If you’ve been following the PlayStation Podcast for over a decade, you wouldn’t have missed the mention of Shuhei Yoshida. Known for his significant role at PlayStation Studios as President during parts of both the PS3 and PS4 eras, Yoshida-san has transitioned over the past several years to becoming a staunch supporter of indie developers. He currently leads the Indies Initiative at PlayStation.
With PlayStation about to celebrate its 30th anniversary next week, I had the opportunity to chat with Yoshida-san. We delved into his illustrious career, his future plans, and his favorite games over the past three decades of PlayStation. Here are some highlights from our long conversation.
Note: The interview has been condensed for clarity and brevity. To listen to the full conversation, click here. (Apple, Spotify, direct DL)
SID: You were one of our inaugural guests on the PlayStation Podcast likely 14 years ago. It’s been quite some time…. What have you been up to?
SHU: I’ve been on the move a lot! I’ve traveled all over. From Brazil to India and Australia to Sweden, I’ve been visiting developers, attending game events, checking out new games, and sharing my favorites on social media throughout the year.
SID: Great to have you here. We’re going to catch up a lot. But I hear you have some news for us today?
SHU: Yes, I have an announcement. I’m going to be leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment on January 15, 2025… it feels a bit like announcing the release date for a new game, which I haven’t done in a while [laughs].
SID: You’ve been with Sony Interactive for ages. What drove this decision and why now?
SHU: I’ve been part of PlayStation from the very start, marking my 31st year now. When I hit the 30-year mark, I felt it might be the right moment to step aside. The company is in an excellent place. I adore the PS5 and the exciting new games on the horizon. With new generations of management who I greatly respect and believe in, I feel positive about PlayStation’s future.
PlayStation is indeed in capable hands. I realized it’s the right time for me to move on.
SID: That sounds reasonable. Let’s reflect on your extensive career. Exactly how long have you been with PlayStation?
SHU: Well, I joined Ken Kutaragi’s team back in February 1993 when they were still working on the original PlayStation. Ken’s team, which consisted entirely of engineers, was where I was the first non-technical person to come aboard. At that time, Sony Corporation began making plans to bring PlayStation to market. So, it was 31 years ago.
SID: Ken Kutaragi is often seen as the father of PlayStation. How was it working for the company during those days before the original PlayStation launched?
SHU: When I came on board, PlayStation was still just a department. Ken’s team handled development, and another group under Sony Music Entertainment Japan was making games for Super Nintendo. Another small team was preparing to develop games for PlayStation. In November 1993, these two teams merged into what became Sony Computer Entertainment.
During the formation of our joint venture company, we had a party with everyone together in one room at a hotel [laughs]. It was quite a small group—about 80 people in total.
SID: Small indeed, but I bet it felt thrilling!
SHU: Absolutely, the innovation coming from Ken’s team was incredibly exciting. We explored new horizons like 3D graphics, real-time processing, and CD-ROM with ample data storage offered at low manufacturing costs. We had high hopes and big ambitions.
However, the video game industry didn’t know us well. Several big electronics companies attempted to enter the game industry before us and didn’t succeed. So, honestly, before PlayStation launched, the industry didn’t take us very seriously.
SID: It’s interesting how things change. Here we are, 31 years later, and it’s a whole new story. Tell me about your first role at PlayStation.
SHU: In my early days on Ken’s team, my job was to liaise with publishers and developers across Japan. I was basically the lead in account management, reaching out and scheduling meetings. We traveled from Hokkaido to Kyushu, with a team including Ken Kutaragi himself, pitching the PlayStation to publishers, hoping they’d decide to develop games for it.
Those were exciting times, yet challenging, as 3D graphics technology was not widely embraced by the industry back then.
Catch our full discussion on the PlayStation Podcast for more insights into Shuhei Yoshida’s early experiences with PlayStation.
SID: Eventually, you rose to become the president of PlayStation Studios. Any standout memories from your time there?
SHU: I’ve had the privilege of being involved with countless great games and incredible teams throughout my career in game development. Events like the DICE Summit were a highlight, where some of our games often got nominated for Game of the Year. Being involved in even one Game of the Year title is a huge honor in this industry, but I had the fortune to experience that almost annually…
Yet, one moment was particularly special — when the game Journey won Game of the Year. Notably distributed via PlayStation Network, Journey was a smaller, digital-only game, completing within around three hours.
That game won against all these AAA titles, marking a first in the industry… The creator, Jenova Chen, spoke at the summit about a letter from a girl who found solace in the game after losing her father, helping her move forward.
The whole audience was uplifted, filled with joy and amazement that such a small game could profoundly impact people’s lives.
SID: How did you transition to your current role as Head of the Indies Initiative at Sony Interactive?
SHU: My love for indie games is well-known. When the indie boom started in early 2000, digital distribution kicked off on PC, mobile, and console, providing a global platform for small game titles, helping spark new creative ideas.
Since indie games are smaller, they involve less capital, allowing developers to explore never-before-tried concepts, creating a new avenue for the industry. It felt like a treasure hunt for me. Even while managing [PlayStation Studios], amidst major studios crafting AAA titles, I always found myself drawn to indie game sections at events like E3 or Gamescom.
Discovering games that resonated with me and meeting the developers made it all the more exciting. I’d often capture the moments with photos to help highlight these unique games.
This became a cherished hobby during my tenure at PlayStation Studios. When this role came along, allowing me to dedicate my entire focus to helping indies, it was akin to landing a dream job.
Shu also made an appearance as a playable character in Super Time Force Ultra from Capybara Games.
