Jim Ryan to Discuss PlayStation's Past and Gaming's Future in Fireside Chat

I love a fireside chat, I love gaming... so... #jimryanout... frikkin' obvs 🤣

I know a lot of People love to hate on Jim Ryan and he might deserve some of the hate from some of the things he done recently. but we can’t take away him being a damn good business man who making Sony a lot money right now and making a lot of good business deals for us PlayStation fans.

I'll probably watch this, maybe I'll finally get why people dislike him on the interwebs

@4kgk2 The problem is , is not all his fault. Jim Ryan might have continue his previous predecessor policy. Like PC port is also Shawn Leyden Idea.

I’ve got my torch and pitchfork on standby 🤣

I can think of much better ways to spend my time thanks. Ryan says some stupid things, but he’s just one cog in the Sony money making machine. Sony have raised the base price of gaming with their policies and that isn’t good for anyone. They have a nice nostalgic past, the future I’m looking less forward to on Sonys current trajectory.

@4kgk2 so in case it wasn’t obvious, I was joking about #jimryanout 😎 I like to poke fun at the bandwagon

Can't wait for tonnes of(Insert generic comment about Jim Ryan being Satan here)

Fire Jim Ryan!... Not Fireside Jim Ryan...

@colonelkilgore

Most people : oh ok, cool.

Angry people : I’m only watching if he jumps into the fire at the end!

🔥🔥🔥

@fR_eeBritney Wow, in that case I finally qualify as ‘most people’… eeeeuuuurrgghh! I need to shower… HARD!

The way people on Push Square's comment section talk about Jim Ryan, you'd think he was the type of person to kick puppies, tip over grannies, and eat another man's fries.

Don´t ***** this up, Jim.

@JustPlainLoco Not the fries! Also wouldn't that be "chips"?

Bluepoint aquisition.wtf sony.make it happen.word up son

‘a number of his interviews over the years have been misconstrued. ‘
Nice. It’s very rare that the press admits misreporting because that could ‘damage’ their credibility I guess.

It’s obvious Jim Ryan isn’t as gold as say Spencer for the press to report on in a virtue signalling way but nonetheless facts should matter more than flashy titles.

I want Jim Ryan to do this fireside chat while wearing a Fozzy Bear inspired propeller hat. That will make him look more fun right?

"Discuss PlayStation's Past?"

During the last showcase when he said "at PlayStation, we respect our legacy." I simply blurted out "if you did we would have backwards compatibility!"

I know PS3 is pretty much out of the question but the PS5 is powerful enough to emulate and slightly upscale PS1 and PS2 games.

I have a PS2/3/4/5 so sure I can play old games but it would be nice to have it under one hood.
And if compatibility is what you're worried about either maybe have a small team work on and improve an emulator or simply release one and state "compatibility is not 100% guaranteed with every game." You'll have some who will call you names but most would be appreciative for its existence.

This would win Jim a lot of browny points with folk who do not think highly of him at this point in time. I know I would respect him more.

In one final note this is one thing I respect about Xbox, their backwards compatibility may not be full or complete, nor perfect but atleast it's there.

@GADG3Tx87 Can't say I've been over impressed with Mr "we believe in generations" after the PS3 and Vita store shut down threat with no warning which he then backed out on.

PS4 is powerful enough to emulate and upscale PS1 and PS2 games, never mind the 5. Unfortunately, I think they've lost the source code so can't seem to manage a basic emulation.

@sanderson72
Yeah, he's said and done a lot of things I don't agree with and for the most part I feel PlayStation is not doing as well under his leadership at present. In addition to what you've said, the upgrade fee fiasco and 'directors cuts' when they could simply release patch for 60fps upgrades is unacceptable. I can afford the games and upgrades but that's not the point.

As for emulation source code, the team behind PCSX2 have been working on emulation for years, why not just compensate them to acquire the work they have done and implement that in the console? Or better yet, hire them officially to work on one for PlayStation.

In any case I'm sure the console source code and bios can be directly acquired from an actual PS2, and there are tonnes of them in second hand shops.

