Ken Kutaragi "Steps Down" (aka got canned) From His Position At Sony

[agbulls]

Well, its not like you can say you didn't see this one coming. Japanese run companies are extremely different from American ones. The PS3's performance will unquestionable be looked at as the deciding factor here. From what I understand, taking "early retirement" in Japan is a real disgrace unlike the US where it can be considered pure luck. More often than not, retiring executives become part of Japanese corporate boards while they get driven around in fancy limos. At least this was how "old Sony" was described to me a few months ago by a collegeue who had worked with them. Seems thats whats happening to Kuturagi here. Anyways, here's the press release:

PRESS RELEASE

SCEI and Sony announce Executive Management Transition at Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

TOKYO, JAPAN, April 26, 2007 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) and Sony Corporation (Sony) have jointly announced today that Ken Kutaragi, Representative Director, Chairman and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., will retire from his executive position at SCEI effective June 19, 2007, when SCEI’s annual shareholders’ meeting will take place. Mr. Kutaragi will pass on the torch to the next generation, stepping back from his executive management responsibility of the company to serve as Honorary Chairman of SCEI.

With his deep and instinctive insight into future technology, Mr. Kutaragi will also continue to support Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO, Sony Corporation, as senior technology advisor.

Concurrently, Kazuo Hirai, currently President and Group COO, SCEI, will be promoted to President and Group CEO, continuing his responsibility as the leader of the PlayStation® business worldwide.

Mr. Kutaragi, well known as the “Father of PlayStation”, invented and launched the original PlayStation in 1994 and its successor, PlayStation 2, in 2000. Since the introduction of PlayStation and subsequently PlayStation 2, these platforms opened up a vast market of computer entertainment. The two platforms combined now have an installed base of more than 200 million units in homes around the world, with more than 2 billion units of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 software titles shipped worldwide. The third generation of the company’s home computer entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3, launched in November 2006 in Japan and North America and in March 2007 in Europe, will continue to revolutionize the computer entertainment experience with its immense computational power connected to the network.

After completing the launch of PLAYSTATION 3 worldwide, Mr. Kutaragi has decided to pursue his dreams beyond PlayStation and to accelerate his network vision.

“I am happy to graduate from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. after introducing four platforms to the PlayStation family,” said Ken Kutaragi, Chairman and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “It has been an exciting experience to change the world of computer entertainment by marrying cutting edge technologies with creative minds from all over the world. I’m looking forward to building on this vision in my next endeavors.”

“Ken Kutaragi is a rare combination of a powerful visionary and entrepreneur in one figure,” said Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO, Sony Corporation. “Not only has he created a multi-billion dollar business for the Sony Group, he has brought the industry into a new dimension. Sony has benefited tremendously from his vision, his 2/2 creative genius, and from the very strong team he assembled and nurtured. As Ken moves forward to pursue new opportunities, we will encourage and support him. My support also goes to Kazuo Hirai, who is a terrific executive with a proven track record with PlayStation business in the US. I am confident that he will inspire and lead SCEI to new heights.”

[segagamer4life]

Ha-ha

[njiska]

i wouldn't say he got canned. He was just given a window seat and then decided to retire.

[joedick]

:( Now where will I get the best gaming quotes from?

[jajaja]

I wonder if this will change anything when it comes to PS3. Sux if they blamed him for the poor salenumbers tho, its the lack of games and high price that does it.

[diskoboy]

I feel sorry for the poor bastard who's gonna take his place.

He's got some mighty big shoes to fill.

[gepeto]

Although I have issues with the direction of sony I always hate to see this.

He did alot of great things for sony and us gamers I hope he doesn't wind up like gunpei after all he broke nintendos stranglehold and that alone deserves immortality.

I just wish he hadn't lost touch with the fan base.

[MarioMania]

Even the flop PS3 he was givin a Window Seat in Japan, If you mess up just once in Japan..you're labed as a Failier

[jajaja]

Even the flop PS3 he was givin a Window Seat in Japan, If you mess up just once in Japan..you're labed as a Failier

I dont think Gunpei Yokoi was labeled as a failure because of the Virtual Boy. Sure, VB failed, but the other things he did was amazing.

