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[ShaiKhulud1989]

Yeah, I didn't know you could have two CEOs. I mean, technically they will be CEOs of different groups, but there will not be any CEO of the entire SIE.

It’s a bit of a structure reshuffling. SIE became too big for one person to manage. Just ask Phil Spencer that recently barely has a clue about his business dynamics.

 

[3liteDragon]

Welp....

 

[PropellerEar]

PlayStation wielding katana and a longsword, Xbox(Microsoft Gaming) wielding 1 stubby dildo.

 

[Hypereides]

I really don't know what to make of this news. Hulst maintaining and even going up the management ladder doesn't instill much faith.

Their next showcase will indicate what kind of future vision they got irregardless of what some of the fanboyish spin doctors in this thread are trying to spew.

 

[PixelatedBeast]

I wonder what the first popular first party franchise will be day and date on pc.

You've never heard of Helldivers 2?

I believe that game would have been the standalone Factions multiplayer game from Naughty Dogg before they decided to can it, after realizing how much work and time it would take away from making AAA singleplayer games that meets their standard.

 

[midnightAI]

Ouch... that Guerrilla guy bad news.

Why?

 

[Dictattor]

 

[midnightAI]

Wait, people are upset that a software/games guy is running the games side of things and a hardware guy is running the hardware side of things? Sounds like the right thing to do if you ask me.

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

Maybe I am missing a trend... but what's wrong with Hulst?

Wait, people are upset that a software/games guy is running the games side of things and a hardware guy is running the hardware side of things? Sounds like the right thing to do if you ask me.

and this... One would think this was a smart thing for sony to do.

I have decided that this is open of those brain fart GAF moments. Where we hate something just for the sake of hating it.

 

[Xtib81]

Hulst's ascension is kinda crazy.

 

[Radical Dreamer]

Hermen Hulst xDDD

 

[midnightAI]

Maybe I am missing a trend... but what's wrong with Hulst?


and this... One would think this was a smart thing for sony to do.

I have decided that this is open of those brain fart GAF moments. Where we hate something just for the sake of hating it.

It is, especially when previously the guy running both sides was a money guy (yes, I know they will still report to the CFO, but so did Ryan)

 

[Darsxx82]

Btw it's a really interesting approach that maximizes the different skills needed ( game development+contents vs hardware and platforms). I like it.

Isn't it essentially the same approach that XBOX announced a couple of months ago??...... P. Spencer CO and S. Bond (hardware+ecosystem) and M. Botty (software+Studios)

 

[zapper]

finally a Japanese man returns and with a fairly important role, maybe he will change something seeing how the Japanese market is today

Hermen Hulst's promotion smacks of improvisation, there were results but I don't think he did an excellent job

 

[midnightAI]

Isn't it essentially the same approach that XBOX announced a couple of months ago??...... P. Spencer CO and S. Bond (hardware+ecosystem) and M. Botty (software+Studios)

Similar but the individuals are hardly comparable and yet MS have the toughest job with the sheer amount of studios they now have.

 

[Spyxos]

Anyone but hulst oh no

What's wrong with him?

 

[Banjo64]

Hulst appears to be a bit of a muppet to me to be honest. Nishino I know nothing about, I hope both of them can strive for creative, small, fun games.

 

[anothertech]

Fuck ya.

 

[Darsxx82]

Similar but the individuals are hardly comparable and yet MS have the toughest job with the sheer amount of studios they now have.

It's true, that's why M. Botty has lieutenants responsible for XGS, Bethesda, Activision, Blizard and King separately.

But beyond that, speaking of the structure, it is essentially the same as the one XBOX announced a couple of months ago.

 

[Calverz]

These guys are going to be at loggerheads because hulst will want further expansion into pc and mobile which will further diminish Nishinos role as platform head.

 

[Pedro Motta]

All I know is that it takes two to make one Jim Ryan.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

 

[Bojanglez]

Wait, people are upset that a software/games guy is running the games side of things and a hardware guy is running the hardware side of things? Sounds like the right thing to do if you ask me.

Yeah I don't get the hate.

If anything this elevates the importance of game (and IP) development within the company and allows them to be accountable in their own right.

 

[GHound]

John Sony when reflecting on this tweet in a documentary 30 years from now.

 

[KaiserBecks]

Wait, people are upset that a software/games guy is running the games side of things and a hardware guy is running the hardware side of things? Sounds like the right thing to do if you ask me.

No, people are upset that Herman Hulst is running the games side of things.

 

[midnightAI]

No, people are upset that Herman Hulst is running the games side of things.

And yet no-one has given a decent reason why

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Stellar Blade was announced for a multiplatform release, even on Xbox, in 2019, if I'm not mistaken.

