Today marks a special day in the long history of PlayStation with the official formation of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE). As you may remember from my last note, this new organization will combine the strengths of both Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. and Sony Network Entertainment LLC into one global interactive entertainment powerhouse.

So what does this day mean for you, the gamer? If I’m honest, probably not a whole lot — at least not in the short term. But in the long run, it will mean everything. The formation of SIE will allow us to forge a unified PlayStation organization that can adapt more quickly to meet the needs of the gaming community, innovate with digital services like PlayStation Vue and PlayStation Now, and — above all else — drive consistent and constant innovation in the dynamic medium of videogames. You’re already seeing the early fruits of that effort with PlayStation VR, and the work will continue across a number of fronts.

Our full integration won’t happen overnight. But the work is well underway and I’m delighted to report that we are tracking ahead of schedule.

In addition to my role as President of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, I’m also honored to be taking on additional responsibilities supporting our excellent first party game development teams as Chairman of Worldwide Studios. Working with the inimitable Shu Yoshida, leaders like Scott Rohde, Michael Denny, and Allan Becker, I am committed to building upon our strong heritage to deliver ever more innovative and epic titles. That includes Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End from Naughty Dog in just a few weeks, and extending through Horizon Zero Dawn from Guerrilla Games, The Last Guardian from Japan Studio and genDESIGN, and beyond — and that doesn’t even include the powerful line up of VR titles we are developing worldwide.

As Blogcast listeners may already know, I have history with Worldwide Studios — in fact my PlayStation career began in game development in Japan and latterly Europe. I have enormous respect, and limitless devotion, for the creators, artists, and engineers within our Worldwide Studios, and I’m eager to be back in the business of helping developers realize their dreams.

And to our faithful and discerning PlayStation community, I thank you for your dedication, your enthusiasm, and your trust as we embark on a new journey as Sony Interactive Entertainment.

The future is surely bright.