Shawn Layden, a former Sony executive, has joined Tencent Games as a strategic advisor. Layden was once a Sony executive. Layden announced his new position on LinkedIn, stating that he expects to “advise, assist, and support the Tencent team as they expand their operations and commitments in the field to which I have committed the most of my career.”
From 2016 to 2019, Layden served as president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, a tenure that encompassed more than nine years at PlayStation. Layden is a veteran of Sony, having started his career with the Japanese technology corporation in 1996 as a producer in the International Software Development division in Tokyo.
Following this, Layden served as Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for over eight years. In addition to serving as Chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, he has also served as President of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan. Tencent would likely aim to benefit from his knowledge, experience, and competence in this area, given his extensive background in console development, which corresponds with PlayStation's growth as one of the most powerful players in the console video games market.
“We are at a watershed moment in the history of gaming and interactive entertainment. There are numerous potential future paths, but only a handful are meaningful, expansive, inclusive, enlightening, inspiring, and/or sustainable. I am excited to continue this voyage of discovery and am grateful to Tencent for this chance “In his LinkedIn status update, Layden continued.
It is known that the former leader of PlayStation was exhausted by his responsibilities and took a leave. Since his departure in 2019, Layden has taken up advising and mentoring duties, which he intends to continue in addition to his current position as strategic advisor at Tencent Games.
Meanwhile, Tencent is actively aiming to grow its company beyond its home market in China. It has already raised its investment in Ubisoft and is seeking to expand internationally in the triple-A, console, and mobile gaming marketplaces.
