SCEA loses top PR exec

  • By Curt Feldman, GameSpot
  • Posted Jun 1, 2006 12:55 pm PT

Longstanding public relations and corporate communications specialist Molly Smith decamps PlayStation group.

Molly Smith of Sony Computer Entertainment America, the company's senior media liaison--and gatekeeper to the team of senior executives at the organization's Foster City, CA, headquarters--has left her post, say Sony staffers.

The departure of Smith, SCEA senior director of communications and brand development, was confirmed to company rank and file today, although there has yet to be an official statement outlining her resignation.

One industry source linked changes to the SCEA marketing department as contributing to Smith's departure--the most significant being the hire of former THQ executive Peter Dille in April. Dille was hired on as SCEA senior vice president of marketing, reporting to EVP and co-COO Jack Tretton.

Smith had been part of the SCEA team since the original PlayStation launch in 1994.

28 Comments

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Sep 16, 2007 1:46 pm PT

    Aww man

  • Ravidrath

    Posted Jun 2, 2006 3:09 pm PT

    Autolycus, Public relations is not advertising, it's dealing with the media, which I was in a previous life. This doesn't directly affect people that read this site, but it still needed to be said to counter the kneejerk reactions of the uninformed like, say, yourself.

    Molly Smith was especially untalented in both dealing with people and disseminating information, and took an openly antagonistic stance when dealing with people whose job was to inform the world about her products. Instead, she felt that the PS2 was so successful that it sold itself and, thus, didn't require an approachable or informed PR machine. While working with her and her minions was difficult, it also lead to some untimely reviews, previews without playable copies and other things that impacted the quality of the gaming media you consume.

    And what's with the anti-consumer rant, anyway? Not that I don't agree in some part, but that has nothing to do with Molly Smith or public relations.

  • Autolycus

    Posted Jun 2, 2006 5:35 am PT

    Ravidrath;"Molly Smith is the WORST PR person in the video game industry, and the media has banded together on at least one occasion to petition her removal. This is WONDERFUL news for Sony and the gaming press as a whole."


    what makes her such a bad PR? The advertising and media content of Socom and Primal were actually done well. Too bad all you stupid video game purchases only buy what is advertised the most(cough ea). If there is anyone to blame, the idiots that only buy what they see on tv and in color big advertisment. You people are the worst thing that ever happened to video games(that and the people that purchased used games)

  • ubj007

    Posted Jun 2, 2006 4:14 am PT

    That is sad.

  • Ravidrath

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 5:19 pm PT

    Molly Smith is the WORST PR person in the video game industry, and the media has banded together on at least one occasion to petition her removal. This is WONDERFUL news for Sony and the gaming press as a whole.

  • badboy231

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 4:30 pm PT

    nice 1 lag easy

  • gameloverx

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 4:09 pm PT

    We'll miss you Molly Smith of sony. think she'll be going to Microsoft sometime soon

  • AA7

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 3:55 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • WolfSkill5544

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 3:46 pm PT

    good luck to her, I guess

  • blackIceJoe

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 2:35 pm PT

    Well thats to bad but will most likely be better for the person maybe start up there own company that makes video games.

  • 20Minutes

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 2:26 pm PT

    yeah. MS is probably buying her out and bringing her aboard after the dumb @ss "no one cares about backwards compatability" comments. lol.

  • Doolum

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 2:22 pm PT

    people comes and goes..need to make place for the younger generations!!

  • killakb

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 2:18 pm PT

    spring release ring a bell.....yeah a sony pr rep....lie

  • yboucher

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:57 pm PT

    Well, that explains why Harrisson's latest remarks were so stupid... guess they didn't get checked by the PR dept. !

  • LLAME

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:52 pm PT

    i guest nobody has the b@@ls to to stay when everything is going bad , but in the end again sony will win the console wars so stuped idiost just shut up and talk now and eat dirt later

  • Cobalt_Strike

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:32 pm PT

    Probably just ran out of ideas....

    Molly : "The playstation, makes it feel like it seventy-two degrees in your head... all... the... time! *
    Rep 2: "Your not even trying anymore are you?"

    *props to anyone who actually knows what movie that came out of.

  • lageasy311

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:25 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • kingofps3

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:25 pm PT

    why the funs is just getting started.

  • FFObsessed

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:15 pm PT

    wow who cares about this news?

  • AA7

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:10 pm PT

    Plus she is probally tired of all of Sonys BS.

  • AA7

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:09 pm PT

    Shes probally going to Microsoft.

  • turnipsconquer

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:09 pm PT

    everyone is quitting their jobs at sony

  • Slice267

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:09 pm PT

    6th. Anyway. Who cares? will it really make a difference?

  • Pantallicarox

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:08 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • justiceboy13

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:02 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • FelixAndrews

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:02 pm PT

    Lost a PR exec? They're always in the last place you look...

  • UntoldDreams

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 1:02 pm PT

    Molly Smith
    Games worked on:
    2003 Downhill Domination (PS2) - Director, Public Relations
    2003 Primal (PS2) - Director, Public Relations
    2002 SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals (PS2) - Director of Public Relations
    1996 Tobal No. 1 (PS1) - Special Thanks

  • megaunit

    Posted Jun 1, 2006 12:58 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

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