If they really wanted to do it they would find a way, and as you said Jim has done a lot of backtracking so hopefully one day he'll change his mind on BC.

@GADG3Tx87
Nothing is black vs white though and credit should be given for PS4 BC straight from the disc with no need for internet connection.

Just reverse Kodera’s disgusting censorship policies! That’s all I want you to do. That and continue your commitment with VR, but you’re proving yourself there at least.

@playstation1995 Agreed....and Ember Lab 😉

Oh GOD... I am getting worried...SAY NOTHING PLEASE Jim

@AdamNovice
They don’t need to anymore, devs got the message and self censor ps releases or just restrict themselves to the Switch. Last game I remember not being allowed was Gun Gal Returns, which then also led to Xbox cancelling it. Bad PR is what they’re all scared of. He just needs to state a return to the policy if allowing whatever the law allows.

Jim Ryan is the gaming equivalent of lets say Ed Woodward at Man Utd.

Ed isnt a football man. Jim isnt a gaming man. And it reflects in some of the quotes and perception. But both are good at making their companies a lot of money.

I just wish they would put someone else in play as the PR guy. Like Phil is at MS and Reggie was at Nintendo.

They are missing Tretton and Layden on that front.

@thefourfoldroot Surely after allowing Abby to get ploughed, they can't censor anything else at this point.

I hope he has a real fire so he can... be warm and cozy.

@Keyblade-Dan. Yes amber lab.i also heard theres a new Japan studio for sony making aaaa games.word up son

@playstation1995 I'm literally praying that's true I've been screeching for Sony to get or make more first party Japanese studios 😂

Jim Ryan here looks like a doctor about to tell his patient some very bad news. Sony seriously needs to replace JR with somebody a bit more inspiring.

Watch it be an hour of him discussing the last Charles Dickens book he read.

@colonelkilgore Best fireside chat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXi7f9k0djI&ab_channel=RobertPooner

@Fenbops "Sony have raised the base price of gaming with their policies and that isn’t good for anyone"

yeah, this is true and I'm also worried. It's strange there isn't more talk/ articles regarding this...

@JustPlainLoco I have seen him do all of these things. And while blithely drinking Snapple to boot. Disgraceful.

@Jaxx420 Maybe not the best comparison since last time I checked (around March of this year) Man U were £455,000,000 in debt - but I think you're right about them both not being into the thing their business is about.

@GADG3Tx87 Sorry, I was being somewhat flippant when I said that they couldn't find the source code - it just seems with the current Sony they might very well have lost it.

As for PS2 emulation, the PS4 could easily manage it and the PS3 managed PS1 emulation through pure software only methods (PS2 needed the Emotion Engine chip I think?)

There's no reason for not including backwards compatibility with the first 2 gens of console and maybe the PS5 could do a decent stab at PS3 emulation but the amount of pushing and popping they'd have to do to emulate the interconnecting SPEs might be a step too far?

@Voltan That depends, over here fries are a skinny, usually flavourless type of chip, so depending on context both could be correct.

Edit: flavourless on their own, but delicious when coated in some sort of rub or dipped in sauce. The point is that other chips are about the potato, whereas fries are pretty much a vehicle for condiments and seasoning.

@theheadofabroom I see, thanks

@Voltan Thought to add in more info, but you'd already replied before I could hit the post button 🤦

You really need to put NSFW warnings and trigger warnings up before just splashing a picture of Jim Ryan up there. People's lives could be affected by this kind of casual offensive content.

Wow, I can't wait for Jim to chat about Playstation's past (the one where he closed the studios responsible for it and declared "why would anyone play this?", Playstation's future (the one where he sees costs escalating indefinitely as he sees a Playstation as a designer accessory like Apple or Louis Vuitton.)

All in a tone reminiscent of Ben Stein reading the audio book for a romance novel.

I love the concept of CEO's talking |DIRECT|ly to the market, but it only works for engaged CEOs with a passion for the product. When Iwata did directs you could sense his enthusiasm for everything going on like a kid in a candy store. When Phil does it, he's sometimes excessively excited as a fan himself (and says some stupid things without clearing it with the company about what he sees happening rather than what the company approves happening.) Steve Jobs may have been a jerk but he was always impressed with himself and thrilled with what he was promoting. Yves Guillemot may not be a smooth PR guy but he also has that childlike wonder in his products.

