In a statement, the outgoing exec said: "PlayStation has been a huge part of my life for more than 20 years but with the business having achieved record-breaking success, now seemed to be the right time for me to pursue new challenges." A Sony spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal that House "plans to spend more time with his family before embarking on a new career in the entertainment industry."

His now-former boss Hirai thanked him and said"

"When I passed the baton of leadership for Sony Computer Entertainment to Andrew House in 2011, I was confident that I was leaving the PlayStation business in the best possible hands, and so it has proved. I'm extremely grateful to Andy for the great contribution he has made to evolving the PlayStation business, and firmly positioning it as one of the drivers of our future growth."

The new CEO Kodera has been with Sony since 1992, and worked on services for the PlayStation Network since 2010, overseeing the launch of PlayStation Vue, PlayStation Now and PS VR. He said that "It's a great honor to take on the role of President and CEO, SIE, and I'm very grateful to Kaz and Andy for the trust and faith they have shown in me. I intend to build on the amazing progress Andy has made enhancing the PlayStation brand and expanding the game and network services business, and will strive to further strengthen the unique value proposition we are able to offer via the PlayStation platform. I look forward to working together with the SIE team, and everyone across the Sony Group, to continue to strengthen relations with our business partners, and provide the best possible interactive entertainment experiences, that only PlayStation can deliver."