Gaming veteran Adam Boyes has launched Vivrato, an advisory company dedicated to forging a more collaborative, sustainable, and thriving gaming future.
Boyes spilled the beans about his new gig in an exclusive interview with GamesBeat. He had previously left the job as co-CEO of Iron Galaxy, a game company based on Chicago. Now he’s itching to help a number of new companies with his accumulated learnings.
As he embarks on his 29th year in the gaming world, Boyes reflected on how this medium continues to bring joy to millions while facing new complexities that demand holistic, lived-experience solutions.
“Games are an expression of heart and soul, not just products,” said 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.”
Before leaving in August 2024, Boyes was CEO of Iron Galaxy in June 2016 after holding leadership positions at PlayStation, Capcom and Midway 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 looking for ways to solve a lot of problems across various troubled companies — and not just with talk. He would also like to assemble teams that can operate on real problems at client companies. His ideas are built on hope, collaboration and a belief in the enduring power of video games as an inspiring and uniting medium of entertainment.
“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 said.
Vivrato takes its name from two sources: Vivere, which is (Latin) for “to live”; and Vibrato for “the amplification of sound.” (I think it’s because Boyes talks a lot).
This fusion symbolizes his mission to breathe life into bold ideas, amplify the voices of industry visionaries, and spark lasting change. Built on the pillars of hope, collaboration, and meaningful action, Vivrato aims to guide developers, publishers, and broader industry stakeholders through the toughest challenges of modern game development.
The game industry could use some help, as many studios have closed and more than 34,000 people have been laid off in in the past 2.5 years. Game job champion Amir Satvat believes the layoffs will slow down in 2025, but he still predicts as many as 9,800 layoffs could happen in 2025.
The vision
The idea for the business came from talking to people, as Boyes likes to do. He had spent eight years at Iron Galaxy and enjoyed it immensely. But he generally served as a “four-year guy” at most of the jobs he has held and he felt unsettled about getting too comfortable.
“I ended up interviewing about 150 executives. And I have about 120 different answers” for how to help the industry, Boyes said.
“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 said. “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
Unlike traditional firms that observe from the outside, Vivrato engages as an active partner—drawing upon firsthand experience to craft tailored strategies. This blend of creative ideation and practical, boots-on-the-ground insight helps teams chart a path forward, whether refining production pipelines, evolving company culture, or bringing innovative game concepts to market.
And Boyes has a broad and growing network.
“It’s a collective journey. We believe solving the toughest challenges takes more than strategy alone; it demands courage, empathy, and true partnership,” Boyes noted. “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 always had a big voice in gaming, and he was particularly influential as Sony Interactive Entertainment America’s vice president of third party relations and developer technology group. There, he cultivated groundbreaking collaborations that propelled PlayStation’s revenue to record levels.
“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 said, “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 bigger enterprise
Boyes said this is not going to be a one-man show. In fact, he could quickly assemble a team that could help bigger or smaller companies embark on a new strategy.
“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 said.
Some of this is already happening.
“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,” said 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 team at Vivrator includes 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 said.
Iron Galaxy contributions
During his tenure at Iron Galaxy Studios, Boyes worked alongside Co-CEO Chelsea Blasko and Founder Dave Lang to strategically reposition the company as the industry’s premier luxury co-development partner. This transformation included securing landmark partnerships with industry leaders including Riot Games, Blizzard, Naughty Dog, and other major studios, elevating Iron Galaxy’s status in the global gaming ecosystem.
To support this evolution, Boyes led a comprehensive restructuring of the business development organization, expanding the company’s capabilities to support live service products while building a dedicated PR, communications, and community management division from scratch. In his executive oversight role, he managed the strategic relationship between Iron Galaxy’s development team and publishing partner Epic Games, ensuring alignment and successful delivery of a new live service gaming franchise.
Recognizing the need for diversification, Boyes established new revenue streams by implementing a structured ideation process and strategic outreach program. This initiative expanded Iron Galaxy’s presence into emerging verticals including Location Based Entertainment, VR/AR, Roblox, and middleware development. This systematic approach to market expansion positioned the studio to capitalize on opportunities beyond traditional game development.
