Sony has merged Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) with Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI), uniting its video games businesses under the new banner of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE).
All business units belonging to SCE and SNEI, including hardware, software, content, and network service operations, were brought together as part of the reshuffle.
SCE was established in November 1993, and was responsible for Sony’s PlayStation brand after launching the original console in Japan in December 1994.
SNEI, on the other hand, was born in 2010, and until merging with SCE had been dedicated to the running and curation of Sony’s entertainment service brands such as PlayStation Now, PlayStation Plus, and the PlayStation Store.
In the U.S., Sony Interactive Entertainment will be headquartered in San Mateo, California, while “key global business operations” will also be established in Tokyo and London.
The new company will begin operating on April 1, 2016, and will look to implement a number of “key” strategies in a bid to retain and expand PlayStation user engagement, increase average revenue per paying users (ARPPU), and drive ancillary revenue.
The Game and Network Service segment within SIE will also work on expanding sales and operating income.
Andrew House will lead the new set-up as president and global CEO.