It then reappeared as a PS5 exclusive at the PlayStation Showcase 2021 in September. After the establishing of XDEV Japan as an entity separate from the Japan Studio and nearly two years after Hermen Hulst was appointed as head of first-party. It's fairly obvious that either him or his people were behind the partnership and publishing deal with Shift Up.

It was Shuhei Yoshida. He's the man to sign all the deals with new Asian devs, from Mihoyo to Shift Up, Hermen couldn't even remember their names.

Hermen should stick to Western AAA titles and the other dude be in charge of second-party projects, so the PS portfolio gets some variety.

 

[GymWolf]

Fucked in the ass we are.

(Master yoda 2024)

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

And yet no-one has given a decent reason why

There are a few good reasons, but here's one: Playstation Studios has been a DISASTER in the last 4 years. Hermen was the man in charge. By any normal metric, he should be fired, not promoted. He has admitted lack of supervision (!!!?) which resulted in delays and studio shutdowns. The mismanagement has been wild.

 

[midnightAI]

There are a few good reasons, but here's one: Playstation Studios has been a DISASTER in the last 4 years. Hermen was the man in charge. By any normal metric, he should be fired, not promoted. He has admitted lack of supervision (!!!?) which resulted in delays and studio shutdowns. The mismanagement has been wild.

A disaster? How? We know that their main studios are working on new games, including many new IP's, with many studios releasing games right at the end of the PS4 generation, we know games can take 5 years to make so it's not surprising the likes of ND(still released remasters), Guerilla (still released a PS5 only expansion), Sucker Punch etc. havent released new games yet but they will be close.

The studios shut down are not a surprise, it's not like they had a hit game and were shut down shortly afterwards (and, as with MS, studio shutdowns come from higher up, so Jim Ryan (at the time) or even higher)

If there really was mismanagement within the studios then that's on the studio heads, but other than ND and it's multiplayer game the others appear to be fine.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Herman Hulst has dirt on someone.

 

[MrRibeye]

Hermen burned millions of dollars and cancelled projects for nonsensical reasons.

 

[tommib]

creative, small, fun games.

And yet no-one has given a decent reason why

I don’t know, putting ND doing remasters and remakes since the start of the generation, Guerrila working on a Zero Dawn remake, Horizon Gaas, Horizon VR launch title, wasting years on GaaS initiatives, tying Insomniac to Marvel IPs for decades and decades to come, neglecting Japan as a hub for creativity…

All amazing things, right?

And only God knows what Bluepoint and Housemarque are working on.

 

[Putonahappyface]

This is good news right?

 

[Badlucktroll]

 

[midnightAI]

I don’t know, putting ND doing remasters and remakes since the start of the generation, Guerrila working on a Zero Dawn remake, Horizon Gaas, Horizon VR launch title, wasting years on GaaS initiatives, tying Insomniac to Marvel IPs for decades and decades to come, neglecting Japan as a hub for creativity…

All amazing things, right?

And only God knows what Bluepoint and Housemarque are working on.

Do you have any proof that has all come from Hulst?

ND has small teams working on these remakes, mostly new hires to get them up to speed with the engine, they are also a good test of new engine updates for the PS5
Guerilla, we have a rumour of a Zero Dawn remake, no confirmation yet, GaaS was mostly a Jim Ryan thing (in fact they are walking back on that slightly now, for all we know that could be due to Hulst) but either way, Sony needs to have some GAAS games as they can be money makers if done right, Horizon VR was by a different team/studio and used as a high end title for PSVR2
Tying Insomniac to Marvel IP's, is that Hulst or Ryan? is it neither and the studio just likes making Marvel games?
Neglecting Japan certainly started with Ryan, Hulst in fact gave Kojima a leg up by giving them the Decima engine

The hate to me is really weird, Ryan got hate (deservedly sometimes) and was a money man, Sony actually put a games guy in charge of games and still the hate (and hardware guy in charge of hardware)

Edit: on another note I have really enjoyed the remakes by ND, do I want a new game, of course I do, but Last of Us 2 game out 4 years ago so its not like they are massively behind on development if they are to release a game next year (or even the year after) as they do make large top quality games (and they have had their multiplayer game shelved (this however may be due to Hulst so you can probably blame him for that one) so its not like they are sitting around doing nothing)

 

[Fabieter]

Wait, people are upset that a software/games guy is running the games side of things and a hardware guy is running the hardware side of things? Sounds like the right thing to do if you ask me.

I dont think hulst did a great job the last few years, don't know the other guy tbh.

 

[CuteFaceJay]

No more old guys

 

[KungFucius]

So who’s replacing Jim Ryan’s role as CEO of SIE?

