David Reeves: In his own words

By Ellie Gibson Published 30 April, 2009

The best things he's ever said.

Today, David Reeves retires after 15 years at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. He spent a good proportion of those as president, steering the company through some of the trickiest events in its history - the launch of PS3, the loss of market leadership and the dead goat fiasco, to name but a few.

Over the years Reeves has been generous with giving interviews to Eurogamer, GamesIndustry.biz and our friends VG247. He's spoken more frankly and openly than most of the executives we get to talk to. He's also come up with some metaphors and allegories which can only be described as amazing.

Here, we bring you a collection of Reeves's best ever quotes. If you're reading this, Mr Former President: thank you for the memories, but more importantly the quotes, and best wishes for the future.

On the delayed launch of PS3 in Europe:

"It's rather like taking a bottle of soda water and we've shaken it so hard over the last six months that when we take the cork off, it's just going to explode. I think that's a better way of looking at it than to say the delay is disappointing. It's not - it's really been beneficial for us." - March 2007

On why the PS3 not selling out at launch is a good thing:

"We don't want secret shoppers to go in there and say, 'Ah, it's not out of stock, therefore it's not selling.'" - March 2007

On market leadership:

"PlayStation 3, you will see, will be far and away the winner when you look at it by March '08. They really, really will. It's something that is going to be a slow burner, and suddenly it's like a tsunami; it will just overtake you." - July 2007

'David Reeves: In his own words' Screenshot 1

David Reeves, yesterday.

"The last few weeks have shown we are clearly number two in the market." - January 2009

On planes, battleships, cars, tanks and swords:

"If you're fighting in a war that's, say, Boeing versus Airbus, it's almost like battleship against battleship and you're fighting from 15 miles away. If you're fighting in the car war, it might be that you're fighting in tanks and you're one kilometre away. In the videogame industry, if there's a war, if there's competition, it's almost like hand-to-hand fighting, but it makes you sharper.

"You want to have a sharper sword, you want to have a sword that feels just about right, and everyone is very sharp, and what they're doing is they're looking for high ground, low ground where they can get an advantage. The winner is the consumer and I think that's great." - July 2008

On the success of Xbox 360:

"I would say in Continental Europe it's about dead." - July 2007

On whether Sony has appeared arrogant in the past:

'David Reeves: In his own words' Screenshot 2

David Reeves during the ill-advised Rhythm Nation years.

"I think they have... To an American perspective - no, because the difference in cultures is you have to go, 'Ra-ra, I'm the best.' We in Europe, and especially the Japanese, don't necessarily accept that. You have to say, 'We're doing our best, but we're not the best.'" - July 2007

On what consumers think when they choose PS3:

"'I know I'm not going to have to ring up the customer careline saying I've got three red lights.'" - January 2009

On Xbox 360 getting exclusive GTA DLC:

"It's just a question of money. If Microsoft wants to pay USD 50 million just for that... Then I would say they're quite desperate." July 2007

On what Bob Dylan would make of the console war:

"And don't speak too soon, for the wheel's still in spin, and there's no tellin' who that it's namin', for the loser now will be later to win, for the times they are a changin'." - August 2008

On the decision not to offer the 80GB PS3 in Europe:

"The difference between 60GB and 80GB is not really necessary... We didn't want to complicate things, we wanted to have one model." - July 2007

On whether the 80GB PS3 will be offered in Europe:

"I don't know that any other hard drive configuration is even planned." - May 2008

On offering the 80GB PS3 in Europe:

"The 80GB hard drive hit a price - a procurement price - at a point where we said, 'Yes, we'll take it now.'" - July 2008

On PlayStation Home:

"It looks a lot better than it did." - July 2008

On the lack of PSP software:

"To solve the problem - if there is a problem with PSP - we need to have better and more original games." - July 2007

"It's like in the circus - you've got to keep all the plates up, you know? So the plate we'll be working on now will be the games on PSP." - August 2007

'David Reeves: In his own words' Screenshot 3

David Reeves, with his gently wizened eyes and his gaze like molten chocolate.

