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Forums - Sony Discussion - JIm Ryan Retiring in March 2024

DonFerrari on 29 September 2023
method114 said:

I never really understood the hate against Jim Ryan. Then again he wasn't in charge very long. On the other hand it was always weird to me how much praise Phil Spencer got when IMO he has failed to deliver for a very long time. Phil's had almost 10 years and I just haven't seen anything from Xbox.

When Phil did that interview with Destin basically blaming Larian for BG3 not working on Series S it was pretty disgusting. He knows he's had multiple devs complaining about that machine and he still is willing to throw devs under the bus like that. Devs that worked so hard on their game and to just trash them so casually like that I couldn't believe it.

Yep. Under Jim Ryan (be it his decisions that brought it or whatever) PS is hitting record numbers in revenue, units shipped, etc and under Phil Spencer even with several billion expend they are trailing X1 (which he was involved but blame falls squarely on Don Mattrick). Jim is mocked as bad CEO and Phil praised as a saint, just because Jim isn't giving 10 interviews a month and pretending to be friendly gamer.



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zero129 on 29 September 2023
the-pi-guy said:
zero129 said:

Hmm, im not sure i get this at all. Im pretty sure Jim had a lot of involvement with what was Green Lighted and what wasnt since he is over the studios. He was the boss. Thats like Saying Phil wouldnt of had any say in what xbox Green Lighted or didnt.

Hiku said:

I can't be sure. But considering how games like TLOU2 reportedly cost $220 Million dollars to make, sums like that have the ability to impact the direction of the entire company if invested poorly. (See Square Enix, etc)
So in that sense I can imagine it having to cross his desk.

At least that's the sentiment I keep seeing.
But again, I don't know for sure.

I am probably wrong. 

I have to imagine to some extent, that the big publishers have an entire team to greenlight, and seek out projects. 

Moreso it probably isn't in the hands of any one person. Maybe Jim Ryan and Hermen Hulst are two of 10 people that give feedback on projects.  

zero129 said:

Yeah i dont think Sony is "Forcing" their studios to make some types of games. I think its just all the studios they have love making Cinematic, Movie type games.

There are several that aren't. Team Asobi is making Mario style platformers, Polyphony is making racers obviously. Media Molecule isn't making cinematic movie type games. 

I actually did mean my words. It wasnt some sly dig or that. I honestly do believe that the ones who make cinematic games is the type of games they want to make otherwise i do honestly think they would make something else.

In other words i honestly do not believe that Sony is "forcing" their devs to only make them games.



zero129 on 29 September 2023
DonFerrari said:
method114 said:

I never really understood the hate against Jim Ryan. Then again he wasn't in charge very long. On the other hand it was always weird to me how much praise Phil Spencer got when IMO he has failed to deliver for a very long time. Phil's had almost 10 years and I just haven't seen anything from Xbox.

When Phil did that interview with Destin basically blaming Larian for BG3 not working on Series S it was pretty disgusting. He knows he's had multiple devs complaining about that machine and he still is willing to throw devs under the bus like that. Devs that worked so hard on their game and to just trash them so casually like that I couldn't believe it.

Yep. Under Jim Ryan (be it his decisions that brought it or whatever) PS is hitting record numbers in revenue, units shipped, etc and under Phil Spencer even with several billion expend they are trailing X1 (which he was involved but blame falls squarely on Don Mattrick). Jim is mocked as bad CEO and Phil praised as a saint, just because Jim isn't giving 10 interviews a month and pretending to be friendly gamer.

Thats not the reason at all so lets not go there. The reason Phil is Praised is he took a sinking ship and "IS" Bring it back up. Ryan got control of an already successful PS Brand and was starting to steer it in ways Sony fans didnt like. Why do you think even so many Sony fans dont like him while So many xbox fans like Phil??.



Mar1217 on 29 September 2023

Amongst the 3 big OG's (Spencer, Reggie and Jim)

He certainly had the most "erased" presence of them, yet given the control of a brand surfing on its success for a time that can't be truly deemed long. I think the impact of it's decisions will only come up in insight in a few years.
Difficult to say if this will pay out and his replacement will have to fix some possible mistake he could've made.



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method114 on 29 September 2023
zero129 said:
method114 said:

I never really understood the hate against Jim Ryan. Then again he wasn't in charge very long. On the other hand it was always weird to me how much praise Phil Spencer got when IMO he has failed to deliver for a very long time. Phil's had almost 10 years and I just haven't seen anything from Xbox.

When Phil did that interview with Destin basically blaming Larian for BG3 not working on Series S it was pretty disgusting. He knows he's had multiple devs complaining about that machine and he still is willing to throw devs under the bus like that. Devs that worked so hard on their game and to just trash them so casually like that I couldn't believe it.

I'm not saying your lying or changing facts here. But could you give me the actual quote where he done this and also a link to the Interview/Article.

