Jim Ryan may have been known for having put his foot in his mouth on a number of occasions in the past (such as when he callously dismissed legacy PlayStation games, or when he implied Sony no longer needs to showcase indie games to be successful), but as head of PlayStation’s European operations for a very long time now, he has been extremely successful. PlayStation has been a dominant force in Europe for the entirety of its existence. We can credit Ryan’s efforts for that.
It seems Sony agrees, because they have promoted Ryan to the President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment worldwide. Sony’s also announced that current President and CEO John Kodera will be becoming Deputy President, and that he will be focusing on “innovative user experiences” and on expanding Sony’s competencies in the digital and networking areas.
As I said already, Ryan’s PR gaffes may be numerous, but his stewardship of PlayStation Europe has been marked by nothing but success. I look forward to seeing where PlayStation as a whole goes under his direction from here on out.