Confirmed in a press release from Sony corporate, long time CEO and spokesperson Jack Tretton is leaving the Playstation Nation as of the end of this month.
The press release had this to say regarding his departure, as it sounds like an amicable one:
“This is a result of a mutual agreement between Mr. Tretton and SCEA not to renew their contractual relationship.” In retrospect, Tretton had been at Sony since 1995, and he was president of Sony’s American branch since 2006.
Tretton had kind words to say to both his soon to be former colleagues, and the members of the Playstation Nation:
“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.”
Shawn Layden, a 15 year veteran at Sony and the current executive vice president and COO of Sony Entertainment Network, is taking Jack’s place as the new president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, as of April 1st. He spoke about Jack’s departure:
“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.”
Andrew House, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment, also had words to say regarding Jack’s departure:
“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.”
Good luck in your future endeavors Jack, although it probably won’t be long before you find a new home elsewhere.
