We often lament when athletes retire at the top of their game but what about when corporate executives step back at the height of their powers?

Jack Tretton, the current President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, has announced that he is resigning from his post effective March 31st. Shawn Layden, Executive Vice President and COO of Sony Network Entertainment International, will take over Tretton’s job on April 1st.

While Tretton may have achieved his greatest success and fame over the last year, he’s been in the games industry longer than I’ve been alive. I’m not calling him old. This is a man who is woven into the DNA of modern gaming and I doubt things will be the same as a result.

Tretton got his start in gaming with Activision as Vice President of Sales in 1986. In 1991, he jumped to JVC as the general manager of their video games division where he led them to two Sega CD Game of the Year awards.

Come 1995, Tretton was on the move to Sony where he was part of the PlayStation division when the first PlayStation launched in 1995 and has been a part of the console development and game publishing arm of Sony Computer Entertainment through four console and two handheld generations.

Tretton was promoted to President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America in November 2006 which also marked the launch of the PlayStation 3 console. While the PS3 had a slower than expected launch and didn’t achieve the popularity or sales of its predecessor, under the guidance of Tretton and his team, the PlayStation 4 has already sold six million units in the three-and-a-half months since launch.

Of course, we can’t forget some classic Tretton moments from the past year.

Given that he has guided Sony through another console launch, this would seem to be a logical time for a new boss to step into SCEA. After all, Tretton became CEO at the start of the previous generation.

As for his replacement, Shawn Layden has a long history at Sony Computer Entertainment too. Layden had been with Sony Computer Entertainment for 15 years before being on the founding team of Sony Network Entertainment International in 2010. While with SCE, Layden spent eight years as director of international software development while at SCE Worldwide Studios in London and he had a stint as President of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan.

While Layden’s previous experience is different than Tretton’s, you can’t say that he’s not a PlayStation guy through and through. Tretton certainly ended his tenure at SCEA on a high note but it looks like things will still be in good hands with Layden.

Source: PR Newswire