PlayStation: Jim Ryan gives final advice to the new CEO and reveals his 5 favorite games

Jim Ryan is about to leave PlayStation after a 30-year career. He has now spoken to Variety, giving a suggestion to his successor and revealing which are his favorite games for each generation of fixed consoles.

First of all, he said to Hiroki Totoki: “Let's never forget that we are an entertainment company. If we continue to entertain, delight and surprise our gaming community, I believe Totoki-san and everyone who follows him will do just fine.”

Ryan also pointed out that the launch of PS5 during the pandemic was by far his greatest achievement. “My job was to convey a sense of calm and serenity,” she underlined. “Actually, I was there at my dining room table, with my head in my hands, wondering how we were going to do it. I'm so proud of what the team accomplished in 2020.”

Ryan implied he had new projects planned, so it's not a full-blown retirement, but it sounds like whatever he's doing will be different from his job at PlayStation. “I'm going to take my life in a little different direction,” she said.

Jim Ryan's favorite games

PS1: 'Ridge Racer,' 1994 – “I and most people thought, 'Wow, this is really different and a really fun, enjoyable game to play.' It set the standard for much of what would follow in that generation.”

PS2: 'Grand Theft Auto 3,' 2001 – “It was a transformative title of that generation and a cultural moment. It had a huge and lasting impact on the video game industry and certainly on PlayStation.”

PS3: 'Uncharted: Drake's Fortune,' 2007 – “The technology at that point was starting to allow the production of stories, narratives and emotions in a way that was different from anything that had been possible until then. I am very proud that this has happened thanks to our studio, Naughty Dog.”

PS4: 'Marvel's Spider-Man,' 2018 – “That game was really amazing and seems to have resonated really well with the PlayStation community. It launched us into the second half of a very successful cycle.”

PS5: 'God of War Ragnarök,' 2022 – “It's obviously a wonderful game, which has been the subject of wonderful reviews. But it coincided with the moment when we could finally start building enough PlayStation 5s. They have evolved wonderfully.”