Kutaragi retires from Sony

By Ellie Gibson Published 26 April, 2007

PlayStation's Dad calls time.

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."

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.

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Comments (62) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • Foxclose #1 5 years ago

    Thanks, Ken for all the good times! :)

  • lambtron #2 5 years ago

    Apology accepted Captain Nieder...

  • woodnotes #3 5 years ago

    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.

  • Bluetooth #4 5 years ago

    You did good Ken.

    Now, promotions all round!

  • KingOfSpain #5 5 years ago

    Ken Kutaragi, otherwise known as the 'Father of PlayStation', Krazy Ken, koo koo ken...ect
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 17:13

  • Skeletor #6 5 years ago

    Sayonara, Ken...you freaking lunatic;-)

  • Obsequious #7 5 years ago

    5 seconds 'til X-troll invasion implodes the site..

  • thedaveeyres #8 5 years ago

    So long and thanks for all the giant crabs.

  • captbirdseye #9 5 years ago

    /shouts

    J Allard was just as bad.

    /Runs away
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 17:18

  • Pirotic #10 5 years ago

    J allard was just as bad? Last time I checked Ken didn't get internally demoted because he was giving a female colleague undesired attention...

  • dirigiblebill #11 5 years ago

    Adios Ken. Thank you for destroying my social life and finances for the past ten years.

  • patlike #12 5 years ago

    I've met Ken. He liked Gran Turismo. He told me so.

  • miiiguel #13 5 years ago

    Good job Ken!

    now it's time for the best thing that happened to us, since PS2 => 360.

  • indian23 #14 5 years ago

    Kutargi sleeps with the giant crabs.

  • rauper Verified Managing Director, Eurogamer Network #15 5 years ago

    Pirotic: Source?!

  • TheUnionFrag #16 5 years ago

    Well thank fuck for that.

  • captbirdseye #17 5 years ago

    This thread is about as exciting as when Microsoft released Zune.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #18 5 years ago

    Who's the new Sony comedian now?

  • kaosridder #19 5 years ago

    How sad. After all has was comedy gold and not even trying. I liked that.

  • Amazing Bryan #20 5 years ago

    Abandon ship.

  • lambtron #21 5 years ago

    Talking bollocks would probably be top of the list ;)

  • miiiguel #22 5 years ago

    so he's doing fine...

  • PearOfAnguish #23 5 years ago

    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?

  • Dr.Mott #24 5 years ago

    It's a shame - I can just imagine Ken playing golf whilst smoking a pipe. And wearing slippers.

  • Hughes. #25 5 years ago

    Wow.

    What will we do for crazy exaggerations, ridiculously impossible promises and outright lunacy now?

    Ker-razy Ken was a a one off, but I'm sure Kaz Hirai will have a good go at filling his.... straight jacket.

  • Dizzy #26 5 years ago

    Does that mean 4D is fired.. err.. retired too?

    BTW there is no such thing as retirement at this level in Japan. He is sacked basically.
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 18:14

  • Tonka #27 5 years ago

    Xbork = shooters only

    WHere do you get your lines from?

  • Carrybagma #28 5 years ago

    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 by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 19:23

  • DDevil #29 5 years ago

    As I said in the forum thread...

    I see in Sony you fail upwards.

  • The-Bodybuilder #30 5 years ago

    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.
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 18:39

  • Mordum #31 5 years ago

    He was with the company during all the good times... so probably a good decision to retire now.

  • Rodster #32 5 years ago

    We can all wave goodbye to the PSP2 or PS4 because Kaz is a software guy. :(

  • miiiguel #33 5 years ago

    Who's going to deliver "Toy-Story alike graphics" and "4D" now ?

    At least he managed to deliver one of those lovely Sony-only brain games, that Xbots can only dream of (they're only shooters) RFoM!
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 19:05

  • NthSimulachum #34 5 years ago

    Maybe he'll say less silly things in his twilight years. Or more stupid. Who knows.

  • Overlush #35 5 years ago

    Like him or not, he's achieved more in his life than anyone on these forums.

  • Xerx3s #36 5 years ago

    J Allard was just as bad.

    Yeah but at least he was bald and had a way to move about in the building (walking is for mortals). Oh, and he gets to play PGR with real cars. :(

  • Foxclose #37 5 years ago

    He was in-charge of the two most successful consoles of all time!

    Alas, well on to a new era...

  • MrBiggles #38 5 years ago

    Xbots have won, Ken surrenders.

  • Geowolf #39 5 years ago

    Hey, things are finally looking up for Sony. With Kutaragi gone they may just climb their way back upto something other than a joke.

