LOS ANGELES/TOKYO (Reuters) - The architect of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi, will step down on June 19, at a time when the Japanese company is fighting to reassert its lead in the video game market. Known as the "Father of PlayStation," Kutaragi, 56, took a lead role in the invention of the Sony game console in 1994 and the PlayStation 2 in 2000. Known as a company black sheep, he bucked consensus to turn video games into a cash cow, but lately has seen his status diminish. Sony has sold more than 200 million units of these consoles globally, though the PlayStation 3 has made a weaker-than-expected showing against Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii console since its launch last year in the $30 billion video game market.
Nintendo, which entered the three-way console race in the underdog position, on Thursday stunned investors with a nearly eight-fold rise in quarterly operating profit and forecast stronger than expected growth for the year. Kutaragi will retire as chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., known as SCE, and become honorary chairman. He will also act as a senior technology adviser to parent Sony Corp., the company said on Thursday. Kazuo Hirai, the division's current president and chief operating officer, has been promoted to group chief executive in charge of the PlayStation business. Analysts said Hirai has big shoes to fill. "Mr. Kutaragi is a legend in the gaming industry. He beat entrenched competitors who had been in the business for years, like Nintendo and Sega," said Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg. "He dominated two generations of console cycles, which was unheard of in the industry." "It's Mr. Hirai now who is going to be on the hot seat and who is going to have to deliver PS3 success," Gartenberg said. Sony's American depositary shares fell 1.68 percent to $54.29. END OF AN ERA Kutaragi's exit is seen as the end of an era for Sony, the once high-flying electronics and entertainment conglomerate that has already lost the lead in other key products such as portable music players. Kutaragi was widely viewed as a company renegade who frequently spoke out against Sony's decisions. The PlayStation was born from his anger at Sony being forced out of a video game console partnership with Nintendo. Formerly an executive at Sony Corp., Kutaragi was passed over to lead the company when Howard Stringer was appointed CEO in 2005 and the two have had a rocky relationship. Kutaragi gave up operational control of the game division in December, when Hirai, who had led the U.S. PlayStation business, moved to Japan. Kutaragi said in a statement that he had been considering his decision for some time. SCE said his departure had nothing to do with the slow debut of the PS3. "Since the early days of the business, his contribution over more than 10 years is beyond any word. No one can compare that with our business over the past few months," SCE spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka said. The PS3, which came into the current console war as the incumbent leader, is loaded with high-end features like a high-definition DVD player and cutting edge graphics. But its hefty $600 price tag left many would-be buyers on the sidelines waiting for a price reduction or an absolute must-have game. While the game business has traditionally been a key revenue driver for Sony, the PS3 has thus far has weighed heavily on results. Due mainly to hefty PS3 start-up costs, the game division is estimated to book a loss of more than $1.7 billion for the year ended March 31. In a statement, Kutaragi said he plans to pursue work beyond PlayStation: "I'm looking forward to building on this vision in my next endeavors." SCE spokesman Fukuoka said Kutaragi will likely be tackling new challenges in fields that are related to the PS3 or the Cell microchip, which drives that new game console and is dubbed "supercomputer on a chip."
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Comments
...and this on the heels of the goat decapitation/topless models scandal.
Ah well, 'born from anger' is always a good start.
So what is your point exactly other then copying and pasting a article ?
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
Game(s) I Am Currently Playing:
GW2 (+LoL and BF3)
Well if you were referring to my post...
Not much of a point other than to point out the utter lack of direction and vision by Sony gaming these days. Just an opinion and a small joke.
If you were referring to the OP then I wonder as well...thus my post.
I totally agree with you. I personally prefer crappy overpriced hardware and slimmer more feature filled versions every 6 months.
Time to go buy a 3rd X-box 360 and a 2nd DS which will hopefully tide me over until Nintendo releases the next version of DS that will probably be slimmer and have the browser and MP3 player integrated. Of course that won't be until they milk the current browser and MP3 addons for all they are worth. I'll blindly praise Nintendo for their ingenuity forgetting how I critized Sony for being a multimedia device just last year
I'll also fail to notice Microsft's shady business practices of releasing the 360 too early lacking many key features just to get a head start on the competition. Then releasing a complete version a year and a half later with the features that should of been added from the getgo
No lets just criticize Sony's stupidity for releasing a console a year earlier then intended because they figured that was the only way to stay competitive because Nintendo and Microsoft decides to push out (while they look fine of the surface) cheap and feature lacking products. Guess they never heard the story of The Tortoise and the Hare?
