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 plenty of new corporations together with his gathered learnings.
As he embarks on his twenty ninth yr within the gaming world, Boyes mirrored on how this medium continues to deliver pleasure to tens of millions whereas going through new complexities that demand holistic, lived-experience options.
“Video games are an expression of coronary heart and soul, not simply merchandise,” mentioned Boyes, CEO of Vivrato. “Via deep, sincere, and generally troublesome conversations, I noticed the business doesn’t want one other consultancy challenges from a distance. As a substitute, we want leaders who know what it feels prefer to navigate artistic rigidity, lead amid uncertainty, and push towards outstanding achievements. That’s 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 resolve a number of issues throughout numerous troubled corporations — and never simply with speak. He would additionally prefer to assemble groups that may function on actual issues at shopper corporations. 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 brand new planet. How can we take every area of that and construct a map and construct lighthouses? That’s what I’m getting down to do, making an attempt to get in with these massive corporations to assist them and information them by way of,” Boyes mentioned.
Vivrato takes its identify from two sources: Vivere, which is (Latin) for “to stay”; and Vibrato for “the amplification of sound.” (I feel it’s as a result of Boyes talks rather a lot).
This fusion symbolizes his mission to breathe life into daring concepts, amplify the voices of business visionaries, and spark lasting change. Constructed on the pillars of hope, collaboration, and significant motion, Vivrato goals to information builders, publishers, and broader business stakeholders by way of the hardest challenges of recent sport improvement.
The sport business might use some assist, as many studios have closed and greater than 34,000 individuals have been laid off in prior to now 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 might 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 man” 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’ve about 120 totally different solutions” for assist the business, Boyes mentioned.
“It looks like our business is being edged up because the dangerous guys are on the prepare they usually’re simply grabbing all the good things and pulling it off the prepare. So I’ve this massive imaginative and prescient to construct a sure consultancy agency to work with these massive corporations and hopefully begin to information us in the correct route,” Boyes mentioned. “We want assist. We have to work collectively to resolve these points. As a result of what I discovered was that it wasn’t any one in every of these issues. Solely two individuals gave me the right reply. And the right reply is the entire basis has modified. It’s each half: how we make issues, how we collaborate, how we promote issues, how we promote, how we get customers — each ingredient has modified. It’s like we’re within the the wrong way up.”
Operator-centric, impact-driven

Not like conventional companies that observe from the surface, 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 revolutionary sport ideas to market.
And Boyes has a broad and rising community.
“It’s a collective journey. We imagine fixing the hardest challenges takes greater than technique alone; it calls for braveness, empathy, and true partnership,” Boyes famous. “Our purpose is to uplift creators by honoring the guts and soul they pour into each challenge, whereas delivering a transparent, actionable plan for fulfillment.”
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 occasion relations and developer expertise group. There, he cultivated groundbreaking collaborations that propelled PlayStation’s income to document ranges.
“As I start my twenty ninth yr within the online game business, I’m reflecting on how this unimaginable leisure medium can deliver pleasure to tens of millions of individuals. These worthy achievements have all the time been hard-fought and received. As video games evolve, so do the challenges that we face in making them. All through my exploration of the present state of our business, I’ve been deeply moved by the resilience and creativity of builders, even within the face of layoffs, cancellations, and uncertainty. I’m compelled to assist these individuals overcome their largest challenges and attain their fullest potential,” Boyes wrote.
He added, “This concept was born from deep, sincere, and generally troublesome conversations. I’ve met with builders, executives, creators, and visionaries at each degree and self-discipline. As they’ve shared their visions and struggles, I’ve listened. What has develop into clear to me is that we now have some common issues that we will remedy collectively. The online game business doesn’t want one other consultancy challenges from a distance. To drive actual, lasting change, we want companions who’ve lived the expertise of creating video games. We want leaders who know what it looks like to steer by way of uncertainty, navigate artistic rigidity, and push towards one thing really outstanding.”
And he mentioned, “That’s the inspiration that led me to begin Vivrato. We’re constructing a consultancy knowledgeable by my experiences. The target is to ship an operator-centric methodology that understands video games aren’t simply merchandise. Video video games are so compelling as a result of they’re expressions of coronary heart and soul – for each the individuals who make them and the individuals who play them.”
An even bigger enterprise

