Kazuo Hirai, the long running (sans 2006) CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment has been promoted from his current position to that of SCE International chairman, CVG reports.

The announcement comes as little surprise, with Hirai previously hinted to eventually take over the top job at Sony from 69-year-old CEO Howard Stringer. Sony's current chairman, Akira Sato has also announced his retirement, vacating the spot to make room for Hirai.

Alongside Hirai's promotion comes the appointment of Andrew House, current head of SCE Europe to Hirai's previous position, that of global chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment, the gaming arm of Sony Corporation.

House will be the units' third CEO since its founding in 1993, hopefully leading the company's PlayStation brand to even greater success in the world of gaming. It seems like a good time for House to take the reins as well, with the unit finally turning a profit after spending five years operating at a loss.

"In fiscal 2010, we achieved profitability for the first time in five years as a result of group-wide united efforts, including continuous cost reduction for PS3 in which I first took the initiative after assuming President of SCEI in December 2006," said Kazuo Hirai.

The gaming unit is still not operating at full steam though, with the business side still recovering from the massive PlayStation Network breaches earlier this year.

Like CEO Howard Stringer, House is originally from Wales and has been with the company since 1990, initially working in the communications department. Although studying English Literature at Oxford University, House is said to have great marketing skills, cementing his senior position today.

"It is both an honour and a privilege to be named as President and Group CEO at SCEI. I believe there is huge potential for further growth of our business globally, and I'm looking forward to working with everyone in the SCE Group and with other groups in Sony to help achieve this potential by pursuing the creation of brand new user experiences,” said House.

While the corporate restructuring is unlikely to affect the average gamer, “Kaz” as he was affectionately coined by the media, is leaving a big hole to fill, with House hopefully capable of stepping up to the plate.

House recently spoke on the future of Sony consoles, saying he still thinks the PS3 is in its “early period”, while saying the company had, “only really just begun to explore what the potential is for 3D.”