Can I just say, without being sarcastic, that I really hate this new trend for developers where they distract us with nice looking products that are hollow and lacking (i.e. LOTRO).
Also I am not happy with all three developers so fanboys try not to take this too personally
sounds like both the PS3 and Xbox360 have problems. The Xbox360 with its reliability and the PS3 with its price and its lateness and its increased difficulty to develop for. The Wii sounds like the winner at the moment but hasn't the games being released really slowed down or something?
Retire at 56 ???? I wish.
Actually according to the nintendo magazine there was a short 2 month perioud where little was released but from what i can see in the review section thats definatly changed.
To start witht here is a new paaper mario for the Wii as well as the new super Mario galaxy game. Also there is a hack and slash game with swords called No more heroes that looks promising. There is sof course a new Metroid game comming out in the 3rd quater. A new mario party...... Well the list goes on the thing is that the games that comes out on nintendo tend to be of a better quality than the average game. And im not on about graphics wise tho they are well done considering the Wii's limitations. And thats the mark of a nintendo game.
the new super mario galaxys loooks very promosing tho fromt he review ive just read ill get that one definatly witht he metroid one when it comes out.
Actually according to the nintendo magazine there was a short 2 month perioud where little was released but from what i can see in the review section thats definatly changed.
To start witht here is a new paaper mario for the Wii as well as the new super Mario galaxy game. Also there is a hack and slash game with swords called No more heroes that looks promising. There is sof course a new Metroid game comming out in the 3rd quater. A new mario party...... Well the list goes on the thing is that the games that comes out on nintendo tend to be of a better quality than the average game. And im not on about graphics wise tho they are well done considering the Wii's limitations. And thats the mark of a nintendo game.
the new super mario galaxys loooks very promosing tho fromt he review ive just read ill get that one definatly witht he metroid one when it comes out.
Nintendo has better quality games?
Another 5 or 6 marios, another Zelda, another 3 or 4 pokemon, another metroid...
Nintendo lost its originality with the Gamecube and is riding on its name and mascots alone.
I cringe everytime I hear about another Nintendo 1st party game. They simply take the easy route and give us nothing new or different. When they try to branch out a bit (i.e. Windwaker) it doesn't go so well.
Actually according to the nintendo magazine there was a short 2 month perioud where little was released but from what i can see in the review section thats definatly changed.
To start witht here is a new paaper mario for the Wii as well as the new super Mario galaxy game. Also there is a hack and slash game with swords called No more heroes that looks promising. There is sof course a new Metroid game comming out in the 3rd quater. A new mario party...... Well the list goes on the thing is that the games that comes out on nintendo tend to be of a better quality than the average game. And im not on about graphics wise tho they are well done considering the Wii's limitations. And thats the mark of a nintendo game.
the new super mario galaxys loooks very promosing tho fromt he review ive just read ill get that one definatly witht he metroid one when it comes out.
Nintendo has better quality games?
Another 5 or 6 marios, another Zelda, another 3 or 4 pokemon, another metroid...
Nintendo lost its originality with the Gamecube and is riding on its name and mascots alone.
I cringe everytime I hear about another Nintendo 1st party game. They simply take the easy route and give us nothing new or different. When they try to branch out a bit (i.e. Windwaker) it doesn't go so well.
You obviously havent played super mario 64 super mario sunshine and seen the features to super mario galaxy. Nor have you seem the previous 2 mainstream metroid games or the latest 2 Zelda games.
True they are sequells but they are well done with some of the best level design in a game [such as mario sunshine]. And of course there is the fact that the Wii is doing exeptionally welll compared to other systems.
i dont get what the OP is on about
Old dude at Sony stands down from position, PS3 not selling as well as Sony Corp expected... that is hardly earth shattering news, (Ceaser stabbed at senate - more of that breaking news later) and what has it to do with "Sony shows its colors again"????
on a side note, the Sony dead goat party sounded excellent, anything that gets the emo's, carebears and 'guardians of morality' pissed off is good in my book. Kudos Sony
Kudos to you!!! Lack of Morals FTW!!! Geez, killing stuff in a virtural world is one thing, killing in RL that is posing no threat to you and you arent going to eat is another. Bad taste all around, Grats Bro.
