Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony Interactive is a video game and digital entertainment company wholly-owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group. The SIE Group is made up of three legal corporate entities, which operate under a single global leadership: Sony Interactive LLC, based in San Mateo, California, United States and the global headquarters, Sony Interactive Inc., based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and Sony Interactive Europe Ltd, based in London, United Kingdom. Tokyo-based SIE Inc. was originally founded as Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI or SCE) in November 1993 to handle Sony's venture into video game development for the PlayStation systems. SIE LLC was established in San Mateo in April 2016 and is managed through Sony's American hub, Sony Corporation of America.

Since the launch of the original PlayStation console in 1994, the company has been developing PlayStation home video game consoles, accessories and services lineup. The company expanded from Japan into North America and Europe, where it founded the branches Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) in May 1995 (in Foster City, California) and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) in July 1995 (in Liverpool). The company quickly became Sony's main resource for research and development in video games and interactive entertainment. In April 2016, SCE and Sony Network Entertainment International was restructured and reorganized into Sony Interactive Entertainment, carrying over the operations and primary objectives from both companies. The same year, SIE LLC was established, with its headquarters in San Mateo, California. The company then adopted its current name in 2020.

Sony Interactive handles the research and development, production, and sales of both hardware and software for the PlayStation video game systems. SIE is also a developer and publisher of video game titles, and operates several subsidiaries in Sony's largest markets: North America, Europe and Asia. By August 2018, the company had sold more than 525 million PlayStation consoles worldwide.

Establishment, PlayStation release, and North American expansion (1993–2005)
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. (SCEI) was jointly established by Sony and its subsidiary Sony Music Entertainment Japan in 1993 to handle the company's ventures into the video game industry. The original PlayStation console was released on December 3, 1994, in Japan. The company's North American operations, Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA), were originally established in May 1995 as a division of Sony Electronic Publishing. Located in Foster City, California, the North American office was originally headed by Steve Race.

In the months prior to the release of the PlayStation in Western markets, the operations were restructured: All video game marketing from Sony Imagesoft was folded into SCEA in July 1995, with most affected employees transferred from Santa Monica to Foster City. On August 7, 1995, Race unexpectedly resigned and was named CEO of Spectrum HoloByte three days later. He was replaced by Sony Electronics veteran Martin Homlish. This proved to be the beginning of a run of exceptional managerial turnover, with SCEA going through four presidents in a single year. The PS console was released in the United States on September 9, 1995. As part of a worldwide restructuring at the beginning of 1997, SCEA and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) were both re-established as wholly owned subsidiaries of SCEI.

The launch of the second PS console, the PlayStation 2 was released in Japan on March 4, 2000, and the U.S. on October 26, 2000. On July 1, 2002, chairman of SCEI, Shigeo Maruyama, was replaced by Tamotsu Iba as chairman. Jack Tretton and Phil Harrison were also promoted to senior vice presidents of SCE. The PlayStation Portable (PSP) was SCEI's first foray into the small handheld console market. Its development was first announced during SCE's E3 conference in 2003, and it was officially unveiled during their E3 conference on May 11, 2004. The system was released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in Europe and Australia on September 1, 2005.

Creation of SCE Worldwide Studios, acquisitions, and restructure (2005–2011)
On September 14, 2005, SCEI formed Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS), a single internal entity to oversee all wholly owned development studios within SCEI. It became responsible for the creative and strategic direction of development and production of all computer entertainment software by all SCEI-owned studios—all software is produced exclusively for the PS family of consoles. Shuhei Yoshida was named as President of SCE WWS on May 16, 2008, replacing Kazuo Hirai, who was serving interim after Harrison left the company in early 2008.

On December 8, 2005, video game developer Guerrilla Games, developers of the Killzone series, was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment as part of its SCE WWS. On January 24, 2006, video game developer Zipper Interactive, developers of the Socom series, was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment as part of its SCE WWS.

