Kris: Before I decided to pursue being an entrepreneur I spent over 15 years working in IT. For many of those 
years I was in an office surrounded by men. Have you gotten used to being one of very few women in your field? What is the atmosphere like?
Shannon: You either feel comfortable or you don’t. For me, playing sports in college surrounded by guys may have helped. I have always been comfortable hanging out with a bunch of guys working out of their house. I’ve always managed a large number of guys.
Kris: How long have you worked at PlayStation?
Shannon: I started working at Sony in 1997.
Kris: How did you end up in your current position?
Shannon: They were having some struggles with the art side in development. They asked me to be a member of a new studio that they wanted to open. They wanted me to own the art department. I then moved into producer role. I had an opportunity to own a game to ship in late 2001. I was also Producer on first God of War in 2002.
Kris: Any specific trends you are seeing with gamers today?
Shannon: Mobile gaming is very strong right now. It is opening up a new type of gamer. I can sit and play with my daughter which is different then any experience I have had. There is an opportunity to connect in the real world using gaming. It is not going away. This is very different than just 5 years ago.
Kris: Where is PlayStation headed in 2013 and what do you foresee for the future?
Shannon: PS4 is a major heavy lifting experience for PS. I am looking forward to seeing the support of the hardware via the software. Sony is globally united behind PS4. We are working to develop games to bring folks to the PS4.
Robyn Wright
May 16, 2013 at 12:59 pmGreat interview! Love hearing about other women in tech and especially those who recall making that tech connection at a young age!
Jyl Johnson Pattee
May 15, 2013 at 3:32 pmSo awesome to learn of her talent and see her making strides in the gaming and tech space as a woman. Awesome interview!