Shuhei Yoshida, one of the founding members of the PlayStation team, will deliver the keynote address at PAX Australia next week.
Yoshida, affectionately referred to in the industry simply as Shu, was one of the original members of the team that would create the original PlayStation console, the lead account executive in charge of Sony Computer Entertainment’s third-party licensing.
If any iteration of the PlayStation hardware, or the litany of legendary games on the platform, has ever meant anything to you, then you probably owe Yoshida a handshake, hug, or respectful socially distanced nod as you pass him in the hall next weekend. Yoshida was responsible for bringing games like SOCOM and Jak & Daxter, and Twisted Metal: Black to the PlayStation in the early days. In addition, he would serve as an executive producer on games like Ape Escape, Gran Turismo, Legend of Dragoon and many others.
Shuhei Yoshida, Head of #PlayStation Indies and one of the most beloved faces in gaming, will be delivering our 2022 Storytime Keynote in Main Theatre on Friday, October 7th at 12:00 PM (AEDT). #PAXAUS @yosp
Book your badge: https://t.co/pg1tPhU7zQ pic.twitter.com/M9Qec5Sq5T— PAX Australia (@PAXAus) September 30, 2022
In May 2008, Yoshida would become the President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios. There he would stay until 2019, overseeing both the difficult PlayStation 3 era and the company’s legendary run of form in the PlayStation 4 era. He stepped down in November 2019 to take the helm of the newly formed PlayStation Indies initiative, a project near and dear to his heart. Guerilla Games’ Hermen Hulst would assume the role of President.
Yoshida is known online for being a likeable character and a prolific tweeter. From his handle, @yosp, Yoshida’s feed is a ceaseless torrent of cool indie games he’s played recently and events he’s attended to talk about indie games. I know we’re not in the habit of stanning company executives around here, but Yoshida has always struck me as one of the good guys. His heart always seems to be in the right place, and his obsession with games is evident.
If you’d like to catch Shu’s Storytime keynote, it’ll be in the Main Theatre on Friday, October 7th, at 12:00 PM AEDT. That’s a little later than the keynote usually starts — PAX veterans will know it usually kicks off about 10 AM, so Yoshida may be coming in hot for this one. Though the Main Theatre is huge and seats many people, this is a pretty special moment. You won’t want to miss this panel, so get there early if you can.
PAX Aus starts next Friday, and we’re bloody looking forward to seeing you there.
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