In March 2006, Sony announced the online network for its forthcoming PlayStation 3 (PS3) system at the 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing meeting in Tokyo, Japan, tentatively named "PlayStation Network Platform" and eventually called just PlayStation Network (PSN). Sony also stated that the service would always be connected, free, and include multiplayer support.

The launch date for the PS3 was announced by Hirai at the pre-E3 conference held at the Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles, California, on May 8, 2006. The PS3 was released in Japan on November 11, 2006, and the U.S. date was November 17, 2006. The PSN was also launched in November 2006.

On November 30, 2006, president of SCEI, Ken Kutaragi, was appointed as chairman of SCEI, while Hirai, then president of SCEA, was promoted to president of SCEI. On April 26, 2007, Ken Kutaragi resigned from his position as chairman of SCEI and group CEO, passing on his duties to the recently appointed president of SCE, Hirai.

On September 20, 2007, video game developers Evolution Studios and Bigbig Studios, creators of the MotorStorm series, were acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment as part of its SCE WWS.

On April 15, 2009, David Reeves, president and CEO of SCE Europe, announced his forthcoming resignation from his post. He had joined the company in 1995 and was appointed as chairman of SCEE in 2003, and then president in 2005. His role of president and CEO of SCEE would be taken over by Andrew House, who joined Sony Corporation in 1990. The PSP Go was released on October 1, 2009, for North America and Europe, and on November 1, 2009, for Japan.

On April 1, 2010, SCEI was restructured to bring together Sony's mobile electronics and personal computers divisions. The main Japanese division of SCEI was temporarily renamed "SNE Platform Inc." (SNEP) on April 1, 2010, and was split into two divisions that focused on different aspects: "Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.", consisting of 1,300 employees who focused on the console business, and the network service business consisting of 60 to 70 employees. The network service business of SCEI was absorbed into Sony Corp's Network Products & Service Group (NPSG), which had already been headed by Hirai since April 2009. The original SCEI was then dissolved after the restructuring.

The North American and European branches of SCEI were affected by the restructuring, and remained as SCEA and SCEE. Hirai, by that time SCEI CEO and Sony Corporation EVP, led both departments.

On March 2, 2010, video game developer Media Molecule, developers of the PlayStation 3 (PS3) game LittleBigPlanet, was acquired by SCEI as part of its SCE WWS. On August 23, 2010, the headquarters of the company moved from Minami-Aoyama to the (Sony Corporation's headquarters) in Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo. On April 20, 2011, SCEI was the victim of an attack on its PlayStation Network system, which also affected its online division, Sony Online Entertainment. On August 1, 2011, video game developer Sucker Punch Productions, developers of the Sly Cooper and Infamous series, was also acquired.

Launch of PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4, expansion into China (2011–2016)
On January 2012, BigBig Studios was closed and Cambridge Studio—renamed Guerrilla Cambridge—becoming a sister studio of Guerrilla Games. On March 2012, Zipper Interactive, developers of the SOCOM series, MAG and Unit 13, was closed. On June 25, 2012, Hirai retired as chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment; however, he remains on the board of directors.

On July 2, 2012, Sony Computer Entertainment acquired Gaikai, a cloud-based gaming service. On August 2012, Sony Liverpool, developer of the Wipeout and Formula One series, was closed.

A press release was published on August 20, 2013, announcing the release date of the PlayStation 4 (PS4) console. On that date, SCEI introduced the CUH-1000A series system, and announced the launch date as November 15, 2013, for North American markets and November 29, 2013, for European, Australasian and Central and South American markets.

Following a January 2014 announcement by the Chinese government that the country's 14-year game console ban would be lifted, the PS4 was scheduled to be the first Sony video game console to be officially and legally released in China since the PlayStation 2—the ban was enacted in 2000 to protect the mental health of young people.

On March 6, 2014, Sony Computer Entertainment of America President and CEO, Tretton, announced he was resigning from his position at the end of the month, citing a mutual agreement between himself and SCEA for the cessation of his contract. Tretton had worked at SCEA since 1995 and was a founding member of the company's executive team. He was involved in the launch of all PlayStation platforms in North America, including the original PlayStation, PS2, PSP, PS3, PSN, PS Vita, and PS4. Tretton was replaced by Shawn Layden, who was the vice-president and chief operating officer (COO) of Sony Network Entertainment International, effective April 1, 2014. On April 2, 2015, it was announced that Sony Computer Entertainment had acquired the intellectual property of the cloud gaming service OnLive, and that its services would cease by the end of the month.

