Insomniac Games Boss Responsible for Spider-Man Franchise to Exit in March After Shaping Playstation Games for Over Three Decades

Ted Price, the creator and president of Insomniac Games, has announced his retirement following more than three decades of service to the company. Three new studio co-heads will take over for Price, who is credited with creating some of Insomniac Games’ most cherished IPs, including Resistance: Fall of Man, Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet and Clank, and Marvel’s Spider-Man.

Since its founding in 1994, Insomniac Games has grown to become one of the most successful game development companies. This reputation is mostly due to Insomniac’s long-standing collaboration with PlayStation, which, along with Ted Price’s inventiveness, has produced a number of enduring franchises.

Ted Price is retiring from Insomniac Games after over three decades of dedication to the company

The president of Insomniac, Ted Price, just announced his retirement in a blog post on the Sony Interactive Entertainment website, marking the end of his time in the gaming industry.

Price began the letter by recognizing the challenges that Insomniac staff members were facing as a result of the wildfires in Los Angeles and pledging to assist those impacted. The head of Insomniac then disclosed that, as he reportedly decided last year, he intends to retire from the video game industry by the end of March 2025. He stated:

As for me, I’m very excited to officially join the ranks of Insomniac fans. I can’t wait to experience our future games purely as a player.  Plus, I can’t remember the last time I played any game and wasn’t unconsciously scanning for bugs. I’m ready to break that habit! 

After more than thirty years in the business, Price believes it’s time to “step aside and let others pave the way” for Insomniac Games’ future. Price has appointed three longtime Insomniac staff members—Chad Dezern, Ryan Schneider, and Jen Huang—as his successors after consulting with senior studio leadership for the past 12 months.

Dezern began his career at Insomniac in 1998 as an environment artist and worked his way up to Head of Creative. Huang has been the studio’s CFO and Head of Finance for the last eight years, while Schneider started his career at Insomniac in the marketing and communications division during the PS2 era.

The Insomniac Games boss is leaving a remarkable legacy behind him

In 1994, Price and Al Hastings, who remains the company’s Chief Architect, formed Insomniac Games. Disruptor, a 1996 Doom-like title for the original PlayStation, was their debut game.

The company quickly followed that up in 1998 with the well-known Spyro the Dragon, which has remained associated with the Sony PlayStation even though it is a third-party game. It would be a blessing for many studios to have just one successful franchise, but Insomniac Games would have multiple.

They would go on to create the beloved Ratchet & Clank series in the 6th Generation. With Resistance: Fall of Man, they would launch a dark shooter franchise throughout the 7th Generation, similar to what many other developers do.

Sunset Overdrive for the 8th Generation had a strong cult following since its release, despite not being as big of a hit. These days, the studio is most renowned for creating some of the best superhero games ever, such as the Spider-Man trilogy from Marvel.

For Insomniac employees and fans, Price’s impending retirement may be disheartening, but at least it’s comforting to know that he’s leaving the studio in capable hands. Huang, Dezern, and Schneider have all worked for Insomniac Games for many years, and their diverse backgrounds may help lead the company in the future.

Although some have questioned if Insomniac’s multi-leader structure is sustainable, it’s important to remember that PlayStation has two CEOs overseeing different business verticals.