Sony Computer Entertainment America announced today that current CEO and President Jack Tretton will be stepping down from his role effective March 31. Tretton’s departure comes as a result of a mutual agreement between him and SCEA to not renew his current contract with the company.
Having been with Sony since 1995, Tretton played a significant role in the launches of almost every single one of the company’s consoles, from the original PlayStation all the way to this past fall’s PlayStation 4. He also worked to promote the PlayStation brand in foreign territories such as Canada and Latin America.
Tretton issued a brief statement this evening on his departure from the company, which you can check out below:
“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.”
Taking over for Tretton on April 1st will be Shawn Layden, the current Executive Vice President and COO of Sony Network Entertainment International. Currently in his 15th year with the company, Layden was a founding member of SNEI and has previously held the position of President of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan.
“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,” said Layden. “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.”
I think I speak for everyone when I say that Tretton’s presence at Sony will definitely be missed. He was a huge part of the company for many years and did an excellent job at guiding them through several console launches. No word on what he’ll do next but I imagine it won’t be long before we get an update. As always, we’ll let you know when we hear more.
Tell us, what do you make of this news? Sad to see Tretton leave? Sound off below!
