After rumors started to circulate earlier today, Sony has officially confirmed in a press release that Jack Tretton will step down as CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America.  Tretton’s last day will be March 31st, after which Shawn Layden, who is executive vice president and COO of Sony Network Entertainment International, will take over his job.

Jack Tretton has worked for Sony since 1995 and has been president of their America division since November 2006.  Sony described his departure in their statement, “This is a result of a mutual agreement between Mr. Tretton and SCEA not to renew their contractual relationship.”

“Working at SCEA for the past 19 years has been the most rewarding experience of my career. Although I will deeply miss the talented team at SCEA and the passion demonstrated every day by our fans, I’m very excited about starting the next chapter of my career. I want to thank the employees, partners and customers for their tireless commitment to the PlayStation brand and, of course, to our fans who have pushed us to new heights of innovation and entertainment over the past two decades. I leave PlayStation in a position of considerable strength and the future will only get brighter for PlayStation Nation,” Tretton said in the statement.

New CEO Shawn Layden  had this to say in the press release, “It’s an honor and privilege to join Sony Computer Entertainment America and be a part of the team that is leading the next generation of gaming and entertainment. SCEA is committed to delivering breakthrough gaming experiences that inspire fans and exceed their wildest expectations. As PS4™ shows us every day, there has never been a better time to be part of the PlayStation community and I look forward to working with our retail, development, publishing and network partners to further demonstrate why PlayStation is the best place to play.”

My Opinion:

This is a sad day for Sony.  It will hurt to no longer see him smiling at E3, especially after the rock show performance he had last year.  Though I have no idea what exactly he will be doing next, I wish him the best at whatever it may be.  And even with Tretton stepping down, I doubt we see any changes to Sony or to the PlayStation brand that will be noticeable. 

Courtney Osborn is MONG’s founder and editor.  You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.