this situation he was quickly replaced.

Earlier this year we saw the former Portfolio Executive, John Drake, leave for Disney. However, the biggest loss this year other than Layden was Kaz Hirai in March. Kaz Hirai had a 35-year long career with Sony, ending as the chairman of the entire corporation.

So many major players in Sony and PlayStation have been leaving. Two 30+ year careers ending in the last 7 months is more than just a coincidence… right? It seems that on all occasions the exits have been positive. Whether people have left for personal reasons, retirement or to pursue a different career, there has been no ill will nor has there been any cases of ‘jumping ship’. There have been no official statements into the matter, so one can only postulate.

But when Hirai left in March this year, he said “I am confident that everyone is fully aligned under [New Successor’s] strong influence” and that they are “ready to build an even brighter future for Sony”. So, it seems that the mass exodus of senior members of Sony is more of a passing of the torch than anything else, which is always welcome to keep things fresh and innovative.

What’s Next

With the upcoming release of the PS5 rumoured to be next year, a lot is going to change. A new console requires new ideas and who better for new ideas than new people? The PS5 is already rumoured to have some never before seen features, such as full backwards compatibility with every home PlayStation console ever. Not only that but with the emergence of cloud-based videogame streaming services, the battlefield that is the console war may look very different. Sony’s PlayStation Now is looking to compete with the big dogs: Google Stadia and xCloud to name a few and will need people experienced with these concepts to help push it far beyond the competition. Shawn Layden is 58 and is unlikely to have as much experience with these ideas as someone a bit younger who maybe even grew up playing games. This is not to say that Layden is behind on the time, but maybe the reason for his departure and the departure of many others is to usher in a new generation of minds similar to the ushering in of a new generation of consoles next year.

So, thank you, Shawn, for defining a big part of many people’s lives and for helping Sony be the absolute powerhouse it is today. Little is known of what his plans for the future are, but whatever they are I wish him well

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