Boyes mentioned this isn’t going to be a one-man present. Actually, he might shortly assemble a staff that might assist larger or smaller corporations embark on a brand new technique.
“This isn’t simply my journey. It’s a shared one. Crew Vivrato is bringing collectively individuals who imagine in collaboration, innovation, and the concept that fixing the hardest challenges takes greater than technique. Our mission is one in every of partnership and motion. Our providing is high-level technique, disaster administration, and mentorship that may solely come from expertise,” he mentioned.
A few of that is already occurring.
“I’m thrilled to already be collaborating with some unimaginable companions who share this imaginative and prescient for a stronger, extra related business. An enormous thanks to Rushdown Studios, The Parasight, One Extra Stage, and Operative Video games for believing in what we’re constructing at Vivrato. Your belief means the world, and I can’t wait to see the place we’ll go collectively,” mentioned Boyes.
He added, “I additionally wish to give a heartfelt shoutout to Elizabeth Howard, whose publishing experience and collaborative spirit have been invaluable as we’ve developed pitches and proposals. Her perception has really formed this journey.”
The staff at Vivrator consists of Zach Simopoulos, Jack Danis, Sebastian Cevallos, and Aly Simbulan.
“That is just the start, and we’re seeking to construct one thing outstanding collectively. For those who’re navigating the complexities of this business and wish to create a sustainable, thriving future, let’s join. Whether or not you’re a developer, writer, or a part of the broader ecosystem, we’d like to collaborate, share concepts, and make a distinction,” 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 business’s premier luxurious co-development companion. This transformation included securing landmark partnerships with business 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 stay service merchandise whereas constructing a devoted PR, communications, and neighborhood administration division from scratch. In his govt oversight position, he managed the strategic relationship between Iron Galaxy’s improvement staff and publishing companion Epic Video games, making certain alignment and profitable supply of a brand new stay 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 Primarily based 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 staff. Working in live performance with the manager staff, he carried out a complete worker engagement program the place management individually onboarded new staff 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 staff views and desires, even inside a distributed work atmosphere.
PlayStation days

Throughout his tenure at PlayStation, commencing within the PS3 period, Boyes reworked the third occasion relations division from a primary help operate right into a strategic enterprise unit. Recognizing the business’s evolving wants, he restructured the only division into 4 specialised divisions, establishing a complete enterprise consultancy that elevated your complete gaming ecosystem.
A major early initiative concerned streamlining the idea submission course of.
“Beforehand, all builders, from impartial studios to triple-A publishers, have been required to submit intensive documentation and proposals for evaluate earlier than continuing with PlayStation improvement,” he mentioned.
Boyes collaborated with international groups to transition this from a compulsory requirement to an optionally available course of, considerably lowering boundaries to entry for builders worldwide.
To deal with untapped market alternatives, he established the Third Get together Manufacturing Crew underneath Gio Corsi’s management. This staff 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 boundaries going through builders in rising markets, Boyes carried out an revolutionary improvement equipment loaner program. This initiative supplied 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 neighborhood 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 worthwhile 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 business’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 continuously included platform-exclusive content material, advertising 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 additionally 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 purchasers 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 one in every of them has an issue within the sport business, and the playing cards are a technique to get individuals to speak about these issues. Some issues are macroeconomic relating to financial elements, whereas others are microeconomic about firm methods.
And Boyes is enlisting pals who’re veterans of the business.
“I’ve acquired a number of pals which can be both retired or semi-retired. And so I’m calling upon them to resolve these massive, furry issues,” he mentioned. “It’s not simply to resolve all these issues, however to place collectively an superior squad. The perfect drop squad you’ve ever met, proper?”
Boyes finds himself able to assist. He isn’t certain by his PlayStation NDAs and so he can discuss options the best way massive corporations 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.
“However I feel what we’re lacking is how we truly navigate. The place is that this business in 20 or 30 years? Proper now, we’re apprehensive concerning the subsequent 5. But when we simply hand it right down to the following era with out coaching them, giving them the data and handing that alongside, it turns into like belief fund conferences, proper? If we don’t give them the instruments to take it to the following era, they will’t do the job,” he mentioned.
I talked with Boyes about how I felt a part of the issue is players 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 technique to fleece them. Concepts just like the metaverse, blockchain and AI are being greeted with a number of skepticism, with infants getting thrown out with the bathwater. In the meantime, the other downside is true to. The Swap 2 will get introduced and it’s criticized for not altering issues sufficient; it’s like if we’re going to provide you cash, it’s important to give us a greater machine than what you’ve proposed.
“We’re making an attempt to determine a method to take a look at a subset of AI that isn’t about worker substitute however is simply extra like a instrument enhancement,” Boyes mentioned. “Too many individuals haven’t gone deep into this. The half about my new firm and forming this complete factor is I’m so deep into studying, relearning once more, and going deep into making scripts that I can I see the potential of when it may be used for good.”
The query is transfer the conversations ahead in order that options begin to generate. A part of the answer is all the time higher expertise and extra various 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 study from the veterans.
“I feel too many occasions executives look again select a thread that was profitable, they usually maintain pulling or pulling out one singular thread, so you might want to replicate the signature thread,” he mentioned. “They get the concern of not having a single thread. I’m constructing primarily an operator-centric methodology. So I’m going to arrange a complete community to maintain it working.”
Boyes needs to discover a crew of mechanics and a staff 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.