By Craig Zammit

SYDNEY: Raoul Bedford has commenced his new role as director of marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE), reporting to SCE Australia and New Zealand managing director, Michael Ephraim.

Bedford’s responsibilities will centre around the management of all activities supporting the existing Sony product line-up, while also working with the marketing team on the roll out of the Playstation 3 gaming console.

“I have had past experience working in the games industry, but with the recent maturity of the category I can see myself drawing more heavily on my experience working for Disney,” said Bedford.

“Interactive entertainment has now emerged from the bedrooms of our youth and is currently challenging all forms of traditional electronic entertainment for both mindshare and consumer dollars.”

For the last 10 years, Bedford worked with the Walt Disney Company as regional director – interactive, based in Hong Kong, and as regional director of corporate alliances before that, also based in Hong Kong.

Bedford also worked in various marketing roles with Mattel Toys Australia from 1987 to 1990, who at the time distributed the original Nintendo GameBoy and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

“We look forward to welcoming Raoul to this role. His breadth of experience in the entertainment industry will bring added strength and direction to the PlayStation marketing team as they simultaneously embrace the most difficult and exciting period in the existence of the PlayStation business,”  said SCE Australia and New Zealand managing director, Michael Ephraim.