Why do you care if others want to live within the realm of morality? And why would you want to piss off anyone?
And do you have a link to this Ceaser news? Seems like propaganda to me!!!
Kudos to you!!! Lack of Morals FTW!!! Geez, killing stuff in a virtural world is one thing, killing in RL that is posing no threat to you and you arent going to eat is another. Bad taste all around, Grats Bro.
Why do you care if others want to live within the realm of morality? And why would you want to piss off anyone?
And do you have a link to this Ceaser news? Seems like propaganda to me!!!
you must be one of those vegetarian thingies - i mean millions of cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, goats etc killed everyday to feed the world must be wrong. ah! but i hear you cry - "thats for food, not entertainment!" - i doubt it makes the slightest bit of difference to the animal - dead is dead...
perhaps it was a goat that was going to be killed anyway (or they got one from an abbetoir) and looking down from 'goat heaven' it was chuffed to have been the centrepiece of a party rather than go into a doner kebab. maybe it old arthritic body was in such pain that death was a release...
as for the 'guardians of morality' - i dont care what they do with their own lives, so long as i can avoid their whining, and the setting of moral standards for others - i believe education, personal responsibility and concience should dictate your own personal moral framework
Julius Ceasar
still dunno what the OP is on about though
Well its a shame you dontlike them as i do but in the end its all about personall taste.
I personally loved Super mario sunshine tho. It was a beutifull game graphically even by todays standards. And i really enjoy the paper mario series which makes for an interesting take on the old style mario.
Kudos to you!!! Lack of Morals FTW!!! Geez, killing stuff in a virtural world is one thing, killing in RL that is posing no threat to you and you arent going to eat is another. Bad taste all around, Grats Bro.
Why do you care if others want to live within the realm of morality? And why would you want to piss off anyone?
And do you have a link to this Ceaser news? Seems like propaganda to me!!!
you must be one of those vegetarian thingies - i mean millions of cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, goats etc killed everyday to feed the world must be wrong. ah! but i hear you cry - "thats for food, not entertainment!" - i doubt it makes the slightest bit of difference to the animal - dead is dead...
perhaps it was a goat that was going to be killed anyway (or they got one from an abbetoir) and looking down from 'goat heaven' it was chuffed to have been the centrepiece of a party rather than go into a doner kebab. maybe it old arthritic body was in such pain that death was a release...
as for the 'guardians of morality' - i dont care what they do with their own lives, so long as i can avoid their whining, and the setting of moral standards for others - i believe education, personal responsibility and concience should dictate your own personal moral framework
Julius Ceasar
still dunno what the OP is on about though
Where as I am not a vegetarian thingie, I will say that people do indeed determined what is a "Moral Action" for themselves. And if by whinning you mean bringing to the attention of others when senseless violents occurs, then yeah I am whinning. But then again the term "Senseless" becomes a debate. What I see as senseless may make prefect sense to you. EX: 9/11 , flying planes into building fulled with poeple who arent directly involved in a war is senseless to me and not a Moral Act, however several poeple in the world felt it made sense. Cutting the head off a goat for a media event is senseless to me, but appearently not to you. Therefore there needs to be standards that are widely accepted so people know what will be acceptable or nonpunishable actions.
In this country decapitating a goat for a media event will get you arrested, IE; punishable action. I also assume by the "vegetarian thingies" you are refering to your assumption that I am reglious and that my morals are base biblicly. And you would be correct in that I like to use the bible as a guide for life. Again maybe you dont, you have free will. But I still wonder why you would want to do things just to piss poeple off? Do you like being pissed off or when poeple make you angry? I can asure you I am not upset with you about what you posted. I just found an open lust for actions that make poeple upset or angry is not a stable mindset in any medcial definition that is available to me at the moment.
Just food for thought Bro.
I'd go with the assumption that he was implying that you were a vegetarian/vegan, and/or a member of PETA or any other group of people that feel that eating the flesh of animals is akin to murder.
The fact is, we don't know how that goat came to be decapitated, and it may well have been predecapitated, purchased that way from the butchers. They may well have eaten it, or it may just have been a prop from a special effects company, who knows.