Central to his leadership philosophy was a commitment to personal connection with the Iron Galaxy team. Working in concert with the executive team, he implemented a comprehensive employee engagement program where leadership individually onboarded new team members and maintained regular one-on-one meetings across all studio locations. This approach fostered a culture of open communication and ensured leadership maintained direct insight into team perspectives and needs, even within a distributed work environment.
PlayStation days
During his tenure at PlayStation, commencing in the PS3 era, Boyes transformed the third party relations department from a basic support function into a strategic business unit. Recognizing the industry’s evolving needs, he restructured the single department into four specialized divisions, establishing a comprehensive business consultancy that elevated the entire gaming ecosystem.
A significant early initiative involved streamlining the concept submission process.
“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 said.
Boyes collaborated with global teams to transition this from a mandatory requirement to an optional process, significantly reducing barriers to entry for developers worldwide.
To address untapped market opportunities, he established the Third Party Production Team under Gio Corsi’s leadership. This team successfully identified and executed high-value licensing partnerships, resulting in the development of numerous fan-requested titles including Shenmue 3, Grim Fandango, Borderlands Vita, and Yakuza Zero, among others.
Recognizing the financial barriers facing developers in emerging markets, Boyes implemented an innovative development kit loaner program. This initiative provided over 1,000 independent developers with access to PS4 development kits, fostering both improved developer relations and commercial success, with multiple titles achieving sales exceeding 100,000 units.
To strengthen PlayStation’s community engagement, he conceived and launched PlayStation Experience, a consumer-focused conference initially hosted in Las Vegas before expanding to San Francisco and Anaheim. This December event created valuable opportunities for direct interaction between fans, developers, and creators, effectively repositioning PlayStation as a community-centric brand.
Throughout his tenure, Boyes spearheaded transformative partnerships with the gaming industry’s most influential franchises. He orchestrated and negotiated landmark agreements with publishers of Grand Theft Auto V, Call of Duty, Destiny, Assassin’s Creed, Batman, Star Wars, Fortnite, and Rocket League, among others. These strategic collaborations frequently included platform-exclusive content, marketing rights, and co-development opportunities that significantly strengthened PlayStation’s market position.
His approach to partnership development emphasized mutual value creation, resulting in deeper integration between these flagship franchises and the PlayStation ecosystem. These alliances not only drove platform adoption but also established PlayStation as the premier destination for gaming’s most compelling content.
Solving new problems
As noted, good thing is that Boyes has clients and he’s getting ready to go to the Dice Summit with a plan to meet with people and talk about it. He has a deck of cards where each one of them has a problem in the game industry, and the cards are a way to get people to talk about those problems. Some problems are macroeconomic regarding economic factors, while others are microeconomic about company strategies.
And Boyes is enlisting friends who are veterans of the industry.
“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 said. “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 in a position to help. He isn’t bound by his PlayStation NDAs and so he can talk about solutions the way big companies think about them. Boyes draws an analogy to hospitals. There are some execs who are good at dealing with each crisis 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 said.
I talked with Boyes about how I felt part of the problem is gamers who resist change and don’t like the new ideas that come along because they don’t trust them or view them as a new way to fleece them. Ideas like the metaverse, blockchain and AI are being greeted with a lot of skepticism, with babies getting thrown out with the bathwater. Meanwhile, the opposite problem is true to. The Switch 2 gets announced and it’s criticized for not changing things enough; it’s like if we’re going to give you money, you have to give us a better 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 said. “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 question is how to move the conversations forward so that solutions start to generate. Part of the solution is always better talent and more diverse people. The latter means things like veterans combined with young people, so that the veterans can understand the market better through the young people and the young people can learn 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 said. “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 wants to find a crew of mechanics and a team of financial experts and do things like figure out the different KPIs for those in the business of being a publisher, developer or investor and find out what their common threads are and what their exit strategies are and how they can understand each other more.
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