If you’ve been tuning into the PlayStation Podcast over the past 14 years, Shuhei Yoshida is likely a familiar name. He’s perhaps most recognized for his extensive tenure as the President of PlayStation Studios during the PS3 and PS4 eras. In recent years, however, Yoshida-san’s focus has shifted towards championing independent developers, taking on the role of Head of Indies Initiative at PlayStation.
With PlayStation reaching a milestone 30th anniversary next week, I had the chance to have a chat with Yoshida-san about his career path, future aspirations, and his top game selections spanning three decades of PlayStation history. Below are some highlights from our enriching conversation.
Please note: This interview has been shortened for clarity and brevity. To hear it in full, click here. (Apple, Spotify, direct DL)
SID: You were one of our inaugural guests on the PlayStation Podcast about 14 years ago. It’s been quite some time… what have you been up to lately?
SHU: I’ve been racking up some miles, traveling all over the map! I’ve been to Brazil, India, Australia, and Sweden, visiting various developers, attending game events, checking out the latest from developers, and tweeting about the games I’ve enjoyed over the year.
SID: We’re thrilled to have you back, and we have a lot of ground to cover. But I hear you have some news for us today?
SHU: Indeed, I do have an announcement. I’ll be leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment on January 15, 2025… it’s somewhat like announcing a new game launch date, something I haven’t done in quite a while [laughs].
SID: You’ve been with Sony Interactive for quite a stretch. What prompted this decision, and why now?
SHU: I’ve been a part of the PlayStation journey since its inception, totaling 31 years with the brand. Hitting that 30-year mark made me reflect, and I realized it might be time to embark on a new chapter. The company is thriving, I adore the PS5 and the incredible games it hosts. There’s a new wave of talented management leading the charge, whom I deeply admire and respect. The future of PlayStation excites me.
With PlayStation in such capable hands, it feels like the right moment for me to step aside.
SID: That definitely makes sense. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane. Just how long have you been with PlayStation?
SHU: I joined Ken Kutaragi’s team in February 1993 while they were still shaping the original PlayStation. Ken’s team was exclusively engineers back then. I was the first to step in without a technical background since Sony Corporation, at the time, was prepping to take PlayStation to market. That was 31 years ago.
SID: Ken Kutaragi is often dubbed the father of PlayStation. What was working at the company like back in those pre-launch days?
SHU: When I became part of PlayStation, it wasn’t even its own entity yet, just a department. Ken’s team was handling the development, and there was another group under Sony Music Entertainment Japan crafting games for the Super Nintendo. These groups eventually united, Ken’s engineering team from Sony and Sato-san’s team from Sony Music Entertainment Japan, forming Sony Computer Entertainment in November ’93.
We were such a small venture back then. I remember we had a celebration at a hotel as a joint entity, and everyone could fit in one room [laughs]. Just about 80 of us.
SID: It must have been an exciting period!
SHU: Absolutely, the excitement was palpable thanks to Ken’s team’s groundbreaking work in 3D graphics, real-time technology, and leveraging CD-ROM, allowing vast storage and affordable production. Our ambitions soared.
But, we weren’t exactly major players in the gaming industry then, and many sizable electronics firms had tried breaking into gaming and failed. Pre-launch, the industry largely underestimated us.
SID: It’s interesting how things evolve. Here we are, 31 years on, in a completely different landscape. Tell me about your first role at PlayStation.
SHU: I initially joined Ken’s team with the mission to engage with publishers and developers across Japan. As the lead in account management, I made countless calls, from Hokkaido to Kyushu, setting up meetings and ushering Ken Kutaragi and other executives around to talk PlayStation with hopes of securing game development.
It was a thrilling yet challenging phase, given the skepticism surrounding 3D graphics technology back then.
Tune into the full PlayStation Podcast to dive deeper into Shuhei Yoshida’s adventures during PlayStation’s formative years.
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SID: Eventually, you transitioned to become the president of PlayStation Studios. Any particular memories that stand out from that time period?
SHU: My time in game development brought so many memorable experiences. The annual events like DICE Summit were highlights, especially when our games were frequently nominated for Game of the Year. It’s a rarity to be part of even one Game of the Year project, yet I had the privilege of experiencing that excitement almost every single year…
One standout memory involves the game Journey taking home the Game of the Year Award. Distributed via PlayStation Network, Journey was an intimate, digital-only game with a playtime of about three hours.
That year, Journey ousted several AAA juggernauts for this honor, marking a significant first for a game like this. The game’s creator, Jenova Chen, shared a touching story at the summit about a letter from a girl who found solace in Journey after her father’s passing, enabling her to move ahead in life.
The room erupted in a standing ovation, a testament to the profound impact such a small game could have on people.
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SID: How did you find your way into your current role as Head of Indies Initiative at Sony Interactive?
SHU: Indie games are a passion of mine. With the indie movement blossoming in the 2000s thanks to digital distribution on PC, mobile, and consoles, any creator could make and share games globally. It was a thrilling time, opening new doors for innovation.
Indie projects, with minimal financial risk, allow for experimentation with fresh, untried concepts. It birthed a new exploratory channel for the entire industry, which felt like treasure hunting to me. Though working with major studios on AAA titles was rewarding, I gravitated toward the indie sections at events like E3 or Gamescom.
That’s where I’d often discover and promote games I found intriguing by interacting and taking pictures with developers. I was practically doing this as a hobby while managing PlayStation Studios. Landing a position where I could dedicate all my energy to supporting indie developers was like achieving a dream.
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Shu himself makes an appearance as a playable character in Super Time Force Ultra, courtesy of Capybara Games.
