Shuhei Yoshida Bids Farewell to PlayStation: A New Chapter Begins
Longtime PlayStation figurehead Shuhei Yoshida is departing the company after more than three decades.
Yoshida shared the news in a post on the PlayStation Blog and stated he will be leaving on January 15, 2025.
“I’ve been part of PlayStation from the very beginning, and this marks my 31st year with the brand. Upon reaching 30 years, I thought to myself, maybe it’s time for me to move on. The company has been thriving,” Yoshida admitted.
“I adore the PS5, and I’m excited about the upcoming games on this platform. We have a new generation of leaders whom I respect greatly. I’m genuinely thrilled for PlayStation’s future. I realized that this is the right moment for me to step back.”
This is indeed a significant departure for Sony, which will lose one of its most experienced and influential leaders. Currently, Yoshida oversees indie developer relations at Sony Interactive, a role that has allowed him to dedicate “100 percent of my time supporting indie developers.” Previously, he held the position of president of PlayStation Studios during the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 eras.
Yoshida’s PlayStation Journey
He joined Sony in 1993 when the PlayStation initiative was still in its early stages. “I was the first non-technical member to join the team as Sony Corporation began to strategize the launch of PlayStation,” he explained, recalling how the initial team led by Ken Kutaragi was primarily made up of engineers.
“When I became part of [PlayStation], it was merely a department. Ken’s group was involved in development, while another team under Sony Music Entertainment Japan was creating games for Super Nintendo, which was also a small unit preparing to develop games for PlayStation. The two teams eventually merged, with Ken’s team under Sony and Sato-san’s team from Sony Music Entertainment Japan, creating Sony Computer Entertainment in November 1993,” he continued.
“When the venture was formally established, we celebrated with a gathering, and everyone was in one room at a hotel. I remember there were around 80 of us total. We were quite small.”
Following that, Yoshida was charged with engaging with developers and publishers in Japan to persuade them to create titles for PlayStation. He described the role as enjoyable yet unique, mainly because there weren’t many individuals who believed in 3D graphics at that time. Clearly, he found a way to captivate people’s attention.
You can expect to hear more from Yoshida before he exits on the PlayStation blog.