Kutaragi retires from Sony News
PlayStation 2
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by
Ellie Gibson
Ken Kutaragi, otherwise known as the 'Father of PlayStation', is to retire from his executive role at Sony Computer Entertainment this June.
He'll hold the title of honorary chairman, though, and he'll be offering handy hints 'n' tips to Sir Howard Stringer - chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation - in his role as senior technology advisor.
Kaz Hirai will remain president, but he's been promoted from group chief operating officer to CEO.
Kutaragi invented the original PlayStation in 1994 and followed up with the PlayStation 2 six years later. According to figures supplied by Sony, the consoles have a combined installed base of more than 200 million and over 2 billion units of PS and PS2 software have been shipped around the globe.
You might think he's packing it in to spend some quality time with his pipe, slippers and favourite golf clubs, but oh no. According to a statement from Sony, "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 Kutaragi.
"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 endeavours."
Stringer added, "Ken Kutaragi is a rare combination of a powerful visionary and entrepreneur in one figure. 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 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."
Stringer also had some nice words for Kaz Hirai, who he described as "a terrific executive with a proven track record with PlayStation business in the US".
He concluded, "I am confident that he will inspire and lead SCEI to new heights."
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KingOfSpain
26/04/07 @ 16:12
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Ken Kutaragi, otherwise known as the 'Father of PlayStation', Krazy Ken, koo koo ken...ect
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most recently on 26/04/07 @ 17:13
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captbirdseye
26/04/07 @ 16:18
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/shouts
J Allard was just as bad. /Runs away
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most recently on 26/04/07 @ 17:18
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dirigiblebill
26/04/07 @ 16:24
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Adios Ken. Thank you for destroying my social life and finances for the past ten years.
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kaosridder
26/04/07 @ 16:33
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How sad. After all has was comedy gold and not even trying. I liked that.
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PearOfAnguish
26/04/07 @ 16:53
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Yes, he 'retired'. Sure.
"Today is a sad day for innovation and original ideas. Ken helped produce the single most influential product in the last decade. The Playstation brand is reknowned for quality entertainment, variety (Xbork = shooters only), originality and robustness (unlike the Xbork 'play longer than 2 hours and it's buggered' 360). Today is a sad day for mankind. Godspeed Ken! May God bless America!" That's a joke, right? |
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Carrybagma
26/04/07 @ 17:28
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I half-hope he leaves Sony now and set up his own company. I reckon he's capable of doing great (nerdy) things, with the weight of expectation off him. I mean, whether you like Sony or not, using the Cell was a brave and innovative thing to do. I'd really love to see what he does next.
The suits run SCE now. Expect little innovation, and plenty of cost-cutting 'ideas'.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 26/04/07 @ 19:23
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The Bodybuilder
26/04/07 @ 17:31
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Sounds like he got too crazy even for sony.
Probably making some hidden lab in a volcano, working on ways for CELL to go "live", ala skynet, then send a cyborg austrian giant crab back in time to destroy J Allard and Shane Kim.
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most recently on 26/04/07 @ 18:39
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NthSimulachum
26/04/07 @ 18:03
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Maybe he'll say less silly things in his twilight years. Or more stupid. Who knows.
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"It's all down to Phil Harrison now. Exclusives are gone this generation and it's turned in to a first party competition.
Basically Phil Harrison vs Shane Kim. " I really hate how people see games as some kind of giant war where there can only be one winner. Really, in the grand scheme of things, there are far, FAR more people in this world who don't play games than those who do - there's more than enough space for several plaforms to exist if only the people in charge would focus their attentions away from this 'war' for 5 minutes and take a look at all those people and what games they want to play. In a creative industry, crushing all competition leaving only yourself doesn't really mean you win. It just means we're all worse off.
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most recently on 26/04/07 @ 19:53
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Blimey!
Well this will end in an even bigger polarisation of views than normal no doubt ... So, here's my two-penneth: This guy was capped, make no mistake. Stringer and Harrison will at least have a chance to call the shots now he's out of the way. Probably the best thing that could have happened for Sony but my God they've got their work cut out for themselves ... They'll say all the right things about him in public of course but they must be breathing a big sigh of relief that he's gone and they can start to try and get grip on the budgets etc ...
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most recently on 26/04/07 @ 20:32
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captain-future
26/04/07 @ 20:42
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Well I always had harsh words for 'Krazy Kenny K'.
But we all have to acknowledge that without this brilliant - if sometimes confusing - engineer Sony might not be in the video games business at all. RESPECT +1 for Kutaragi. -- On the other hand I think Hirai is an intelligent and thoughtful man (funny too... Riiiiidge... sorry, couldn't resist ^^) and it was time that he gets promoted. |
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