Summary
Jim Ryan, now retired CEO and President of Sony Interactive Entertainment, proudly shared that over 160 millionPlayStation 2consoles have been sold since the system first came out. Ryan was interviewed on the official PlayStation Podcast, where he talked about his experiences with the company and its direction for the future. He joined Sony in 1994, and oversaw the release of many products, including thePlayStation 2.
The PlayStation 2 was released in October 2000, and manufacturing was discontinued worldwide by 2013. It stands as the highest selling video game console to date. The PS2’s selection of games is tremendous, with the system functioning as one of the early commercial DVD players on the market as well. It is still such a popular system that there might soon be an officialPlayStation 2 emulator for PS4 and PS5.
Speaking on thePlayStation Podcast, Jim Ryan shared his experiences over the past three decades working for Sony as he steps down as CEO of its Interactive Entertainment division. When it came to the PlayStation 2, Ryan adamantly recalled its success, saying “The 2000s? That would be, I would say, 160 million, which is the number of PS2s that we sold. A high watermark.” Ryan announced he wouldretire as CEO of Sony IEback in September 2023, and took the opportunity on the podcast to say his final farewell.
Jim Ryan Says 160 Million PlayStation 2 Consoles Have Been Sold
Ryan was part of the team behind the release of PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and many more products from Sony. Heserved as CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainmentstarting in 2019, three years after the company was founded. Ryan faced a tumultuous five years, with the COVID pandemic hitting during his first year in charge. Following his departure from SIE, Hiroki Totoki is set to take the seat of CEO.
In the time Ryan served, he found himself in the midst of many controversies surrounding video games and the video game business. He would make regular public comments about PlayStation’s competition in the industry. An outspoken opponent of Xbox Game Pass, Ryan gave hisdeposition in FTC v. Microsoftin June 2023. He also had a lot to say in opposition to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision.
However, Ryan was also a big fan of the products he got to oversee at PlayStation. The library of games and franchises available for PlayStation 2 built the cornerstone of the system’s success. Hehopes PlayStation 2 games will be accessibleto many more people so that the nostalgic fun can continue.