"Hand on heart, would we like more PSP games? Yes, we would. We really would." - May 2008

"Do I think the need for better and more original games has been met? No, I don't." - January 2009

"I'm not going to stand here and tell you we've had it all our own way since we launched the PSP. We know that [the software line-up] has not lived up always to expectations. But... That has been rectified." - April 2009

On whether he wishes publishers produced more big titles for PSP:

"I worry about it, but it comes back to how thin they have to spread the butter... They can only place their chips on so many slots." - January 2009

On why PSP owners were leaving their handhelds at home:

"They said - particularly females - they said it's a little bit heavy." - August 2007

On whether the PSP will ever come with a hard drive:

"I think it's definitely possible later, yes." - July 2007

"It's still possible, but it's going to be later rather than sooner." - January 2009

'David Reeves: In his own words' Screenshot 4

No relation.

On being an armadillo:

"We're protecting ourselves with a very hard shell to get through the next one or two years of an economic situation. If you're experienced, you know you have to go into that mode - it's like being an armadillo. You have to be hard, and then you will come out when the sun comes out." - January 2009

On Sony's goals for 2009:

"The most important thing... Is for us to start making money." - January 2009

On PlayStation 4:

"I have never even heard it mentioned." - January 2009

On saying farewell:

"I may be leaving the industry, but as long as it continues to pursue the goal of exciting and inspiring people, it will be an industry I will always be very proud to have been a part of." - April 2009

"I am going to spend my time now trying to repay society for all I have taken from it. If your children are having physics lessons at the local school or wondering why their ski instructor is very elderly, your car mechanic has a bad back, or the social worker keeps bringing you PSP games, then it could just be me." - April 2009

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (47) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • #1 3 years ago

    First?
    Edited by 1 at 30/04/09 @ 14:04

  • #2 3 years ago

    fucking tags lol

  • DFawkes #3 3 years ago

    What was his job, really? Being useless? I've seen better spin merchants, that's for sure.

  • Darren #4 3 years ago

    A lot of those comments are very amusing in hindsight! :)

    I especially loved the comment about the 360's RROD when asked about what consumers think of the PS3 as the Xbox 360 has been the most unreliable piece of hardware I've ever bought in my 42 years on this planet. If it was any other electronic product it would have been recalled and consumers would have bought another brand while the offending company slowly went bankrupt!!! :p

  • Wastelander #5 3 years ago

    Oh man, the bullshit piled up so fast in that article you needed wings to stay above it.

  • Psychotext #6 3 years ago

    Utterly, batshit, mental.

  • Dizzy #7 3 years ago

    ROFL.... how do people like this get jobs?

  • the_dudefather #8 3 years ago

    It would nice to see a compilation of EG front page comments, would almost be as silly

  • Oh-Bollox #9 3 years ago

    Armadillos come out for the sun?

  • peterfll #10 3 years ago

    The most shocking thing about this thread: finding out Darren is 42*

    * you're supposed to say 39 sweetie until your mid 40's.

  • peterfll #11 3 years ago

    ^

    It's a nice sentiment, but TBH you knew at the time he said the things, there was a good chance he was being an arse. You didn't need 15 years of reflection to work that out.

  • guernican #12 3 years ago

    "So, did this guy get paid to spew utter bollocks or what? "

    That's what senior board members do. What... you don't work?

  • Shakey_Jake33 #13 3 years ago

    Well, at least he was right about the RROD.

  • FooAtari #14 3 years ago

    What a guy...

  • superjag86 #15 3 years ago

    "They said - particularly females - they said it's a little bit heavy."

    So basically if you leave your PSP at home then you're a girl??

  • DFawkes #16 3 years ago

    I must be a real man then, I hate the Slim & Shite because it feels far too weedy. I what a proper chnunky mans PSP you can use to bash through masorary!

    I really do prefer the heavier old PSP.

  • zisssou #17 3 years ago

    Yeah he talked some complete crap but this article just stinks of 'fanboys' coming in here and posting crap to start another 'war' when they should be doing something else more constructive like getting an achievement or trophy ;)
    Edited by 1 at 30/04/09 @ 14:31

  • Darren #18 3 years ago

    @peterfll - Well what can I say except that I'm honest? ;)

  • LazyDan #19 3 years ago

    Coin-Op: I'm sure if you wrote down all the things gamers say over the course of 15 years it would be enough to get them locked up for life.