And anyone who thinks Phil has not been working to turn the xbox brand around imo is being delusional. Sure he hasn't done the best but with what he had to work with compared to what Jim had to work with is a night and day difference..

https://www.purexbox.com/news/2023/08/phil-spencer-gives-his-thoughts-on-baldurs-gate-3s-xbox-series-s-issues

Now it's very subtle but he says it two different times and in two different ways but he basically says this wasn't an issue with the Series S and it was where Larian was choosing to prioritize their time. That's a flat out lie. This has nothing to do with Larian and their time. Yet he choose to include them in the blame on this. It was 100% because the Series S can't handle it. He knows that, Larian know that, and plenty of devs have complained to him about it. He also goes on to try and act like the talk about the Series S isn't from devs and he knows that's BS. One of the top stories out of the last gamescom was all the devs trashing the Series S.

I'm sure he's trying to turn things around but he hasn't done it. I loved my 360 and it got me back into gaming but ever since then MS hasn't done anything to warrant me investing in their eco system again.



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twintail on 29 September 2023
zero129 said:
DonFerrari said:

Yep. Under Jim Ryan (be it his decisions that brought it or whatever) PS is hitting record numbers in revenue, units shipped, etc and under Phil Spencer even with several billion expend they are trailing X1 (which he was involved but blame falls squarely on Don Mattrick). Jim is mocked as bad CEO and Phil praised as a saint, just because Jim isn't giving 10 interviews a month and pretending to be friendly gamer.

Thats not the reason at all so lets not go there. The reason Phil is Praised is he took a sinking ship and "IS" Bring it back up. Ryan got control of an already successful PS Brand and was starting to steer it in ways Sony fans didnt like. Why do you think even so many Sony fans dont like him while So many xbox fans like Phil??.

I mean, just because Ryan was given a successful business doesn't really amount to much. PS isn't a self-sustaining entity and keeping the PS brand strong and in a position to continue growing is a testament to his time as the CEO. You only have to with Xbox how quickly poor decisions can ruin the brand. 

Spencer has obviously done a lot for Xbox, and so it's easier to root for someone who has taken a brand from a bad position and turned it into at least a good one. But for everything that has been done to improve upon the Xbox image, so has an equal reply taken place to continue pushing the PS brand. 

PS is in one of the best positions it has ever been in. Even right now, the PS5 has done in Japan something neither the PS3 or PS4 could achieve: selling 2 million in a single year (and the year isn't even finished yet).  Ryan has done a good job in areas that matter to PS as a financial stable business. And that has resulted in actions that ppl may not favour (such as Studio Japan being gone). But no one can argue that PS is in some worse position than it was before.



KratosLives on 30 September 2023

Obviously stood down for the recent sony hack.



Qwark on 30 September 2023
twintail said:
zero129 said:

Thats not the reason at all so lets not go there. The reason Phil is Praised is he took a sinking ship and "IS" Bring it back up. Ryan got control of an already successful PS Brand and was starting to steer it in ways Sony fans didnt like. Why do you think even so many Sony fans dont like him while So many xbox fans like Phil??.

I mean, just because Ryan was given a successful business doesn't really amount to much. PS isn't a self-sustaining entity and keeping the PS brand strong and in a position to continue growing is a testament to his time as the CEO. You only have to with Xbox how quickly poor decisions can ruin the brand. 

Spencer has obviously done a lot for Xbox, and so it's easier to root for someone who has taken a brand from a bad position and turned it into at least a good one. But for everything that has been done to improve upon the Xbox image, so has an equal reply taken place to continue pushing the PS brand. 

PS is in one of the best positions it has ever been in. Even right now, the PS5 has done in Japan something neither the PS3 or PS4 could achieve: selling 2 million in a single year (and the year isn't even finished yet).  Ryan has done a good job in areas that matter to PS as a financial stable business. And that has resulted in actions that ppl may not favour (such as Studio Japan being gone). But no one can argue that PS is in some worse position than it was before.

A lot of these sales are just exports to China, but getting sales there ain't bad either 



Please excuse my (probally) poor grammar

RolStoppable on 30 September 2023
zero129 said:

Thats not the reason at all so lets not go there. The reason Phil is Praised is he took a sinking ship and "IS" Bring it back up. Ryan got control of an already successful PS Brand and was starting to steer it in ways Sony fans didnt like. Why do you think even so many Sony fans dont like him while So many xbox fans like Phil??.

Because the Xbox fans in question have seemingly no clue about anything. Xbox Series is tracking behind Xbox One by now. Xbox's first party output has been weak for a very long time. Phil Spencer is not getting the job done.

If you hate Xbox (and many gamers do), then Phil is the guy you want to have working there.



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Mar1217 on 30 September 2023
RolStoppable said:
zero129 said:

Thats not the reason at all so lets not go there. The reason Phil is Praised is he took a sinking ship and "IS" Bring it back up. Ryan got control of an already successful PS Brand and was starting to steer it in ways Sony fans didnt like. Why do you think even so many Sony fans dont like him while So many xbox fans like Phil??.

Because the Xbox fans in question have seemingly no clue about anything. Xbox Series is tracking behind Xbox One by now. Xbox's first party output has been weak for a very long time. Phil Spencer is not getting the job done.

If you hate Xbox (and many gamers do), then Phil is the guy you want to have working there.

Kind of insane when at a point last year, most of us thought the Series could have outpace Xbox 360 for a moment.



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