As if The Last of Us movie announcement wasn’t crazy enough, Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that SCEA President and CEO Jack Tretton has stepped down, a move that will be effective as of March 31st. The press release points out that this is a “mutual agreement between Mr. Tretton and SCEA not to renew their contractual relationship.”
Taking over as SCEA President and CEO on April 1st will be Shawn Layden, who is currently the Executive Vice President and COO of Sony Network Entertainment International.
Jack Tretton himself offered up this statement about his departure:
Working at SCEA for the past 19 years has been the most rewarding experience of my career. Although I will deeply miss the talented team at SCEA and the passion demonstrated every day by our fans, I’m very excited about starting the next chapter of my career. I want to thank the employees, partners and customers for their tireless commitment to the PlayStation brand and, of course, to our fans who have pushed us to new heights of innovation and entertainment over the past two decades. I leave PlayStation in a position of considerable strength and the future will only get brighter for PlayStation Nation.
SCE President and CEO Andrew House also talked about Tretton leaving:
I’ve worked with Jack for nearly two decades and I want to personally thank him for his leadership and the considerable contributions he’s made to the SCEA business and PlayStation brand over the years. I wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors. I also want to welcome Shawn to the Sony Computer Entertainment America team. I have the utmost confidence in Shawn’s leadership capabilities, and his deep knowledge of the gaming industry and commitment to gamers, will help keep PlayStation at the forefront of entertainment and innovative gameplay.
Getting to know him a little better, Jack’s replacement, Shawn Layden, is a 15-year PlayStation veteran, was one of the founding members of SNEI in 2010, was President of SCE Japan, and spent 8 years at SCE Worldwide Studios in London directing international software development.
Layden spoke about his new position:
It’s an honor and privilege to join Sony Computer Entertainment America and be a part of the team that is leading the next generation of gaming and entertainment. SCEA is committed to delivering breakthrough gaming experiences that inspire fans and exceed their wildest expectations. As PS4 shows us every day, there has never been a better time to be part of the PlayStation community and I look forward to working with our retail, development, publishing and network partners to further demonstrate why PlayStation is the best place to play.
A part of SCEA since 1995, Tretton was a part of all PlayStation launches and helped the PS2 achieve over 50 million units sold in North America.
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