[UPD] PlayStation head of internal production Connie Booth leaves Sony after 34 years

Connie Booth, one of the most recognized people within Sony’s gaming business, has reportedly left the company after more than 30 years. She is the person behind some of PlayStation’s key franchises, having worked closely with studios like Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games.

UPDATE (October 27): Sony confirmed to Axios that Connie Booth has left the company, but the reasons behind her exit remain undisclosed. A PlayStation representative noted that she “helped drive the success PlayStation Studios is experiencing today and her passion in fostering an environment where a team’s creative vision could fully flourish has left a positive impact on many game developers.”

The report on Connie Booth’s alleged departure came from David Jaffe, game designer and co-creator of the God of War and Twisted Metal series, who cited four sources familiar with the matter.

Even if the rumors are true, it is unclear whether she left the company voluntary or was laid off, as there are not many details other than “she is not longer at Sony.” Jaffe added that there is speculation that Booth’s team also “walked out of the building,” but he couldn’t verify that part.

“The Connie thing is pretty much true because I’ve heard it from four people, two in and two out of Sony,” he said in a YouTube video, adding that the sources said she was replaced by Guerrilla Games’ Angie Smets.

Smets has been with Guerrilla since 2003, serving as an executive producer before being promoted to studio director in 2019, after Hermen Hulst left the company to become head of PlayStation Studios. According to her LinkedIn (thanks, Insider Gaming), she was appointed Sony Interactive Entertainment’s VP, head of development strategy in April 2023.

Connie Booth joined Sony Corporation America in 1989 and became part of Sony Computer Entertainment America (now Sony Interactive Entertainment) in 1995. She served in various positions, from executive producer to director of product development, and has been PlayStation’s senior vice president & head of internal production since October 2020.

In 2020, Booth was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. “For over two decades, she has been a leading voice and advocate for countless PlayStation franchises as well as nurturing new talent in the industry,” Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences president Meggan Scavio said at the time. “Her tireless work and passion have had an indelible impact on game makers, allowing their creative visions to flourish.”

Booth’s resume speaks for itself, as she has contributed to most of the major PlayStation games ever since the brand’s inception. As Jaffe said in his video, “she willed a lot of [these games] itno existing, starting with Johnny Mnemonic back in 1995.”

According to MobyGames, she is credited on over 120 games — as an executive producer and director of product development. Booth has worked with Naughty Dog since the first Crash Bandicoot and with Insomniac Games since Spyro. Over the past 20+ years, she has helped ship dozens of PlayStation exclusives, including Syphon Filter, SOCOM, Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted, The Last of Us, and even the most recent titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man and Days Gone.