Harrison frustrated with Sony Japan

By Games Industry.biz Published 22 February, 2008

They didn't 'get' social gaming in time.

Sony's Phil Harrison, head of worldwide studios for Sony, has expressed his frustration that the company's Japanese division was too slow at accepting the ideas of social gaming - a market now dominated by rival manufacturer Nintendo and its Wii console, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

Sony Europe already had three products on the market designed specifically to encourage social gaming in the living room before the Wii was even released - the EyeToy, SingStar and Buzz - but Japanese execs didn't believe in the concept of families enjoying gaming together.

"It's a very interesting and frustrating thing for me to experience because I have been banging the drum about social gaming for a long time, with SingStar, EyeToy and Buzz," he said during a private lunch taking place during GDC week.

"And our Japanese colleagues said that there is no such thing as social gaming in Japan - people do not play games on the same sofa together in each other's homes. It will never happen. And then out comes the Wii."

Harrison said that he thinks Wii Sports is a title that encapsulates the idea of a true 'next-generation' game, and he admires Nintendo's success in marketing and sales.

"What's interesting with Nintendo adverts - and they are the same the world over - they always show the view from the television back to the sofa, which is very clever. And what do you see? A family or friends all on a sofa," he said.

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Comments (44) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • JayeM #1 4 years ago

    He's gonna jump ship!

  • kissthestick #2 4 years ago

    cant say he's wrong

  • dr_lha #3 4 years ago

    Certainly agree with him, my biggest complaint about my PS3 so far is the lack of multiplayer games. I'm not talking online, I don't want to play against some racist 13 year old who screams obscenities at me over a headset, I want to sit down and play a racing game with my wife. I couldn't understand why the pack in game (Motorstorm) didn't have split screen, and then they went ahead and did the same thing with one of my favorite franchises (Burnout). I hope now Harrison's words will start to persuade publishers both 1st and 3rd party, that gaming with other in the room is what gamers want. I want to use my 2nd controller for something other than just playing with while the other one is charging!

  • Triggerhappytel #4 4 years ago

    I hate to use such an Americanism, but cry me a river, Phil.

  • Freek #5 4 years ago

    "........that there is no such thing as social gaming in Japan"

    You know guys, you might not be aware of this but you sell things outside of Japan, might wanna look into that.

  • Cannibal #6 4 years ago

    I thought Japanese people LOVED kareoke.

  • Pedrolot #7 4 years ago

    @ Cannibal

    Theres nothing social about torture...

  • Lacero #8 4 years ago

    Cannibal: I think karaoke is usualy done in hired private booths not at home. Entertaining friends at home isn't very normal in Japan from what I've heard. If true I would guess the Wii is usually played by groups of family and not friends.

  • Canyarion #9 4 years ago

    Woops, you didn't know reporters were listening along, did you Harrison? Expect some spankin' from the Japs!

  • philw #10 4 years ago

    Damn, thought this story was going to be about Indiana Jones.

  • Penguinzoot #11 4 years ago

    "And our Japanese colleagues said that there is no such thing as social gaming in Japan - people do not play games on the same sofa together in each other's homes. It will never happen. And then out comes the Wii."

    I don't know much about Japanese social culture/mores etc, but if Harrison really did have this conversation with his Japanese colleagues, it puts Nintendo's gamble with the Wii in a completely different light for me at least.

    Oh and er, I would expect this to raise some eyebrows in Sony Japan. This is either refreshing honesty from a Sony exec, or some sordid corporate point-scoring spilling out into the public domain. "I was right, you were wrong" type of thing. I don't think Japanese companies appreciate that kind of "disloyalty" much.
    Edited by 1 at 22/02/08 @ 09:11

  • Killerbee #12 4 years ago

    I very much agree with Phil Harrison. Maybe it's the western cultural perception versus the Japanese one, but it seems incredible to think that Sony would fail to appreciate the importance of franchises like Singstar to their global business of selling games and gaming consoles. Let's face it, even Mario Kart on the SNES had multi-player - how did they miss this, or are they really saying no one in Japan played it competitively with friends? To focus solely on what one region of the world likes and thinks seems crazy when your competitors are Microsoft and Nintendo.

