What will happen with Sony now?
Some strange departures are leaving their mark in the game industry as of late. First Reggie Fils-Aime left Nintendo to work on other things. Now, it appears that another well-known executive is on his way to something new. But this time, it’s Shawn Layden.
The Worldwide Studios chairman for Sony Interactive Studios has left his position, though there’s no word as to why. The official PlayStation Twitter account broke the news a bit earlier today, with the following statement:
“It is with great emotion that we announce that Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden will be departing SIE. His visionary leadership will be greatly missed. We wish him success in future endeavors and are deeply grateful for his years of service. Thanks for everything, Shawn!”
Layden has had a storied history with Sony. He joined them way back in 1987 but made waves when he was given the chairman position for Sony’s Worldwide Studios in 2014, taking over for a departing Jack Tretton. Since that time, Sony’s seen major headlines behind its hardware and software, most notably with games like God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man. And he also provided a push for The Last of Us Part II, which was finally given a release date last week.
He hasn’t said a word about where he’s heading next, and details surrounding his departure haven’t gone out. But one thing’s for sure – Sony business won’t be the same without him. Here’s a video of him revealing the return of Crash Bandicoot a few years back during E3. In his unique way, of course.
Good luck with what you do next, Shawn.
