AfterDawn: News

Kutaragi officially steps down from Sony

Although his resignation was announced a couple months ago, Ken Kutaragi, the father of PlayStation, officially stepped down today from his position at Sony.

Sony Computer Entertainment will now be lead by Kazuo Hirai, who is currently the president of the worldwide branch of the PlayStation division.



Hirai is considered an ally of CEO Howard Stringer, who was known to be at odds with Kutaragi before he announced his resignation. Sony has said Kutaragi will stay with the company, but solely in an advisory position.

It is also well known that Kutaragi's stubbornness and argumentative personality may cost Sony in the long run. He questioned the manufacturing practices of the console and went way over budget in development. Sony's gaming unit may not see a profit on the console for a couple of years because of that fact, and the PlayStation 3's current price is so high because of it.

Either way, his resignation is the end of an era, and Kutaragi will always be remembered for his work at Sony.

Source:
BetaNews

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 19 Jun 2007 17:30

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• 10 comments

• kyo28

  Personally I think Kutaragi didn't do such a bad job. He really put Sony on the gaming map with the PS and PS2, even dominating other long stay brands. The PS3, albeit a costly piece, still seems like a decent console ... perhaps a marketing fiasco abroad but in Japan the console isn't doing so very bad and clearly outselling the Xbox360. I think price is the major factor that consumers are holding off but in the long run it will prove to be well selling machine, provided they can lower production costs a bit, offer good games like the PS2 did and provide interesting online elements.

  20.6.2007 05:41 #1

• ChromeMud

  I'm still waiting for that PS3 with dual HDMI output at 1080p
  and twice the processing power of the 360,ahh...them were the days!

  20.6.2007 06:14 #2

• NexGen76

  Here is a story from 1up that explain everything that when on behind the scenes with Kutaragi read it very good piece.
  
  http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8085114&publicUserId=4561231

  20.6.2007 10:12 #3

• windsong

  Some of the other not-so-bright things said by "Krazy Ken" & Sony:
  
  "It’s probably too cheap…"
  – Ken Kutaragi, Regarding the $499 to $599 price point
  
  
  "(the PS3) is not a game machine…"
  - Ken Kutaragi, Regarding the machine’s beefy hardware architecture
  
  
  "The name of the game is not market share, it’s how fast we (Sony) can grow the industry."
  – Ken Kutaragi, regarding competition from Microsoft and Nintendo
  
  
  "…for consumers to think to themselves ‘I will work more hours to buy one’. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else."
  – Ken Kutaragi, explaining their marketing goals for the PS3
  
  
  "We do not care."
  – Kaz Hirai, current President of Computer Entertainment, regarding competition from Microsoft and Nintendo
  
  
  "I don't think the battle would be any different with or without Grand Theft Auto... I don't think it (losing Grand Theft Auto would) hurts us. No, I really don't."
  - Jack Tretton, Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO
  
  
  "If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1200 bucks for it."
  - Jack Tretton, Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO
  
  
  "The first five million are going to buy it (PS3), whatever it is, even [if] it didn't have games."
  - David Reeves, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO
  
  http://next-generationsystems.blogspot.c...est-quotes.html

  20.6.2007 11:26 #4

• ZippyDSM

  its a shame when Ken was not 100% responsible for the mess the suits simply don't understand and they are goign to suffer for it.
  
  am I the only one to think if they removed all the wireless and put the 60GB in by default sold it for 399 (with the wireless being 50 a pop) they would have won on the console and BR fronts?

  20.6.2007 11:28 #5

• ChromeMud

  Some funny quotes there windsong.
  If I were a Sony fanboy,I would of sued Sony for tendonitis of the wrists for failing to live upto all that wonderful crap!
  
  I will surely miss Ken when the PS4 hype begins. :-(

  21.6.2007 03:02 #6

• ZippyDSM

  "It’s probably too cheap…"
  – Ken Kutaragi, Regarding the $499 to $599 price point
  translation error
  its to costly to sale for under 600
  
  
  "(the PS3) is not a game machine…"
  - Ken Kutaragi, Regarding the machine’s beefy hardware architecture
  translation error or PR spin that games are art or movies
  
  "The name of the game is not market share, it’s how fast we (Sony) can grow the industry."
  – Ken Kutaragi, regarding competition from Microsoft and Nintendo
  I suppose you cant grow the industry if you dont have market share...I mean look at nintendo
  
  "…for consumers to think to themselves ‘I will work more hours to buy one’. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else."
  – Ken Kutaragi, explaining their marketing goals for the PS3
  Translation:Better to have slow than 10billoin in upfront losses
  
  "We do not care."
  – Kaz Hirai, current President of Computer Entertainment, regarding competition from Microsoft and Nintendo
  Translation:to consumers,MS and nin;"I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore"
  
  "I don't think the battle would be any different with or without Grand Theft Auto... I don't think it (losing Grand Theft Auto would) hurts us. No, I really don't."
  - Jack Tretton, Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO
  translation:We don't care!
  (FYI GTA4 is going on the PS3)
  
  "If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1200 bucks for it."
  - Jack Tretton, Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO
  Can I have my money now plzz?
  translation 2:these damn thigns cost 1200 bucks they should be sellign liek hot cakes and be out of stock!
  
  "The first five million are going to buy it (PS3), whatever it is, even [if] it didn't have games."
  - David Reeves, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO
  Translation:
  The first five hundred thousand are going to buy it (PS3), whatever it is, even [if] it didn't have games.
  
  
  damn and I thought I could remove the hyperlobe in it >>.....

  21.6.2007 03:40 #7

• ChromeMud

  I'd still have tendonitis of one wrist atleast! ;-)

  21.6.2007 04:40 #8

• borhan9

  Well as we already know this was going to be happening. I would like to say that at least he made his mark on the Playstation product and market so his time with Sony will be remembered for his hard work and his pioneering work.

  21.6.2007 20:34 #9

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by borhan9:Well as we already know this was going to be happening. I would like to say that at least he made his mark on the Playstation product and market so his time with Sony will be remembered for his hard work and his pioneering work.ture,and hopefully the PS3 will right itself in a couple years and meet potential with creativity.

  22.6.2007 02:38 #10