The beta version of Sony's first-ever cloud-based television service, PlayStation Vue (PSVue), was launched in the U.S. in November 2014. It was only offered on an invite-only basis for PS3 and PS4 users, prior to its official launch in early 2015. Sony signed deals with major networks, including CBS, Discovery, Fox, and Viacom, so that users can view live streaming video, as well as catch up and on-demand content, from more than 75 channels, such as Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. Although pricing and release dates for other regions was not publicized, Sony confirmed that PSVue will eventually be available on iPad, followed by other Sony and non-Sony devices.

As Sony Interactive Entertainment (2016–2020)
On January 26, 2016, Sony announced that effective April 1, 2016, Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment International would be re-organized and combined into a new company, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). Unlike the former SCE, SIE is based in San Mateo, California, and represents the entire PlayStation brand, regional subsidiaries, and its content operations. On March 24, 2016, Sony announced the establishment of ForwardWorks, a new studio dedicated to producing "full-fledged" games based on Sony intellectual properties for mobile platforms such as smartphones.

It was reported in December 2016 by multiple news outlets that Sony was considering restructuring its U.S. operations by merging its TV and film business with SIE. According to the reports, such a restructuring would have placed Sony Pictures under Sony Interactive's CEO, Andrew House, though House wouldn't have taken over day-to-day operations of the film studio. According to one report, Sony was set to make a final decision on the possibility of the merger of the TV, film, and gaming businesses by the end of its fiscal year in March of the following year (2017). However, judging by Sony's activity in 2017, the rumored merger never materialized.

On January 8, 2019, Sony announced that the company had entered into a definitive agreement for Sony Interactive Entertainment to acquire Audiokinetic.

On March 20, 2019, Sony Interactive Entertainment launched the educational video game platform toio in Japan.

On May 20, 2019, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that the company had launched PlayStation Productions, a production studio that will mine the company's extensive catalogue of video game titles for film and television. The new venture is headed by Asad Qizilbash and overseen by Shawn Layden, chairman of Worldwide Studios at SIE.

On August 19, 2019, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that the company had entered into definitive agreements to acquire Insomniac Games. The acquisition was completed on November 15, 2019, where Sony paid ¥24,895 million (US$229 million) in cash.

On November 8, 2019, Gobind Singh Deo, Malaysia's Minister of Communications and Multimedia, announced that Sony Interactive Entertainment would open a new development office in the country as in 2020 to provide art and animation as part of Worldwide Studios's efforts to make exclusive games for PlayStation consoles. The studio will be Sony Interactive Entertainment's first studio in Southeast Asia.SIE announced the formation of PlayStation Studios in May 2020 to be formally introduced alongside the PlayStation 5 later in 2020. PlayStation Studios will serve as an umbrella organization for its first-party game development studios, including Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Santa Monica Studio, Media Molecule and Guerrilla Games, as well as used for branding on games developed by studios brought in by Sony in work-for-hire situations. Sony plans to use the "PlayStation Studios" branding on both PlayStation 5 and new PlayStation 4 games to help with consumer recognition, though the branding was not ready for some of Sony's mid-2020 releases like The Last of Us Part II.

As Sony Interactive (2020-present)
On September 15, 2020, SIE's name was shortened to Sony Interactive. It came after PlayStation unveiled a refreshed branding two weeks prior.

Corporate affairs
The president, and CEO of SIE is Jim Ryan, replacing John (Tsuyoshi) Kodera, who stepped down in April 2019. Kodera serves as deputy president, swapping roles with Ryan. Andrew House served as president and CEO from 2011 until October 2017, after stepping down from the role House served as chairman until the end of the year. House replaced Kaz Hirai as president and CEO in 2011, who himself had replaced longtime CEO Ken Kutaragi, also known as the "Father of the PlayStation". Kutaragi retired from his executive position at SIE on June 19, 2007, and holds the title of honorary chairman at the company. As of November 7, 2019, Hermen Hulst is the Head of PlayStation Studios.

