Gaming veteran Adam Boyes has launched Vivrato, an advisory firm devoted to forging a extra collaborative, sustainable, and thriving gaming future.
Boyes spilled the beans about his new gig in an unique interview with GamesBeat. He had beforehand left the job as co-CEO of Iron Galaxy, a sport firm primarily based on Chicago. Now he’s itching to assist various new firms together with his gathered learnings.
As he embarks on his twenty ninth 12 months within the gaming world, Boyes mirrored on how this medium continues to deliver pleasure to thousands and thousands whereas dealing with new complexities that demand holistic, lived-experience options.
“Games are an expression of heart and soul, not just products,” mentioned Boyes, CEO of Vivrato. “Through deep, honest, and sometimes difficult conversations, I realized the industry doesn’t need another consultancy looking at challenges from a distance. Instead, we need leaders who know what it feels like to navigate creative tension, lead amid uncertainty, and push toward remarkable achievements. That is the inspiration behind Vivrato and our operator-centric methodology.”
Earlier than leaving in August 2024, Boyes was CEO of Iron Galaxy in June 2016 after holding management positions at PlayStation, Capcom and Halfway Video games. In November 2020, Chelsea Blasko was named co-CEO alongside Boyes. With Boyes’ departure, Blasko took over as Iron Galaxy’s sole CEO.
Now he’s searching for methods to unravel a variety of issues throughout varied troubled firms — and never simply with speak. He would additionally wish to assemble groups that may function on actual issues at consumer firms. His concepts are constructed on hope, collaboration and a perception within the enduring energy of video video games as an inspiring and uniting medium of leisure.
“The analogy is like being on a new planet. How do we take each region of that and build a map and build lighthouses? That’s what I’m setting out to do, trying to get in with these big companies to help them and guide them through,” Boyes mentioned.
Vivrato takes its title from two sources: Vivere, which is (Latin) for “to live”; and Vibrato for “the amplification of sound.” (I believe it’s as a result of Boyes talks loads).
This fusion symbolizes his mission to breathe life into daring concepts, amplify the voices of trade visionaries, and spark lasting change. Constructed on the pillars of hope, collaboration, and significant motion, Vivrato goals to information builders, publishers, and broader trade stakeholders by way of the hardest challenges of recent sport improvement.
The sport trade may use some assist, as many studios have closed and greater than 34,000 individuals have been laid off in previously 2.5 years. Sport job champion Amir Satvat believes the layoffs will decelerate in 2025, however he nonetheless predicts as many as 9,800 layoffs may occur in 2025.
The imaginative and prescient
The thought for the enterprise got here from speaking to individuals, as Boyes likes to do. He had spent eight years at Iron Galaxy and loved it immensely. However he typically served as a “four-year guy” at many of the jobs he has held and he felt unsettled about getting too snug.
“I ended up interviewing about 150 executives. And I have about 120 different answers” for the way to assist the trade, Boyes mentioned.
“It feels like our industry is being edged up as the bad guys are on the train and they’re just grabbing all the good stuff and pulling it off the train. So I have this big vision to build a certain consultancy firm to work with these big companies and hopefully start to guide us in the right direction,” Boyes mentioned. “We need help. We need to work together to solve these issues. Because what I found was that it wasn’t any one of these problems. Only two people gave me the correct answer. And the correct answer is the whole foundation has changed. It’s every part: how we make things, how we collaborate, how we sell things, how we advertise, how we get users — every ingredient has changed. It’s like we’re in the upside down.”
Operator-centric, impact-driven
In contrast to conventional companies that observe from the skin, Vivrato engages as an lively companion—drawing upon firsthand expertise to craft tailor-made methods. This mix of artistic ideation and sensible, boots-on-the-ground perception helps groups chart a path ahead, whether or not refining manufacturing pipelines, evolving firm tradition, or bringing modern sport ideas to market.
And Boyes has a broad and rising community.
“It’s a collective journey. We believe solving the toughest challenges takes more than strategy alone; it demands courage, empathy, and true partnership,” Boyes famous. “Our goal is to uplift creators by honoring the heart and soul they pour into every project, while delivering a clear, actionable plan for success.”
Boyes has all the time had a giant voice in gaming, and he was significantly influential as Sony Interactive Leisure America’s vice chairman of third celebration relations and developer know-how group. There, he cultivated groundbreaking collaborations that propelled PlayStation’s income to file ranges.
