Jim Ryan gave advice to his successor before his retirement and named the top games of each PlayStation generation

Having worked for three decades at PlayStation, Jim Ryan, who is leaving his post as president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment next month, has witnessed the industry he loves undergo radical changes. Drawing from his experience, he gave advice to his successor and named the main games of each generation of PlayStation.

I am very grateful that I do not work in a boring industry. Launching the PlayStation 5 during a pandemic was the biggest challenge — and at the same time, the most beneficial achievement in the 30 years of his work at Sony. My job was to exude a sense of calm and tranquility. In reality, I sat at the dining table, head in hands, and wondered how we would do it.

Sony faced a mountain of obstacles on its way. We assemble the overwhelming majority of PlayStations in China. Another issue was finishing games when developers couldn't come together, eat pizza, and reflect on their craft. And then, no less important task — to sell our product to our consumers when retail was completely closed.

Ryan announced his decision to step down in September of last year, according to Variety. From April 1, the duties of the interim CEO of SIE will be performed by Hiroki Totoki, president and chief operating officer of Sony. Ryan says he fully trusts Totoki's leadership and has no doubts about the upcoming choice of his final deputy, which Totoki and Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida will make. He shared one piece of advice for the new boss of PlayStation, who, in his opinion, should remain a "cornerstone" for SIE:

Never forget that we are an entertainment industry. … If we continue to entertain, inspire, and amaze our gaming community, I think that with Mr. Totoki and those who will come after him, everything will be fine.

On the eve of his departure, Ryan says he will not miss the chronic time lag and the many years of regular flights between the Sony headquarters in Tokyo, his home in London, and the PlayStation office in San Mateo, California.

Ryan also named his best games for each generation of PlayStation:

PS1: Ridge Racer, 1994

I and most people thought, 'Wow, this is really a different game that is very fun and enjoyable to play.' It set the standard for many games of that generation.

PS2: Grand Theft Auto 3, 2001

It was a transformational game of the generation and a cultural moment. It had a huge and lasting impact on the gaming industry and, of course, on PlayStation.

PS3: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, 2007

Technologies at the time began allowing storytelling and emotions to be conveyed in a way different from anything possible before. I am very proud that this came from our own studio, Naughty Dog.

PS4: Marvel's Spider-Man, 2018

This game was so amazing and seemed to resonate so well with the PlayStation community. It prepared us for a successful second-half cycle.

PS5: God of War Ragnarök, 2022

Obviously, this is a great game, and it was greatly appreciated. It coincided with a time when we finally managed to start producing enough PlayStation 5 consoles. Everything went smoothly.