As I posted on a different forum, I can't seem to get worked up over people crying about a goat while they stuff another Whopper into their maw.
Was it in poor taste? I suppose so, if you're offended by bared flesh, or seeing a dead animal. Having butchered chickens, it doesn't bother me none, and I'm A-ok with topless women feeding me grapes, so no crying foul from me.
I'd go with the assumption that he was implying that you were a vegetarian/vegan, and/or a member of PETA or any other group of people that feel that eating the flesh of animals is akin to murder.
The fact is, we don't know how that goat came to be decapitated, and it may well have been predecapitated, purchased that way from the butchers. They may well have eaten it, or it may just have been a prop from a special effects company, who knows.
As I posted on a different forum, I can't seem to get worked up over people crying about a goat while they stuff another Whopper into their maw.
Was it in poor taste? I suppose so, if you're offended by bared flesh, or seeing a dead animal. Having butchered chickens, it doesn't bother me none, and I'm A-ok with topless women feeding me grapes, so no crying foul from me.
I was referring to Veggie Tells, a series of cartoons. I may have been mistaken.
The point I was after was that I dont understand why people would praise something just becuase it upsets others. Treat people as you would want to be treated is a simple philosophy that I wish we all followed.
And I do agree that a goat being killed either at the event or before hand is trivel compared to the other stuff going on the world and is one of the last things to make an issue over. It was the reponse to it that I was tring to bring attention too.
you seem determined to miss the point - nowhere has anyone said they cut off the goats head as part of the entertainment... nor how they aquired the goat, and whether it came with or without a head... i'm pretty sure, contrary to whatever you believe, that animal welfare laws are at least as stringent in EU as in the US, and i would be pretty sure that dead animals are not illegal per se in the US
your personal taste should not be a matter of law, even if artists like Damien Hirst? who uses dead animals in formaldahyde as art or Gunther von Hagens' who 'plastinates' real human corpses are not to everyones taste. or are these acclaimed artists who use dead animals and humans so much morally better than those that used a dead goat, which was fitting to the theme of the promotion, at a launch party for an adults product, attended by adults?
the people whining about it are not the sort that go to an adult party for an adult violent game release. therefore THEY do not need to be exposed to it at all, let alone bore the rest of us with their tedious moral high ground.
so if a few closed-minded, self-appointed fools who think they have a responsibility to censor what others can or cannot do, amoung consenting adults and within the boundries of applicable laws, get upset about it, sure i can smile.
since you made an association with christianity, perhaps they should be more concerned in making attonement for the paedophilia, abuse, wars, torture, murder, social intolerance, and brainwashing associated with that religious group, its history and its agents, than the table dressing at a party.
you seem determined to miss the point - nowhere has anyone said they cut off the goats head as part of the entertainment... nor how they aquired the goat, and whether it came with or without a head... i'm pretty sure, contrary to whatever you believe, that animal welfare laws are at least as stringent in EU as in the US, and i would be pretty sure that dead animals are not illegal per se in the US
your personal taste should not be a matter of law, even if artists like Damien Hirst? who uses dead animals in formaldahyde as art or Gunther von Hagens' who 'plastinates' real human corpses are not to everyones taste. or are these acclaimed artists who use dead animals and humans so much morally better than those that used a dead goat, which was fitting to the theme of the promotion, at a launch party for an adults product, attended by adults?
the people whining about it are not the sort that go to an adult party for an adult violent game release. therefore THEY do not need to be exposed to it at all, let alone bore the rest of us with their tedious moral high ground.
so if a few closed-minded, self-appointed fools who think they have a responsibility to censor what others can or cannot do, amoung consenting adults and within the boundries of applicable laws, get upset about it, sure i can smile.
since you made an association with christianity, perhaps they should be more concerned in making attonement for the paedophilia, abuse, wars, torture, murder, social intolerance, and brainwashing associated with that religious group, its history and its agents, than the table dressing at a party.
With this logic, if someone killed abunch of people and said it was because a bowl of frosted flakes said do it, would you sue kellogg? Beware of false prophets, they will lie to you. As did the people who performed the massacres during the cursades did. Those actions were about man, not anything else.
But I will give you this "Gaurdians of Morality" would make a great guild name.