[Rob2600]

Regarding the PlayStation 3's price, Ken Kutaragi told Japan's IT Media "It's probably too cheap" in May 2006.


Other Kutaragi quotes regarding the PS3:

"As with the PS and PS2, we believe people who like games will, without question, purchase it."

"If you can have an amazing experience, we believe price is not a problem."

"If you consider the PlayStation 3 a toy, then yes, it is an expensive toy. However, it is more than a toy. It is a PlayStation 3 and it is the only PlayStation 3. I hope that those who understand this will gladly purchase it."

"PS3 is not a game machine. We've never once called it a game machine. With the PS3, our intentions have been to create a machine with supercomputer calculation capabilities for home entertainment."

"PS3 is 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."

"We're not going to equip PS3 with a hard drive by default, because no matter how much we put in it, it won't be enough. We've added a 2.5-inch hard drive bay so that users can equip hard drives, such as 80GB or 120GB, even though that's still not enough."

"I believe we made the most beautiful thing in the world. Nobody would criticize a renowned architect’s blueprint that the position of a gate is wrong. It’s the same as that."


Regarding Xbox 360:

"Xbox 360 is more of an Xbox 1.5 than a next generation console."


Regarding the PSP:

"This is the design that we came up with. There may be people that complain about its usability, but that's something which users and game software developers will have to adapt to."

[Spartacus]

"What gets me out of bed and into the office every day is the thought of Ken Kutaragi's resignation letter, framed, hanging next to my desk."
J Allard, Microsoft

[boatofcar]

J Allard, Microsoft

Quite possibly the only other person in the world of video games who is a bigger ass.

[Poofta!]

Although I have issues with the direction of sony I always hate to see this.

He did alot of great things for sony and us gamers I hope he doesn't wind up like gunpei after all he broke nintendos stranglehold and that alone deserves immortality.

I just wish he hadn't lost touch with the fan base.



amen to that.

[7th lutz]

I saw this coming. I have to say the person who will be placing him, Kazuo Hirai will be the hot seat. This guy in the past had been opening his mouth like like ken has at times in the past. Kaz, also had different positions like ken. It seemed like whatever position ken left, Kaz gets.

As far Ken goes, I think the ps 3 and the psp, was something that sony's other divisions wanted and it was not much in ken' s hands for those two products. Sony made the two systems in order help out sales in other divisions. I wonder if Sony may pull a "Sega" with the ps 3 soon? I am not talking this year, but next year at the earliest.

[djbeatmongrel]

I dont think Gunpei Yokoi was labeled as a failure because of the Virtual Boy. Sure, VB failed, but the other things he did was amazing.

damn right *looks at my wonderswans*

i dont know how to feel about this. he put out 2 systems that really kicked gaming into a mainstream activity but he also had a pompous attitude. the ps3 still has yet to show it full potential (that problem lies within the software programmers). i'm curious to see where his successor plans to take things

[DigitalSpace]

He did some great things for gaming in the past, but with the PS3, his ego got the best of him. I'm glad to see him go.

[njiska]

He did some great things for gaming in the past, but with the PS3, his ego got the best of him. I'm glad to see him go.

I wouldn't even say it was his ego. More like blind ambition.

[MarioMania]

Can I have the link to the Story...I want to e-mail my bro it

[djsquarewave]

I feel sorry for the poor bastard who's gonna take his place.

He's got some mighty big shoes to fill.

Mr. Kaz Hirai?

"Riiiiidge Raceeeerrr"?

I don't think there's any danger of the status quo changing on either product quality or memorable internet memes.

[Nebagram]

http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/pics4/ken18.jpg

Guilt catches up with Ken?

[bangtango]

He already made his mark with the company and really had nothing left to prove. Good luck to him in the next phase of his career, I say.