Reflecting on Shuhei Yoshida's 31-Year Journey with PlayStation

If you’ve ever tuned into the PlayStation Podcast over the last 14 years, the name Shuhei Yoshida will ring a bell. During his long tenure as President of PlayStation Studios, he made significant waves in the PS3 and PS4 eras. Recently, he’s been championing indie developers as the Head of Indies Initiative at PlayStation.

With PlayStation’s 30th anniversary just around the corner, I seized the opportunity to sit down with Yoshida-san. We talked about his storied career, what lies ahead, and his favorite games throughout PlayStation’s three-decade legacy. Here’s a glimpse into our expansive chat.

Note: The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. For the full conversation, tune in here. (Apple, Spotify, direct DL)

SID: You were one of our inaugural guests on the PlayStation Podcast about 14 years ago. It’s been a while… what’s new with you?

SHU: I’ve been hitting the road quite a bit! Brazil, India, Australia, Sweden — I’ve been everywhere. I spend my time visiting developers and attending game events, exploring the latest creations, and sharing my favorite finds on social media throughout the year.

SID: It’s great to have you back! I heard you have some news to share with us today?

SHU: Indeed! I’ve got an announcement: I’ll be stepping down from Sony Interactive Entertainment come January 15, 2025. It’s a bit like announcing a new game launch [laughs], something I haven’t done in quite a while.

SID: You’ve been with Sony Interactive for a long time. What prompted the decision and why now?

SHU: I’ve been part of PlayStation from day one, and I’m now marking my 31st year. Crossing the 30-year mark got me thinking it might be time for a new chapter. PlayStation is doing incredibly well. I’m thrilled by the PS5 and the upcoming games. There’s a new generation of leaders who I deeply respect, and I’m genuinely excited about PlayStation’s future. So, yes, PlayStation is in excellent hands, and it feels like the right moment for me to move on.

SID: That totally makes sense. Let’s walk through your remarkable journey. Just how long have you been with PlayStation?

SHU: I joined Ken Kutaragi’s team back in February 1993, when the original PlayStation was still being developed. It was an all-engineer team, and I was the first non-engineer as the company, at that time part of Sony Corporation, began planning the PlayStation’s launch. So, it’s been 31 years now.

SID: Ken Kutaragi, often dubbed the father of PlayStation — what was it like being with the company back in those early days, pre-original PlayStation?

SHU: When I started, PlayStation was more of a department. Ken’s team was handling development, and Sony Music Entertainment Japan had another team working on Super Nintendo games. These two merged, Ken’s side and Sato-san’s from Sony Music, forming Sony Computer Entertainment in November 1993. I remember our joint venture launch party — we all fit into a single room at a hotel [laughs]. We were about 80 people in total back then — tiny, but so full of excitement.

SID: Must have been thrilling!

SHU: Absolutely, the innovations from Ken’s team like 3D graphics, real-time tech, and CD-ROM were transformational, offering vast data storage at minimal cost. Our ambitions were sky-high. However, we weren’t yet recognized in the gaming industry. Many large electronics companies had tried and struggled to break into gaming, so before the PlayStation launch, we weren’t exactly taken seriously by the industry.

SID: And now, here we are, 31 years down the line in a very different narrative… can you recall your first role with PlayStation?

SHU: My initial task with Ken’s team was to connect with publishers and developers across Japan. As a lead account manager, I reached out to companies from Hokkaido to Kyushu, setting up appointments. I’d bring a group of executives, including Ken Kutaragi himself, to talk about the PlayStation and encourage them to develop games for it. It was a fun but challenging period since not everyone was sold on 3D graphics technology back then.

To dive deeper into these stories, listen to our full chat on the PlayStation Podcast, where Shuhei Yoshida shares more about PlayStation’s formative years.

SID: Later, you became the president of PlayStation Studios. Do any memories from that era stand out?

SHU: Being part of game development, I got to work with amazing teams on fantastic games. Every year, attending events like DICE Summit was such a thrill, especially when our games were nominated for Game of the Year. To have a game you’re involved in nominated even once is a big deal, but it happened almost annually for us.

One memory that shines for me is when Journey won the Game of the Year Award. Distributed via PlayStation Network, it was a modest digital-only game, just a few hours long. Yet it triumphed over big AAA titles. Jenova Chen, the creator, shared during the summit about receiving a letter from a girl who had lost her father. Playing Journey helped her process her grief. The room was electrified, standing in unity — realizing such a small game had such a profound impact on people’s lives.

SID: How did you transition into your current role as the Head of Indies Initiative at Sony Interactive?

SHU: Indie games are a passion of mine. The indie boom of the 2000s shook things up—thanks to digital distribution, small games on PCs, mobiles, and consoles could be created and sold globally by anyone. This opened up immense opportunities for innovative ideas. Small games don’t require huge capital, so new, untested ideas get a shot, starting a fresh channel for the entire industry.

For me, it’s like a treasure hunt. Back when I oversaw PlayStation Studios, working on AAA games, I’d still find myself in indie areas at events like E3 and Gamescom. I’d discover unique games, snap a photo with the developers, and promote their work. It was almost a hobby of mine alongside managing PlayStation Studios. So when the opportunity arose to dedicate all my time to helping indies, it truly felt like a dream job.