Tim Cook on the other hand is just a dry businessman with no passion filling Jobs' shoes and nobody cares since he's rolling investors in cash shaped bubble wrap. Jim is much the same. Except he also seems to be at war with his most loyal (non-fanatical) customers.

Sony's always had a problem with presenting any kind of good customer facing image. Their top people have never seemed to be engaged or passionate about the product. Hirai definitely came closest. House somewhat as well. Layden and Yoshida were great out front, but weren't in the top office, and their time out front didn't last long.

@NEStalgia

Jim Ryan is not what I would call a charismatic man. But really, from the perspective of how Sony is doing performance-wise, you can't fault him. They are doing well financially and they are delivering the goods on the software side.

Their overall business ethos doesn't concern me so much, since all businesses are inherently more or less evil money vacuums, and that just goes without saying regardless of how fan-friendly their front men/women are. Personable CEOs/execs just suspend our disbelief for a minute that these companies aren't soulless corporations. But they are. They always are.

I don't need a friendly PR guy to interface with me, the end result is the same regardless. I'll give it to you though, this man is boring and may be a robot.

It would be AWESOME if during the chat he casually dropped that PS1 and PS2 emulation us coming to the ps5, before dropping the mic into the fire while apologising profusely while the production crew try to fish it out; smoke and sparks everywhere.

@KayOL77 Tretton did the mic drop thing. Jim's not that engaged. Jim's more likely to just keep tapping it and asking "is this thing on?" as it screeches on feedback. Or just doing the entire interview blissfully unaware the microphone is off. Then announcing on the blog you can buy the video for $14.99 on the PS store while flagging the YT video with content violations.

@UnlimitedSevens On one hand, you're right. His job isn't PR, his job is business administration, so most of the above doesn't apply. On the other hand....his job is also to know he's not the PR guy! So why does he keep interjecting himself as the PR guy instead of delegating to someone that's actually good at that job?

On the business administration side, he's about as customer value oriented as Eric Schmidt, Jeff Bezos, and Bob Iger. We can debate about whether that's "good enough" for Playstation to occupy a hostile media-mogul role instead of being engaged with its community, and whether that short term investor friendly strategy is a good thing long term. "It works for EA" pleases investors, but not consumers (And even EA is backtracking now, possibly realizing that consumer friendliness eventually affects the bottom line after all.) However, no matter one's stance on that, I think everyone can agree that Bob Iger shouldn't be hosting Star Wars Q&A sessions at Comic Con. Jim doesn't understand he shouldn't do that, and it's a terrible look. He has a very "How do you do, fellow children?" vibe every time he gets in front of a microphone, and his policy making exists in a vacuum seemingly unaware of any and all potential backlash to decisions in a very Matrick sort of way, forcing him to personally get in front of it and apologize for completely misreading the room (again and again.) At least he does that, but if a competent frontman with a feel for the product and the market were handling that, Business-san here could keep playing with spreadsheets for world domination without having to look the buffoon every few weeks.

The ideal is to have a CEO that's really a part of the product. You can't stay nimble as a company with out of touch leadership that doesn't really understand the product or the consumer, especially in a fickle and fast changing industry like games. The only reason Jim is working out well financially is because in a position of market domination with strong momentum, Playstation doesn't need to be a nimble company, and doesn't need to rapidly respond to changing markets. He's an ok leader to manage money for a dominant company in a market dominant position. His leadership falls apart should that dominance erode under him. He's not in touch with the product or the market, and he doesn't delegate to anyone who is. Thus, he can maneuver at the speed of a battleship and could never correct course at a required rate in the face of change until it's already running aground.

#FireJimRyan #HirePhilSpencer

@Voltan @theheadofabroom I love how an article about Ryan is so engaging we've turned the discussion toward more interesting topics like debating the terminology of deep fried potato products.

