Ex-PlayStation boss Shawn Layden joins Tencent as strategic advisor

Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has announced he has joined Tencent Games as a strategic advisor.

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With over $30 billion from gaming, Tencent is the world's largest video games company and the Chinese is only getting bigger with continued multi-studio investments. To help lead Tencent's evolution past live services and more into infrastructure and high-profile games, Shawn Layden, who helped Sony earn mega-billions during the PlayStation 4 era, has joined Tencent as a strategic advisor.

"Looks like LinkedIn leapt the species wall and the news is here. Nevertheless, quick update to say I've joined Tencent as a strategic advisor and am excited to be working with them as interactive entertainment drives technology and innovation," Layden said on Twitter.

"I am delighted to share that I have recently joined #Tencent Games as a strategic advisor. In this new role, I hope to advise, assist, and support the team at Tencent as they deepen their activities and commitments within the industry to which I've devoted the majority of my career.

"We are at an epoch-defining moment in gaming and interactive entertainment. There are many possible roads ahead but only a few are profound, broadening, inclusive, edifying, inspiring, and/or sustainable. I am thrilled to continue this journey of discovery and thank Tencent for the opportunity."

Layden left Sony in 2019, saying that leading the business was a "young person's activity." Layden had then moved to an advisory role at Streamline Media Group, a company aimed at defining the metaverse and gaming as a whole, and will not also advise Tencent.

It's possible that Layden could be helping Tencent iron out its plans for the metaverse.