Headquarters
SIE currently has three main headquarters around the world: the global and Americas region headquarters in San Mateo, California, United States (Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC); Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo, Japan (Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. and Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Asia) which control operations in Asia and was also formerly the headquarters for Sony Computer Entertainment; and London, United Kingdom (Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe) which controls operations in Europe and Oceania. SIE also has smaller offices and distribution centers in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, San Diego, California U.S.; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Melbourne, Australia; and Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea and Liverpool, England, UK.

Game approval
SIE evaluates and approves games for its consoles. The process is more strict than for the Nintendo Seal of Quality, and developers submit game concepts to Sony early in the design process. Each SIE unit has its own evaluation process; SIEE, for example, approved Billy the Wizard for its consumers but SIEA did not. The company sometimes imposes additional restrictions, such as when it prohibited PS and PS2 games from being ported to the PSP without 30% of content being new to the Sony console.

Owned franchises and properties
This list is not complete
 * .detuned
 * Aconcagua
 * Afrika
 * Alienation
 * Alundra
 * Ape Escape
 * Arc the Lad
 * Astro Bot Rescue Mission
 * ATV Offroad Fury
 * Battle Arena Toshinden
 * Beats
 * Beyond the Beyond
 * Beyond: Two Souls
 * Blast Factor
 * Blasto
 * Bloodborne
 * Blood & Truth
 * Bound
 * Bravo Team
 * Bust a Groove
 * Buzz!
 * C-12: Final Resistance
 * Calling All Cars!
 * Cardinal Syn
 * Carnival Island
 * Codename: Tenka
 * Colony Wars
 * Concrete Genie
 * Cool Boarders
 * CounterSpy
 * Crash Commando
 * Crime Crackers
 * DanceStar Party
 * Dare to Fly
 * Dark Cloud
 * Dark Mist
 * Datura
 * Days Gone
 * Dead Nation
 * Death Stranding
 * Demon's Souls
 * Déraciné
 * Desi Adda
 * Destiny of Spirits
 * Destruction AllStars
 * Destruction Derby
 * Detroit: Become Human
 * Devil Dice
 * Diggs Nightcrawler
 * Digit & Dash
 * DJ: Decks & FX
 * Dog's Life
 * Doki-Doki Universe
 * Downhill Domination
 * Drakan
 * Drawn To Death
 * Dreams
 * Driveclub
 * Dropship: United Peace Force
 * Dual Hearts
 * Eastern Mind: The Lost Souls of Tong Nou
 * Eat Them!
 * Echochrome
 * Echoshift
 * Ecolibrium
 * Edge of Nowhere
 * Enkaku Sōsa: Shinjitsu e no 23 Nichikan
 * Entwined
 * Epidemic
 * Escape Plan
 * Everybody Dance
 * Everybody's Golf
 * Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
 * Extermination
 * FantaVision
 * Farpoint
 * Fat Princess
 * Fired Up
 * Firewall Zero Hour
 * Flow
 * Flower
 * Folklore
 * Frantics
 * Freedom Wars
 * Frequency
 * Frobisher Says!
 * Fruit Fusion
 * Fuse
 * G-Police
 * Gangs of London
 * Genji
 * Ghost of Tsushima
 * Ghosthunter
 * God of War
