Sony moves goalposts on PlayStation 2 sales total as Shuhei Yoshida confirms exit

PlayStation Studios’ erstwhile president Shuhei Yoshida is acceptable to permission the institution adjacent year, aft being astatine Sony since its archetypal ever console.

While galore executives person travel and gone implicit Sony Interactive Entertainment’s 30 twelvemonth history, 1 down the scenes changeless has been Shuhei Yoshida.

The games manufacture seasoned joined Sony successful 1993, nether Ken Kutaragi’s leadership, erstwhile the institution was processing the original PlayStation. Yoshida went connected to go the president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios from 2008 to 2019, earlier his existent relation arsenic caput of the company’s indie developer initiative.

In his erstwhile role, up until 2019, helium was 1 of the astir salient figureheads for the PlayStation marque but connected Tuesday, November 26, Yoshida announced helium is leaving the institution aft 31 years, with his past time being January 15, 2025.

Asked astir his exit successful a dedicated PlayStation blog post, Yoshida said: ‘I’ve been with PlayStation from the beginning, and this is my 31st twelvemonth with PlayStation. And erstwhile I deed 30 years, I was thinking, hmm, it whitethorn beryllium astir clip for maine to determination on.

‘You know, the company’s been doing great. I emotion PS5, I emotion the games that are coming retired connected this platform. And we person caller generations of absorption who I respect and admire. And I’m truthful excited for the aboriginal of PlayStation.’

Yoshida’s departure comes aft chap PlayStation seasoned Jim Ryan stepped down arsenic Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO past year, with the institution present led by associated CEOs Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino.

When asked what representation stands retired the astir during his clip overseeing PlayStation Studios, Yoshida highlighted the breakout occurrence of 2012’s Journey.

‘One clip [that] stood retired for maine successful my representation arsenic thing really, truly peculiar was erstwhile Journey got the Game Of The Year award,’ Yoshida said. ‘Journey was distributed done PlayStation Network. It was a digital-only, tiny game. You tin decorativeness playing the crippled wrong similar 3 hours.

‘But that game… [won] Game Of The Year against each these AAA titles, I deliberation for the archetypal clip successful the industry…. the creator Jenova Chen did a speech astatine the summit, and helium talked astir a missive helium received from a miss who mislaid her begetter and she thought astir her begetter and she was capable to determination connected successful her life.

‘The full assemblage stood up and the full country was filled with happiness and an astonishing feeling that this tiny crippled could person specified a large interaction connected people’s lives.’

While Yoshida is champion known for his relation during the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 generations, caller figures from Sony person besides highlighted the dominance of the company’s biggest success, the PlayStation 2.

The PlayStation 2 has remained the best-selling console of each clip for decades, but there’s been immoderate disorder astir the existent income figures, which were previously enactment astatine 155 million by Sony themselves.

However, conscionable earlier helium left, erstwhile PlayStation brag Jim Ryan claimed that implicit 160 cardinal PlayStation 2 consoles person been sold, though astatine the clip it was unclear if helium was simply rounding up oregon somewhat misremembering.

A caller 30th day update connected the PlayStation website, however, has listed the PlayStation 2 arsenic selling ‘over 160 million’ units worldwide since 2000 – the archetypal clip the fig has been utilized extracurricular of Ryan’s comment.

The deficiency of an nonstop fig seems peculiar, successful what seems precise overmuch similar firm shenanigans to propulsion the goalposts distant from Nintendo, present that the Switch is wrong shouting region of the erstwhile PlayStation 2 total.

The 2nd biggest-selling console is the Nintendo DS astatine 154.02 cardinal units, portion the Switch is 3rd astatine 146.04 million, arsenic of September 2024, with a bully accidental of eclipsing 155 cardinal – but not needfully 160 cardinal – earlier it is discontinued.

Although the successor to the Switch is thought to beryllium imminent there’s inactive nary authoritative denotation of erstwhile it volition beryllium released, but adjacent if that gives the archetypal Switch a longer tally than expected Sony’s assertion of ‘over 160 million’ tin technically ne'er beryllium beaten. Unless Nintendo assertion the Switch sells ‘over 161 million’.

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