“As I begin my 29th year in the video game industry, I’m reflecting on how this incredible entertainment medium can bring joy to millions of people. These worthy achievements have always been hard-fought and won. As games evolve, so do the challenges that we face in making them. Throughout my exploration of the current state of our industry, I’ve been deeply moved by the resilience and creativity of developers, even in the face of layoffs, cancellations, and uncertainty. I’m compelled to help these people overcome their biggest challenges and reach their fullest potential,” Boyes wrote.
He added, “This idea was born from deep, honest, and sometimes difficult conversations. I’ve met with developers, executives, creators, and visionaries at every level and discipline. As they have shared their visions and struggles, I have listened. What has become clear to me is that we have some universal problems that we can solve together. The video game industry doesn’t need another consultancy looking at challenges from a distance. To drive real, lasting change, we need partners who have lived the experience of making games. We need leaders who know what it feels like to lead through uncertainty, navigate creative tension, and push toward something truly remarkable.”
And he mentioned, “That’s the inspiration that led me to start Vivrato. We’re building a consultancy informed by my experiences. The objective is to deliver an operator-centric methodology that understands games aren’t just products. Video games are so compelling because they are expressions of heart and soul – for both the people who make them and the people who play them.”
A much bigger enterprise
Boyes mentioned this isn’t going to be a one-man present. The truth is, he may shortly assemble a workforce that might assist greater or smaller firms embark on a brand new technique.
“This is not just my journey. It’s a shared one. Team Vivrato is bringing together people who believe in collaboration, innovation, and the idea that solving the toughest challenges takes more than strategy. Our mission is one of partnership and action. Our offering is high-level strategy, crisis management, and mentorship that can only come from experience,” he mentioned.
A few of that is already taking place.
“I’m thrilled to already be collaborating with some incredible partners who share this vision for a stronger, more connected industry. A huge thank you to Rushdown Studios, The Parasight, One More Level, and Operative Games for believing in what we’re building at Vivrato. Your trust means the world, and I can’t wait to see where we’ll go together,” mentioned Boyes.
He added, “I also want to give a heartfelt shoutout to Elizabeth Howard, whose publishing expertise and collaborative spirit have been invaluable as we’ve developed pitches and proposals. Her insight has truly shaped this journey.”
The workforce at Vivrator contains Zach Simopoulos, Jack Danis, Sebastian Cevallos, and Aly Simbulan.
“This is just the beginning, and we’re looking to build something remarkable together. If you’re navigating the complexities of this industry and want to create a sustainable, thriving future, let’s connect. Whether you’re a developer, publisher, or part of the wider ecosystem, we’d love to collaborate, share ideas, and make a difference,” Boyes mentioned.
Iron Galaxy contributions
Throughout his tenure at Iron Galaxy Studios, Boyes labored alongside Co-CEO Chelsea Blasko and Founder Dave Lang to strategically reposition the corporate because the trade’s premier luxurious co-development companion. This transformation included securing landmark partnerships with trade leaders together with Riot Video games, Blizzard, Naughty Canine, and different main studios, elevating Iron Galaxy’s standing within the international gaming ecosystem.
To help this evolution, Boyes led a complete restructuring of the enterprise improvement group, increasing the corporate’s capabilities to help reside service merchandise whereas constructing a devoted PR, communications, and group administration division from scratch. In his government oversight function, he managed the strategic relationship between Iron Galaxy’s improvement workforce and publishing companion Epic Video games, making certain alignment and profitable supply of a brand new reside service gaming franchise.
Recognizing the necessity for diversification, Boyes established new income streams by implementing a structured ideation course of and strategic outreach program. This initiative expanded Iron Galaxy’s presence into rising verticals together with Location Based mostly Leisure, VR/AR, Roblox, and middleware improvement. This systematic method to market growth positioned the studio to capitalize on alternatives past conventional sport improvement.
Central to his management philosophy was a dedication to non-public reference to the Iron Galaxy workforce. Working in live performance with the manager workforce, he carried out a complete worker engagement program the place management individually onboarded new workforce members and maintained common one-on-one conferences throughout all studio areas. This method fostered a tradition of open communication and ensured management maintained direct perception into workforce views and wishes, even inside a distributed work setting.
PlayStation days
Throughout his tenure at PlayStation, commencing within the PS3 period, Boyes reworked the third celebration relations division from a primary help perform right into a strategic enterprise unit. Recognizing the trade’s evolving wants, he restructured the one division into 4 specialised divisions, establishing a complete enterprise consultancy that elevated your entire gaming ecosystem.
A major early initiative concerned streamlining the idea submission course of.
“Previously, all developers, from independent studios to triple-A publishers, were required to submit extensive documentation and proposals for review before proceeding with PlayStation development,” he mentioned.
Boyes collaborated with international groups to transition this from a compulsory requirement to an elective course of, considerably decreasing obstacles to entry for builders worldwide.
