THE BORE

General => Video Game Bored => Topic started by: demi on June 19, 2007, 12:24:54 PM

Title: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: demi on June 19, 2007, 12:24:54 PM
TOKYO - The chief architect of Sony's PlayStation game console stepped down Tuesday as the Japanese company struggles to defend its dominance in the video game industry and revive its reputation as an electronics pioneer.

Ken Kutaragi, 56, retired as Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.'s chairman and group chief executive, the gaming unit said Tuesday. The unit is now headed by Kazuo Hirai, SCE's former president and chief operating officer.

Kutaragi had already been relieved of day-to-day responsibilities as president last year but stayed on as chief executive and chairman. In April, he announced his intention to retire from those positions this month.

Though no longer a board member, Kutaragi will hold an advisory post at the gaming unit, according to SCE official Sayoka Henmi.

The departure of Kutaragi, an icon among gamers, marks the end of an era at Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news). that saw the company dominate the video game industry with its flagship PlayStation consoles.

But it also highlights troubles amid a series of blunders over the rollout of its PlayStation 3 and intense competition from Nintendo Co.'s Wii console and Microsoft Corp.'s
Xbox 360.

Kutaragi's most recent brainchild, the PlayStation 3, has been marred by embarrassing production shortages and a $600 price tag that some fans said was too steep. It went on sale late last year.

Tokyo-based Sony shipped 5.5 million PS3 machines in the fiscal year through March 31, fewer than the 6 million the company had targeted. Nintendo shipped 5.84 million Wii consoles worldwide during the same period.

The PS3's hefty startup costs have weighed heavily on the company's fight to drive up profit in its core electronics division. Sony is not expecting to post a profit in its game business until the fiscal year ending March 2009.

The flop has added to the woes facing the maker of the iconic Walkman, which has ceded its leadership in portable music players to Apple Inc.'s iPod.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2007, 12:26:39 PM
AHUAHUAHUAHUA

spoiler (click to show/hide)
God bless, father of Playstation!
[close]
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Robo on June 19, 2007, 12:30:08 PM
(http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2006/03/kutaragi4d.jpg)

 :bow :bow :bow
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2007, 12:34:18 PM
KEN KUTARAGI QUOTES GOGOGO
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Beezy on June 19, 2007, 01:56:26 PM
 :lol
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Mana Knight on June 19, 2007, 04:17:16 PM
That's really sad.  Ken has always been one of my idols.  I just love the PlayStation brand and I wouldn't even bother gaming if it never existed (heck, if it died now, I'd quit gaming asap).

Best of luck in the future Ken.  Stupid Howard Stringer running him out.  Ken K. should have been CEO of Sony Corp.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: MrAngryFace on June 19, 2007, 04:21:15 PM
Cause the PS3 is doing so well.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: tiesto on June 19, 2007, 04:28:34 PM
Why would the PS brand not existing have any effect on gaming? Sony was mainly successful because of its 3rd parties, who would all migrate to either MS or Nintendo in the advent that Sony just suddenly dropped PS3 support.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Cheebs on June 19, 2007, 04:32:28 PM
PS3's failure hasn't changed gaming much. I don't see what it is so important to you in your game playing. Brand names shift and change over time. Nintendo leads, the Sony leads, then Nintendo again. Yet it is the same industry. As do genre's that lead it. Fighters were huge in the early 90's but are now niche. RPG's seem to be entering that niche stage this generation from what I see.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: demi on June 19, 2007, 04:32:55 PM
"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
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Oblivion on June 19, 2007, 04:39:19 PM
Well, in Sony's defense they did get to make gaming cheaper, so I guess they deserve some credit.

As for the games themselves, well third parties would just go to the next market leader. Simple as that.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: MrAngryFace on June 19, 2007, 04:51:50 PM
Moving to CDs made gaming cheaper. If it was Sony's mandate to make gaming cheaper they wouldnt have rammed the PS3 and Bluray down our throats this gen.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: dsn2k on June 19, 2007, 04:55:43 PM
people are very quick to forget the great years gamers have had from the PS1, PS2....he deserves some respect.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: MrAngryFace on June 19, 2007, 04:56:58 PM
I think capcom deserves more respect.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Cheebs on June 19, 2007, 05:40:43 PM
I don't credit sony for my enjoyment of ps1 and ps2 software as much as I would say for Sega with Genesis or Nintendo with SNES. For nearly all of PS1 and the first half of PS2 my key enjoyment was third party titles.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Oblivion on June 19, 2007, 05:49:53 PM
Quote from: Cheebs on June 19, 2007, 05:40:43 PM
I don't credit sony for my enjoyment of ps1 and ps2 software as much as I would say for Sega with Genesis or Nintendo with SNES. For nearly all of PS1 and the first half of PS2 my key enjoyment was third party titles.

I sure as hell wasn't referring to first party titles.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: ananus on June 19, 2007, 05:52:46 PM
i don't like sony's games, but i'm still thankful for what i played on my ps1 and ps2. it's not like you can say for sure what would and wouldn't have happened if they didn't exist.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Cheebs on June 19, 2007, 06:04:24 PM
Quote from: ananus on June 19, 2007, 05:52:46 PM
i don't like sony's games, but i'm still thankful for what i played on my ps1 and ps2. it's not like you can say for sure what would and wouldn't have happened if they didn't exist.
Saturn probably would have been #1 in Japan oddly.
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Yeti on June 19, 2007, 06:08:21 PM
bailout.gif
Title: Re: Ken Kutaragi Retires
Post by: Oblivion on June 19, 2007, 06:27:51 PM
(http://omoikane.minstrum.net/sony_end.png)