    Seriously, step away from the computer all you keyboard warriors, go outside and get a fucking life. There must be better things you can do than trying to think up insults to throw at this guy leaving his job today.

    One day I might respond to all of the comments you make in non-Sony threads with your own comments from Sony threads. It'd be a one-man argument and it would fit perfectly.
    Edited by 1 at 30/04/09 @ 14:40

  • Psychotext #20 3 years ago

    "Well, at least he was right about the RROD."

    Look at the date on what he said... he was a little late to the party. :)

  • peterfll #21 3 years ago

    Good on you Darren. I'm 74, but don't tell anyone! :-)

  • TitusCrow #22 3 years ago

    this guy is a genius :) who cares what your qualifications are as long as you keep hammering the ball to the left feild in a hilarious way - this dude rules

  • jonsaan #23 3 years ago

    No disrespect, I'm sure that he is a lovely chap but reading those quotes makes him sound like a complete buffoon!

  • Calgon #24 3 years ago

    Darren so the fact that when asked about his own company's console he immediately attacked their closest rivals, rather than talking about theirs doesnt strike you as insecure? ;)

    I dont know how anyone can look at those quotes and not scoff at the deluded lunacy/arrogance.

    btw - The last quote is the most bizarre for me... what is he trying to say there at all?
    Edited by 5 at 30/04/09 @ 15:49

  • Gnort #25 3 years ago

    Sony's gain is Capcom's loss, no doubt.

  • DaDon123456 #26 3 years ago

    Classic quotes indeed.

  • Calgon #27 3 years ago

    Wait is he on about the expense of gaming meaning people will have to work longer into old age to pay off all their debts? Or that gaming eats up study time in your youth... bah I dunno. lol

  • Moonprince #28 3 years ago

    Well, more personality than those ms yank twats, that's 4sho.

  • chicknstu #29 3 years ago

    Give the chap a break. You can't judge the guys 15 year career on this handfull of... erm... oddly chosen words. He must have been doing something right to last for so long.

  • Calgon #30 3 years ago

    Yeah that or he's well in line Sony PR's reputation on the whole.

  • JDub #31 3 years ago

    Well I guess he must've played a good part in the PS1 and PS2 successes, so fair play to him...

  • kangarootoo #32 3 years ago

    "No disrespect, I'm sure that he is a lovely chap but reading those quotes makes him sound like a complete buffoon! "

    Well selected quotes will always have that effect, just like selected photographs of celebrities in Heat magazine.


    The attitude here strikes me as the same attitude we level at our politicians. I.e. our priority is that they can act as slick company spokespersons, and whether they can actually do the nuts-and-bolts job is of no interest to us.

    Those of you short on memory seems to have missed that Reeves has been in a high level role at the company that brought us the PS1 and PS2 for a long old time. But on the basis of a few amusing quotes given under the pressure of reporter interrogation you are deciding that he is not up to the task?

    If I want something that looks nice and sounds cool I'll buy a picture of Thandie Newton and a Bill Hicks CD. When it comes to grown up real world business, I become far less interested in those aspects of a person's character and much more concerned with whether they can do the job. And it might surprise some of you that making producing sound bites that internet trolls approve of was almost certainly not a core part of the job spec when Reeves was hired.

    Edit: PS2 and PS2 typo.
    Edited by 1 at 30/04/09 @ 16:55

  • Calgon #33 3 years ago

    Well argued point sir... "I didnt understand it" you certainly showed me. o_O

    Care to tell us, oh master of english what your problem with that post is? I've read it back and it still looks ok to me. Im a little tired so maybe Im missing something but I doubt it.

  • Calgon #34 3 years ago

    Stop jumping on the defensive everyone... he does "sound like" a tool, its fair comment but thats nothing new where Sony PR is concerned.

  • El-Dev #35 3 years ago

    On what consumers think when they choose PS3:

    "'I know I'm not going to have to ring up the customer careline saying I've got three red lights.'"


    That's a pretty funny line no matter what side of the fence you're on.

  • bad09 #36 3 years ago

    On what consumers think when they choose PS3:

    FFS why have I got to keep/replace my PS2.....