    Then again, we've seen Europe repeatedly treated like the poor relation in the global Playstation business, so maybe I really shouldnt' be too surprised by their arrogance...

  • erp #13 4 years ago

    I always thought gaming in Japan was more social than in the west. Take their arcade industry, for example.

    Whatever.

  • Riggers #14 4 years ago

    To anyone who works in the industry, it's no surprise to hear one division of Sony not getting along with another...but it is surprising that the comment's been made public.

  • cw- #15 4 years ago

    Makes a refreshing change, rather than slagging off a rival company.. he's giving them props.

    Annoys me when someone from the big 3 comments/ criticises one (or both) of the other 2. Ok, give opinions, but to comment and slate everything they do is just.. boring and un-interesting. Watch what they're doing, they're your competitors, but just be more concerned with your own thing and make sure what you're doing is right.

    ffs!

  • kangarootoo #16 4 years ago

    @Lacero

    Home karaoke is very popular in Japan. There is plenty of kit that uses midi based soing tracks, meaning the key of the music can easily be changed.

    On that note, being able to change the key of the tune you are singing along to is pretty standard I believe, and is perhaps one of the barriers for SingStar in the region?

  • kangarootoo #17 4 years ago

    @erp

    There are perhaps different ways of defining social gaming. Arcades are hugely popular in japan as you say, but the games therein are mostly single player affairs.

  • Kazzahdrane #18 4 years ago

    @philw:

    Glad I'm not the only one. I've got Indy on the brain these days!

  • kangarootoo #19 4 years ago

    I thought the same thing actually :)

  • DodgyPast #20 4 years ago

    It is correct though that the Asian cultures don't tent to visit each others homes.... though in Thailand it was slowly changing.

    This does explain why MMORPGs are so popular since this way they can play with others.

    Be interesting if gaming helps change this behaviour.

  • bad09 #21 4 years ago

    I can't listen to anything Harrison says. Remember "the DS is nothing but a fad that won't last"?

  • consignia #22 4 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    Actually there's a huge number of multiplayer games in Japanese arcardes. You'll see people lining up to play beat 'em ups or mecha-games. Of course, usually you are placed so you have an entire unit to your self and your opponent is opposite you on a linked up unit. It's certainly different to the social gaming that the Wii aims for, but most games there are multiplayer.

  • Skooch #23 4 years ago

    Sounds like someone is angling for a new job! :)

    I GET IT that "social gaming" is the new buzz word and that supposedly the PS3 and Xbox 360 went in the wrong direction (i.e. down the hardcore route) but I still think that volume of customers doesn't necessarily translate to profits. The 360 has the best attach rate in the business and it is hardcore gamers that buy game after game and all the expensive peripherals.

    Then again, if you are making money on the actual console, of which you can't satisfy demand, attach rates don't matter so much.

  • kangarootoo #24 4 years ago

    @consignia

    That is kind of my point. I don't necessarily count multiplayer as social gaming. I don't really count WoW as social gaming, even though it clearly has strong social elements to it. Semantics really.

  • consignia #25 4 years ago

    I quite agree. I just thought you were talking about games like IdolM@ster and Pachinko machines, which are popular in Japanese arcades, and are very much single person affairs.

  • monkie_king #26 4 years ago

    THe man is a sofa obsessive. He's clearly thinking about jumping ship from Sony.

    To DFS.

  • bonker #27 4 years ago

    He's either pursuing a new role somehwere or, more likely, defending his current position ...

  • zuljin #28 4 years ago

    @Freek
    "You know guys, you might not be aware of this but you sell things outside of Japan, might wanna look into that."

    You may not be aware of this, but Sony is Japanese, so most things would have to be approved via SCEJ.

  • SBfistfun #29 4 years ago

    Phil Haririson is OBSESSED with massive sofa's.

    "ZOMFG it's huge, can I bounce up and down on it?"

  • Freek #30 4 years ago

    You may not be aware of this, but Sony is Japanese, so most things would have to be approved via SCEJ.

