David Reeves has confirmed he is leaving the industry behind once he retires from his role as president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

Speaking during Capcom’s Captivate event last week, Reeves confirmed he was “leaving the industry”, but added that it “will be an industry that I will be always proud to have been a part of.”

There were rumours claiming Reeves would remain in the games industry, with some speculating that he had accepted a role at Crackdown developer Realtime Worlds.

Reeves’ surprise keynote speech at Captivate mainly concerned Monster Hunter Freedom Unite’s ability to appeal to PSP’s core demographic, and its potential to gain as much popularity in the West as it has in Japan.

“Monster Hunter Freedom Unite will spearhead the PSP resurgence of 2009,” commented Reeves. “And I would like to thank Capcom for their unwavering support.”