Shuhei Yoshida reveals Jim Ryan gave him choice to take PlayStation indie role or leave company

Shuhei Yoshida shares that Jim Ryan forced him to choose between leading PlayStation Indies or leaving Sony.

Shuhei Yoshida, a longtime PlayStation executive, has revealed that his transition to leading PlayStation Indies was not entirely voluntary. In a candid interview at the DICE Summit 2025, Yoshida stated that former PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan presented him with a choice: either take the indie role or leave the company.

“Moving from first-party to indies? Well, I had no choice. When Jim asked me to do the indie job, the choice was to do that or leave the company,” Yoshida said. Initially, the shift was difficult, as he had spent decades overseeing first-party PlayStation franchises like God of War, Uncharted, and The Last of Us. However, he gradually embraced the challenge, using his influence to rebuild PlayStation’s relationship with indie developers. His role aimed to address criticisms that PlayStation had become less supportive of smaller studios compared to competitors like Nintendo and Xbox.

Before leading PlayStation Indies in 2019, Yoshida played a crucial role in Sony’s gaming expansion, having joined the company in 1993 as one of the first 80 employees working on PlayStation. He later became President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios in 2008, overseeing the development of some of PlayStation’s most iconic titles. His experience in both hardware and software shaped the company’s approach to gaming innovation.

Despite his initial doubts, Yoshida’s efforts helped PlayStation improve its indie game ecosystem. Developers have since reported higher sales on PlayStation, with better store visibility and improved revenue-sharing models, making the platform more competitive for independent studios.

Though he left Sony in January 2025 after 38 years, Yoshida remains involved in gaming. He continues to work as an independent advisor, helping indie developers succeed in an industry he still deeply loves.