Edit: never mind I read the article.

Let’s hope that they focus more on their core audience and console instead of pc and mobile going forward.

Huh. PC audience is very similar to the console audience as it is the same games. If selling their games on PC makes them money why do you think it is bad? The console market is not really growing but you want Sony to hunker down and shrink. Investors will love that idea so much they will want to make you CEO.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Over stuff like PC ports and GAAS which were choices made by Jim Ryan. I'm not saying that he is perfect at his job or anything, but it's not like Shuhei Yoshida was any better (many studios being closed under his watch), and look at how loved he is.

PC ports and GaaS were Layden's idea though.

Anyway, Hulst be great for the job. The Dutch are level-headed business-men.

 

[Kokoloko85]

To be fair, it's not shitty news in the sense that he's essentially retaining his previous responsabilities as the head of PlayStation Studios with now overseeing PlayStation Productions as well in some capacity, which he actually may have already been doing in the past anyway.

Hulst isn't being put in charge of pretty much anything that wasn't under him before, it's actually Nishino who got a nice promotion out of this SIE restructuring.

I hope Hermen gets fired. Its shitty news as long as he is still there

 

[Fabieter]

Huh. PC audience is very similar to the console audience as it is the same games. If selling their games on PC makes them money why do you think it is bad? The console market is not really growing but you want Sony to hunker down and shrink. Investors will love that idea so much they will want to make you CEO.

Well it has to work for that to make sense. Mercedes-Benz also tried to have most of their luxury cars EVs but it didn't work out and they go back to being more and more traditional.

 

[Neofire]

Oh Lord herman hulst is CEO? He is going to run PlayStation into the ground. That "sold to the highest bidder" mentally is bad for PlayStation's identity. If he is handed the reigns he definitely will put PC ports day and date with PlayStation releases and the brand will be cannibalized out of existence just like the Xbox is experiencing.

 

[Sneakysnake]

Wtf is the bold, are you drunk? LOL

A 6 percent profit margin is abysmal. They have no plan to adapt and survive if the console market keeps stalling or worse, collapses. Their investors are scared and Totoki's recent demands for them to adapt and sell on PC and other platforms would not be happening if they thought they were gunna be fine. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cn...-after-ps5-sales-cut-sparks-stock-plunge.html

 

[Sneakysnake]

You have no idea how business works then. Did you not understand Totoki's rants about going multiplat. Then he appoints 2 CEOs with the purpose of expanding playstation to other platforms?6 percent profit margin sent them into a panic. The console market is dying

 

[Sneakysnake]

Bro, we have a better chance at collapsing as a global society than PS brand collapsing in 3 years...(shit.. that is kind of hypocritical in a sense. LOL)

You aren't paying attention if you don't think this is a real possiblity (the console market collapse). You know who does think it's a possibility? Sony. Here is the quote from Totoki about what the new PS CEOs will be doing. Sound familiar? "These two leaders will have clear responsibilities and will manage strategic direction to ensure the focus remains on deepening engagement with existing PlayStation users and expanding experiences to new audiences."

 

[Fabieter]

Oh Lord herman hulst is CEO? He is going to run PlayStation into the ground. That "sold to the highest bidder" mentally is bad for PlayStation's identity. If he is handed the reigns he definitely will put PC ports day and date with PlayStation releases and the brand will be cannibalized out of existence just like the Xbox is experiencing.

Oh I think it doesn't matter if he's doing pc ports, he will run it in the ground anyway.

 

[Fabieter]

You aren't paying attention if you don't think this is a real possiblity (the console market collapse). You know who does think it's a possibility? Sony. Here is the quote from Totoki about what the new PS CEOs will be doing. Sound familiar? "These two leaders will have clear responsibilities and will manage strategic direction to ensure the focus remains on deepening engagement with existing PlayStation users and expanding experiences to new audiences."

No we are driven by infinite growth which isnt possible which have made alot of companies go crazy and go bankrupt because they weren't able to keep up.

 

[Bernardougf]

PS will collapse in 3 years if they don't find a much wider audience to sell their games.

It took 11 years after the One disaster for Phil Spencer shit tier xbox to collapse.. so I think PS can hold a bit longer then 3.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

A 6 percent profit margin is abysmal. They have no plan to adapt and survive if the console market keeps stalling or worse, collapses. Their investors are scared and Totoki's recent demands for them to adapt and sell on PC and other platforms would not be happening if they thought they were gunna be fine. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cn...-after-ps5-sales-cut-sparks-stock-plunge.html

The 6% profit margin is an outlier due to their aquistion spree. it'll go back up to their norm which is >10%