  • kangarootoo #37 3 years ago

    "FFS why have I got to keep/replace my PS2..... "

    Because its 8 years old and full of dust and crumbs? ;)

    Ok, some of the PS2s were a bit ropey, especially the DVD drive. But they were never in same ballpark as the 360 when it comes to reliability (I am recently onto my 4th).

  • bad09 #38 3 years ago

    kangarootoo, actually not wrong mate the PS2 I just replaced sounded SERIOUSLY wrong, but more a dig at Sony :)


    Seriously, I have no idea where this idea of PS2 (or PS1) being reliable comes from, outside of the net I always see people with troubles. I've said it before say what you will about MS but I had my launch 360 fail once and fixed for free. I've owned 3 PS1 and 3 PS2 (on the 4 now but in fairness my girlfriend one was pretty broken when I got it), and replaced them all myself.

    I couldn't care how shoddy the 360 is in all honesty. As long as they fix it for free who really cares outside of OCD gamers with nothing else to play or do for a couple of weeks and fanboys.....

    If anything Ninty holds the crown for solid consoles, NEVER had a ninty console fail on me. True the Wii only lasted 6 months but the others lasted longer :)

  • kangarootoo #39 3 years ago

    I've never had to pay for a 360 fix, so I'm with you there. Their customer support is always pretty good (once they admitted the severity of the RROD issue, which sped things up somewhat).

    I've a PS1 for years and that was always fine, and a slimline PS2 which was also fault free. I was a late adopter for both though, so I probably missed out the rickety phase that perhaps haunted the early versions of each system.

    Was the fail rate close to that of the 360 though? IIRC that settled somewhere around 60% for the earlier versions. Regardless of how they eventually sorted their customer service turnaround, it was still a massive pain in the arse for many customers in the early days.

    And even a small amount of down time is annoying if it messes with your plans (you don't need OCD to be pissed that you can't play Left 4 Dead with your friends for 2 weeks, especially if you just caved in an renewed your Gold membership for just that purpose... but I'm not bitter :) ).

  • El-Dev #40 3 years ago

    The replacement being free really doesn't distract from the fact that 360s do have a habit of glowing red now and again.

    I mean it's no small wonder MS have amazing customer care in this department, they've got a good bit of experience in dealing with replacements and angry customers with broken hardware.

    I'd one PS1 in 5 years and 3 broken PS2s in 5 years, luck of the draw though. I know a few people who still have their original PS2. While with 360s 7 of the 9 people i know who own one have got a RROD, a couple have got it a few times.

  • bad09 #41 3 years ago

    Yeah I'll give you that kanga, no L4D for 2 weeks is a pretty harsh punishment to deal with :)

    I to would like to know the failure rates of PS1/2 I bet they are actually really high, although I doubt you'd get a clear picture as most people I knew were out of warranty so just chucked 'em.

    I tell you this it's been a JOY these last couple of weeks, not having to turn my PS2 upside down, sideways then a sharp thump to the top to work! :)

  • kangarootoo #42 3 years ago

    "not having to turn my PS2 upside down, sideways then a sharp thump to the top to work"

    Thats rather too involved to be purely technical. Are you sure it wasn't haunted?

  • bad09 #43 3 years ago

    "Thats rather too involved to be purely technical. Are you sure it wasn't haunted?"

    OMG you're right I needed an exorcism! "The power of Ken compels you, The power of Ken compels you...."



    Edited by 1 at 30/04/09 @ 20:06

  • kangarootoo #44 3 years ago

    /pedant mode on

    "In the name of Ken I compel thee!"

    /pedant mode off

    Sorry.


    Someone once shouted that upon re-entering a room in which I and a friend were singing karaoke to Teen Spirit... without the Ken bit. obviously.
    Edited by 1 at 30/04/09 @ 20:14

  • bad09 #45 3 years ago

    /pedant mode on

    *cough*

    /pedant mode off ;)

    I don't care for religion just movies! :)

  • Kosumo #46 3 years ago

    What's a David Reeves?

  • kangarootoo #47 3 years ago

    @bad09

    No way! The dude in karaoke got it wrong, and I believed him.

    That'll learn me!