A new chapter is set to dawn for PlayStation as Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) and Sony Network Entertainment LLC have been unified to form a new entity dubbed Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE).
That is correct, Sony has consolidated its gaming and multimedia divisions under SIE, which augurs well for PlayStation if the company's prior assertions are anything to go on.
The move does not come as a surprise as earlier in January this year, Sony had announced that it would be folding in Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment LLC to form the new entity SIE.
At the time, Sony's global Chief Andrew House had explained that the move would enable SIE to become a "stronger entity." The primary objective of the new entity would be to propel the PlayStation business. This would be made possible through "integrating the strengths of PlayStation's hardware, software, content and network operations."
On Friday, the Japan-based company revealed that the change had come into effect from April 1 and will be valid in Europe, Asia and America. SIE - the new company - will be headquartered in San Mateo, California, and also have offices in London, UK and Tokyo, Japan.
SIE is being pitched by Sony as "one global interactive entertainment powerhouse." Shawn Layden, the president of SIE America, is optimistic of the future and shared his thoughts on the new chapter in a blog post.
"The formation of SIE will allow us to forge a unified PlayStation organization that can adapt more quickly to meet the needs of the gaming community, innovate with digital services like PlayStation Vue and PlayStation Now, and - above all else - drive consistent and constant innovation in the dynamic medium of videogames. You're already seeing the early fruits of that effort with PlayStation VR, and the work will continue across a number of fronts," noted Layden.
Layden also said that the complete integration of the two companies will not happen instantly. However, the work to fold the two into a unified entity was underway and the team was ahead of the designated time window.
A tweet from Shuhei Yoshida, the president of PlayStation Worldwide Studios, reveals that the name change is already in effect at the offices. One can espy the diamond-shaped logo of SCE, which has been retained.
( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ pic.twitter.com/ZP5l14qYDS
— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) March 31, 2016
How the unification of the two companies will unfold is anybody's guess. Whether SIE is able to fulfill its objective of aggressively pushing the profitable PlayStation business forward remains to be seen.