@NEStalgia It's all connected

@NEStalgia

I agree with your thesis good sir, if I understand what you are saying correctly. The savvy choice would be to keep Jim Ryan away from cameras altogether, given his lack of social graces.

Let me plant a dark thought in your head though. Jim Ryan seems to have a certain inability to "get" his target market. That I agree with. But I don't necessarily think it matters. You talk about the company being maneuverable under a savvy leader, as opposed to an excel-sheet worshipping accounting reject who somehow found himself in a CEO role of a Fortune 500 company. While that sounds like common sense to you and me, I am not so sure anymore.

The dark and frankly depressing realization I've come to is he most likely understands the market in a more macro way than we do, in terms of marketing, investment, and overall strategy - which is a numbers game borne out by data analytics and other boring terms reserved for college statistics courses.

While we have a clearer "on the ground" view of the hobby, his boring vanilla business acumen approach is superior in that it gets financial results and actually gets good games made. Games which no doubt to him are just entries on a data sheet and for which he has no real appreciation. If you or me ran Sony with our pretty similar philosophies on the subject, we would not do as well as he is doing... and that's the depressing part. Our worldview is inferior to his clinical approach in terms of results, I think. That's a difficult idea to accept, but I believe it is true.

Its an interesting topic, but I try not to think about it. Games should be for fun. You start to get too analytical about the business side of things in the hobby you love, it takes the magic away. It becomes work and you end up writing rambling essays on forums like yours truly. You begin to dwell too much on what ifs and what-could-be's instead of what is actually in front of you. What we actually have is a wealth of gaming options and higher quality than has ever existed. I'm not even going to present that as an opinion, that's empirically true. When I see people complain about this or that, I just want to stop and tell them Things are good right now, relax. We've come a long way since the Pong and Pac-Man days. It's a good time to be into videogames.

Doesn't mean don't point out problems when you see them (and you raise legitimate issues I'd like to see corrected too), but keep a balanced view of where things actually stand as you do that.

I don't know how my reply devolved into a psuedo-spiritual commentary on seeing the good side of things... and I hope to never use the term "data analytics" in a video game forum post again haha. My point is... let's play some damn games and leave the business decisions to boring people like Jim Ryan. Someone has to lead the sad existence of running a corporation, let's just be glad it isn't us.

Well i hope in the future they can bring back a option from the past instead of putting it behind a paywall. Yeah bring back my local saves options instead of forcing it down my throat with a subscription what a joke.

If someone asks disnt you know that before nope i just found out

@NEStalgia @Voltan There's currently an overdemand for silicon so the PS5 launch is being hampered by a massive chip shortage and OMG it's all connected! Send Jim Ryan all your cooking oil and potatoes now! 😁

@NEStalgia Yikes mate, TL:DR. That's a lot of negativity for somebody whos making Sony shedloads of cash.

@skaarj217 One of those is making Sony lots of money, the other is spending lots of Microsoft money.

@KayOL77 Haha, well, it's kind of like in politics. A president gets blamed for a bad economy, and praised for a great economy. In reality the president has little to do with the state of the economy at all.

I attribute the same to Jim. Playstation is making shedloads of cash, but I'm not convinced it's Jim's brilliance and forward-thinking that's producing that result. Other than some marketing angles he hasn't yet really been a major part of the overall product ecosystem or strategy at all (other than shutting down studios and buying some others.) We're still living out the remainders of Kaz's Playstation while often frustrated by Jim's plans. Nintendo's still living out Iwata's Nintendo in the Switch. Xbox is just now finally moving out of Matrick/Balmer's Xbox. Jim and Furukawa's Sonytendo is yet to be seen. It's mostly existing momentum driving PS at this point, and there's a ton of momentum from the past 8 years to keep it moving for a while.

If there's one brilliant move he's made that does contribute to profitability it's just going all in on licensing the Disney zeitgeist. Great for profits. I'm not convinced it makes a better Playstation. I'm not sure licensed content ever makes a better platform. But it does produce near-term profits, for sure.

Jim Ryan, the worst Sony suit. 🤮 🤮 🤮