    ...

    Oh, wait. Harrison's still there.

    Oh well, at least they're slightly better off now.

  • LOLLERS #40 5 years ago

    "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.
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 19:53

  • Avaloner #41 5 years ago

    LOLLERS is my new God.

  • bonker #42 5 years ago

    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 ...
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 20:32

  • Beano #43 5 years ago

    Kutaragi was shown the door... and used it ;)

  • Azazel #44 5 years ago

    oh noes!

  • crouchy #45 5 years ago

    Ken Kutaragis last tricks will be dominating a 3rd time. And making extremely innovative ps3 games which are to come.

  • crouchy #46 5 years ago

    Reading this blimey insecurity or what. xbox fanboys why the perceived panic all the time.

  • toy_brain #47 5 years ago

    Ken became a bit of a nutcase in the past few years, but there is no denying the awesomeness of the PS1 for its time, or the awesomeness-if-you-knew-how-to-program-the-damn-thing of the PS2 for its time.

    I give his life a score of 7.2/10.

  • Aurifex. #48 5 years ago

    Could he not leave us with a new stunning machine like the original PSX was. Would be nice.

  • captain-future #49 5 years ago

    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.

  • Dizzy #50 5 years ago

    >I give his life a score of 7.2/10.

    ROFL... so not as good as Halo then?

    Ok ok...
    /gets coat

  • The-Bodybuilder #51 5 years ago

    >"I give his life a score of 7.2/10."

    Still not as good as halo.

    Edit: DAMN YOU DIZZY.
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 21:58

  • Ryze #52 5 years ago

    Less fuckups from now on then?

  • Les #53 5 years ago

    "Ken helped produce the single most influential product in the last decade."

    I'm sorry but Ken had absolutely nothing to do with the iPod.

    Edit:
    But anyway, he made some quality products of which some were huge commercial hits. He said some strange things, probably not helped by cultural differences or ignorant people. But without PlayStation there wouldn't be an xbox, so even the xbots owe him their thanks.
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 22:21

  • bdc #54 5 years ago

    Kutaragi fuck off

  • Foundry #55 5 years ago

    littlest hobo music

  • zuljin #56 5 years ago

    @Les
    "I'm sorry but Ken had absolutely nothing to do with the iPod."

    Dude OMG look at the figures man! iPod have only sold 100 million, and they suck you can only listen to music on them. Playstation sold 200 mill!

    Fanboy!

    :)

  • mike_mgoblue #57 5 years ago

    Over a year ago, J Allard said in an interview: "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."

    Well, James, you can now sleep like a baby.

  • icelt #58 5 years ago

    "Like him or not, he's achieved more in his life than anyone on these forums."

    In business, right. Almost assuredly.

  • Waldo #59 5 years ago

    Kutaragi did a lot of good things for gaming.

  • 3william56 #60 5 years ago

    What gets me out of bed and into the office is the thought of J Allard hanging over his own desk.

    Without Krazy Ken, we'd all be stuck playing Pokemon: he did more to elevate games into an adult pastime than pretty much anyone. And he provided some damn fine entertainment with his pronouncements (and probably a significant proportion of EG's page hits). Vale, KK.

  • Jamaicangmr #61 5 years ago

    @ captbirdseye

    Even though i understand your point. However J Allard should never be mentioned in the same sentense as Ken Kutaragi. They are in no way the same Mr. Allard would be a Sue Chef and Mr. Kutaragi would be a Master Chef. This man changed the worlds preception of a videogame console. No longer is a videogame console concidered a childs plaything thanks to Mr. Kutaragi and his brain child the Playstation.

  • miiiguel #62 5 years ago

    The problem with Playstation fundamentalists (aka can only play PS, and say bad things of everything else) is that they stood in time, they didn't move over.
    These fellow demographics, me thinks, are either very young kids who aren't very literate (yet), or old-geezers..., who refuses to come along.
    This is internet time. the global playground, the 90's are gone..., sure it was fun... now... move on! =>

    Jump In!
    Edited by 2 at 27/04/07 @ 10:01

  • enzima #63 5 years ago

    Respect to Kutaragi. Thanks for what you did for gaming, and ....i hope to hear again from you (some new crazy project....).

    @ miiiguel

    you know you sound like an xbox commercial ?
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 13:07

  • pokeken #64 5 years ago

    one down 2 more morons to go.....maybe Ken, Phil and Kaz can setup their own company...."Games Bullshitters Ltd"? all the best you fucks!