To handle untapped market alternatives, he established the Third Social gathering Manufacturing Staff below Gio Corsi’s management. This workforce efficiently recognized and executed high-value licensing partnerships, ensuing within the improvement of quite a few fan-requested titles together with Shenmue 3, Grim Fandango, Borderlands Vita, and Yakuza Zero, amongst others.
Recognizing the monetary obstacles dealing with builders in rising markets, Boyes carried out an modern improvement equipment loaner program. This initiative offered over 1,000 impartial builders with entry to PS4 improvement kits, fostering each improved developer relations and business success, with a number of titles reaching gross sales exceeding 100,000 models.
To strengthen PlayStation’s group engagement, he conceived and launched PlayStation Expertise, a consumer-focused convention initially hosted in Las Vegas earlier than increasing to San Francisco and Anaheim. This December occasion created beneficial alternatives for direct interplay between followers, builders, and creators, successfully repositioning PlayStation as a community-centric model.
All through his tenure, Boyes spearheaded transformative partnerships with the gaming trade’s most influential franchises. He orchestrated and negotiated landmark agreements with publishers of Grand Theft Auto V, Name of Responsibility, Future, Murderer’s Creed, Batman, Star Wars, Fortnite, and Rocket League, amongst others. These strategic collaborations ceaselessly included platform-exclusive content material, advertising and marketing rights, and co-development alternatives that considerably strengthened PlayStation’s market place.
His method to partnership improvement emphasised mutual worth creation, leading to deeper integration between these flagship franchises and the PlayStation ecosystem. These alliances not solely drove platform adoption but in addition established PlayStation because the premier vacation spot for gaming’s most compelling content material.
Fixing new issues
As famous, good factor is that Boyes has shoppers and he’s on the point of go to the Cube Summit with a plan to fulfill with individuals and discuss it. He has a deck of playing cards the place every certainly one of them has an issue within the sport trade, and the playing cards are a strategy to get individuals to speak about these issues. Some issues are macroeconomic concerning financial elements, whereas others are microeconomic about firm methods.
And Boyes is enlisting pals who’re veterans of the trade.
“I’ve got a lot of friends that are either retired or semi-retired. And so I am calling upon them to solve these big, hairy problems,” he mentioned. “It’s not just to solve all these problems, but to put together an awesome squad. The best drop squad you’ve ever met, right?”
Boyes finds himself ready to assist. He isn’t sure by his PlayStation NDAs and so he can discuss options the best way massive firms take into consideration them. Boyes attracts an analogy to hospitals. There are some execs who’re good at coping with every disaster that comes up for a hospital.
“But I think what we’re missing is how we actually navigate. Where is this industry in 20 or 30 years? Right now, we’re worried about the next five. But if we just hand it down to the next generation without training them, giving them the knowledge and handing that along, it becomes like trust fund meetings, right? If we don’t give them the tools to take it to the next generation, they can’t do the job,” he mentioned.
I talked with Boyes about how I felt a part of the issue is avid gamers who resist change and don’t like the brand new concepts that come alongside as a result of they don’t belief them or view them as a brand new strategy to fleece them. Concepts just like the metaverse, blockchain and AI are being greeted with a variety of skepticism, with infants getting thrown out with the bathwater. In the meantime, the other downside is true to. The Change 2 will get introduced and it’s criticized for not altering issues sufficient; it’s like if we’re going to present you cash, it’s a must to give us a greater machine than what you’ve proposed.
“We’re trying to figure out a way to look at a subset of AI that isn’t about employee replacement but is just more like a tool enhancement,” Boyes mentioned. “Too many people haven’t gone deep into this. The part about my new company and forming this whole thing is I’m so deep into learning, relearning again, and going deep into making scripts that I can I see the potential of when it can be used for good.”
The query is the way to transfer the conversations ahead in order that options begin to generate. A part of the answer is all the time higher expertise and extra numerous individuals. The latter means issues like veterans mixed with younger individuals, in order that the veterans can perceive the market higher by way of the younger individuals and the younger individuals can be taught from the veterans.
“I think too many times executives look back choose a thread that was successful, and they keep pulling or pulling out one singular thread, so you need to replicate the signature thread,” he mentioned. “They get the fear of not having a single thread. I’m building primarily an operator-centric methodology. So I’m going to set up a whole network to keep it working.”
Boyes desires to discover a crew of mechanics and a workforce of economic specialists and do issues like determine the totally different KPIs for these within the enterprise of being a writer, developer or investor and discover out what their widespread threads are and what their exit methods are and the way they will perceive one another extra.