    That's my point, they look at it from a "japanese culture = rest of the world culture" perspective and so did not put any wieght behind something that came out of their European branch even though it was a good idea.
    Edited by 1 at 22/02/08 @ 11:51

  • GamesConnoisseur #31 4 years ago

    European branch is the weakest of all Sonydom! Its need to be more empowered as Sony always said Europe is important to them.

    Way to go Phil!

  • sharpfish #32 4 years ago

    Phil is a twat, has been for years.

    Wii isn't a fucking breathrough, nor is PS3 and nor is 360. Nothing is. This gen is officially shite and underwhelming, i'm hoping next gen picks up and brings back quality in games and hardware instead of this dilluted 'no size fits all' BS that's occured.

    Until then > PC is where it's at.

  • Totoriko #33 4 years ago

    Someone's after a job at Nintendo or Microsoft ....

  • Skooch #34 4 years ago

    The Japanese always have difficulty relinquishing control. My missus worked for Hitachi for 4 years and everything had to be approved by Japan. Management positions were also usually filled by someone from Japan being sent over. They find it difficult to understand what works, or doesn't work, in Japan may be different elsewhere. Marketing slogans and colloquialisms designed for the European Hitachi market were often rejected by Japanese management as they just couldn't understand the pun/humour/analogy that was being used. Sounds as though Sony are very similar.

  • BobsUncle #35 4 years ago

    Sony drop the ball shock!

  • rock27gr #36 4 years ago

    It seems everybody missed the most important revelation of the article:

    "Harrison said that he thinks Wii Sports is a title that encapsulates the idea of a true 'next-generation' game..."

    So there it is, straight from the "horse's mouth"! Wii is true next gen!

  • Quak #37 4 years ago

    European branch is the weakest of all Sonydom! Its need to be more empowered as Sony always said Europe is important to them.

    They said that to make gullible Europeans feel important and make them rush out to buy their product.

    If there was an ounce of truth in it, Europe wouldn't be 6 months+ behind the rest of the world with releases, and wouldn't be charged twice as much for them when they finally do arrive.

  • peterfll #38 4 years ago

    I'm glad Phil always thinks of everything. First.

  • zedzee #39 4 years ago

    If Sony released the Wii, it would've cost £600, it would've had two launch titles to speak of, the rumble in the 'wand' would've come in later in an 'upgraded' version, it would've had Blu-Ray whether you like it/use it or not, ten months later the launch titles would still be the best games for it and it would not play any of your old cartridge games.

  • Ryze #40 4 years ago

    Mr. Humble!

    Sony is realizing finally, and also publicly admitting what we are all aware of.

    Hopefully they'll also fix their online service for the hardcores while they're at it, and make it accessible to the social, families, casual and hard-casual* market as well.

    Former hardcores who don't have time to play as much nowadays apart from the odd gaming binge when time becomes available, or the quality / social aspect / depth of a game demands or invites it- aka - me.

  • Quak #41 4 years ago

    What's up with EG posting everything twice but with slightly different titles in their RSS feed?

  • Ryze #42 4 years ago

    @Skooch

    I know what you mean - Phil might jump or get pushed now!

    As far as Wii & PS£ with their audience and attach rates:

    Wii needs more decent games and decent marketing

    PS3 needs more decent games and decent marketing

    360 needs more decent hardware, variety of games and decent marketing

    Especially with the Wii audience - they need to encourage people to buy the games - show them why they should spend the money, and really clear the shelves of the tat as much as possible.

    If families bought 4 £40 games from HMV from the last 12 months and they missed SMG, Warioware & Paper Mario - they might well think that most games are shit, limited fun and not worth the £40. They may well stick to the best group game - Wii Sports.

    That would be very damaging for the Wii's ability to rake in extra profit from the casuals.

    Same with the Blu-Ray crowd if they picked up Lair for £50 and find it complete shite. That £50 will go on Blu-rays next time - and make Sony more money. Bastards!

  • Ryze #43 4 years ago

    360 also needs a new d-pad.

  • Kyle #44 4 years ago

    I hope PS£ was a typo and that you're not trying to start some kinda of term like M$! :)

    And yes, new d-pad plzkthnxbi.
    Edited by 1 at 23/02/08 @ 20:47