Jack Tretton steps down as President and CEO of SCEA
Posted by Nick K on March 7th, 2014 | 3 Comments | Tags: jack tretton
My former boss, the SCEA President and CEO Jack Tretton has stepped down. Read that like an obit because this is a sad moment in PlayStation history. He doesn’t leave the company after 19 years of service with a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. On the contrary, nearly two decades of good memories are what he leaves in his wake.
The man that always had an opinion about everything, but new when it was the right time and place to say them for the right effect. This is the man that said the GameBoy was a great babysitting tool. At the handful of Sony events I was fortunate to have attended while at Sony myself, Jack was always the life of the party even when he had to tough-sell bad news in the best light possible. Even when Dee Snider was the surprise guest during a company meeting/party.
He joined the PlayStation brand in 1995 during the PS One era when the employees of SCEA could all fit into one room, and leaves now while the PS4 and Vita are just kicking off in a big way, and the employees of SCEA fill the new giant complex in San Mateo, California and again in San Diego, California. Of all the people that will likely tell Jack that he will be remembered, or perhaps congratulations, I’m right there with the majority of them comprised of PlayStation gamers, fans, and longtime consumers.
Jack, you will be missed. You will be remembered forever as a forward thinker, a pioneer, and a man that stood in front of a brand with total confidence on stages across the US. We all looked up to you, mostly literally as we were in the audience or in living rooms with TVs above eye level (apologies for excluding folks with TVs on the floor), and for that we wish you the best in all your future endeavors.
Lastly, on a personal note. I will never forget you as my three-year old genius of a son was named after you…and Jack Skellington, and Jack Sparrow for that matter. Peace be with you so long as you don’t take a job at Nintendo or Microsoft like the sell out Jeff Rubenstein (J/K Jeff, we love you too!).
[Source: PlayStation Blog]