 * GoGo Robot Programming
 * Gran Turismo
 * Gravity Crash
 * Gravity Rush
 * Grind Session'
 * Hardware
 * Heavenly Sword
 * Helldivers
 * Here They Lie
 * Hermie Hopperhead: Scrap Panic
 * Hidden Agenda
 * Hohokum
 * Horizon Zero Dawn
 * Hustle Kings
 * Ico
 * Imaginstruments
 * InFAMOUS
 * Intelligent Qube
 * Invizimals
 * Jak and Daxter
 * Jeanne d'Arc
 * Jet Moto
 * Jet X2O
 * Jinx
 * Journey
 * Jumping Flash!
 * Jungle Party
 * Killzone
 * Kinetica
 * Kingdom of Paradise
 * Kingsley's Adventure
 * Kite Fight
 * Kileak: The DNA Imperative
 * Knack
 * Kula World
 * Kung Fu Rider
 * Lair
 * Lemmings
 * Lifeline
 * Linger in Shadows
 * LittleBigPlanet
 * Little Deviants
 * LocoRoco
 * Marvel's Iron Man VR
 * Marvel's Spider-Man
 * Mag
 * Matterfall
 * Medieval Moves
 * MediEvil
 * MLB: The Show
 * ModNation Racers
 * Monster Kingdom
 * Motor Toon Grand Prix
 * MotorStorm
 * Murasaki Baby
 * My Street
 * No Escape
 * Numblast
 * Okage: Shadow King
 * Omega Boost
 * Overboard!
 * Pain
 * Paint Park
 * Papercraft Creatures - Gesundroid
 * PaRappa the Rapper
 * Patapon
 * Piyotama
 * Philosoma
 * PhyreEngine
 * PlayLink
 * PlayStation All-Stars
 * PlayStation Home
 * PlayStation Move Heroes
 * PlayStation Vita Pets
 * PlayStation VR Worlds
 * Popolocrois
 * Primal
 * Project: Horned Owl
 * PulzAR
 * Puppeteer
 * Pursuit Force
 * Rain
 * Rally Cross
 * Rapid Racer
 * Rapid Reload
 * Rascal
 * Ratchet & Clank
 * Reality Fighters
 * Resistance
 * Resogun
 * Retro Force
 * Returnal
 * RIGS: Mechanized Combat League
 * Rise of the Kasai
 * Rise to Honor
 * Rogue Galaxy
 * Rule of Rose
 * Sagashi ni Ikouyo
 * Savage Moon
 * Secret Agent Clank
 * Sewer Shark
 * Shadow of the Beast
 * Shadow of the Colossus
 * SingStar
 * Siren
 * Sky Diving
 * Skyblazer
 * SkyGunner
 * Sly Cooper
 * Snakeball
 * SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs
 * Song of the Deep
 * Sorcery
 * Soul Sacrifice
 * Sound Shapes
 * Speed Freaks
 * Sports Champions
 * Starblood Arena
 * Starhawk
 * Start the Party!
 * Steel Reign
 * Stormland
 * Sunset Overdrive
 * Super Rub 'a' Dub
 * Super Stardust
 * Syphon Filter
 * t@g
 * Table Ice Hockey
 * Table Top Tanks
 * Talkman
 * Tanarus
 * Team Buddies
 * Tearaway
 * That's You
 * The Con
 * The Eye of Judgment
 * The Fight
 * The Getaway
 * The Hungry Horde
 * The Last Guardian
 * The Last Guy
 * The Last of Us
 * The Legend of Dragoon
 * The Mark of Kri
 * The Order: 1886
 * The Playroom
 * The Shoot
 * The Tomorrow Children
 * The Trials of Topoq
 * The Unfinished Swan
 * The Unspoken
 * This Is Football
 * Tiny Tank
 * toio Collection
 * toio Drive
 * Tokyo Jungle
 * Top Darts
 * Tori-Emaki
 * Toro Inoue
 * Tourist Trophy
 * Toy Home
 * Trash Panic
 * Tsugunai
 * Tomba!
 * TV Superstars
 * Twisted Metal
 * UmJammer Lammy
 * Uncharted
 * Unit 13
 * Until Dawn
 * Untold Legends
 * Vib-Ribbon
 * War of the Monsters
 * Warhawk
 * What Did I Do To Deserve This, My Lord?
 * What Remains of Edith Finch
 * When Vikings Attack!
 * White Knight Chronicles
 * Wild
 * Wild Arms
 * Wipeout
 * Wonderbook
 * World Tour Soccer
 * Xtreme