CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XIII - Kutaragi sez Sony doesn't care about PS3 rivals

When asked the other day whether Sony's rivals will outstrip the PS3, Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi merely replied: "We do not care." Closely echoing the sentiments of David Reeves of Sony Europe, this really explains so much about this product. We just wish we'd known sooner so we hadn't given them as much flack about it -- who knew they weren't playing to win? Strangely enough, Kutaragi fessed up to problems with production in the same interview, saying "Right now, it is an issue, because we can't manufacture enough blue laser diodes for our PlayStation 3s. But we will resolve that." No hurry though, right? It's not like those rivals of yours are going to do something like steal valuable market share in the meantime, or pricing their consoles competitively or anything crazy like that.

[Via Joystiq]

[JB @ Sep 30th 2006 4:22PM]

Man this pisses me off, they need to get their act together.

[Big Ed @ Sep 30th 2006 4:23PM]

Idiot.

[Will @ Sep 30th 2006 4:42PM]

Sony is ballsy these days.

[John Doe @ Oct 1st 2006 1:33PM]

The difference between ballsy and stupid is a razer thin line. Sony crossed that line into stupid about 8 months ago.

[bobo @ Sep 30th 2006 4:34PM]

man the ps3 is huge, i guess i have to clear some room for it pretty soon

[Justin @ Sep 30th 2006 4:36PM]

Woah. Please tell me either Ken is abnormally small, or that PS3 is really huge.

Thats bigger than my family size Foreman grill.

If it really is that big, I'd hope the power supply is integrated in the box. The 360 one is just plain bad style. (But I should be the last one to talk about style. My 27" tv is balanced on two kitchen table chairs).

[Mike @ Sep 30th 2006 5:55PM]

yes, the power supply is integrated, and supposedly fanless.

[tc @ Sep 30th 2006 6:06PM]

it's photoshopped

[jbulava @ Sep 30th 2006 9:16PM]

Here's a link to the original image in case you were interested.

http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmasters/Images/10editeurs20050517_035539_0_big.jpg

[e3s @ Sep 30th 2006 4:38PM]

hes just trying to play it cool, but since everyone is dumping on sony like its never done jack in gaming he looks like a fool.

[Mrfreezie @ Sep 30th 2006 4:39PM]

Ha ha ha, Engadget FTW!

[Dr Chaos @ Sep 30th 2006 4:47PM]

somebody call General Patton cause this thing is gonna tank!

HAHAHAHA...did you get it? historical humor....HA...brilliant

[tani @ Sep 30th 2006 4:48PM]

Despite all the crap he may be saying, most of it will never reach most consumers. Hell, aside from people going to gamesites and gameblogs far from everyone knows that there is even a new PS coming out.
case inb point - people commenting above who don't even realise that the pic is photoshopped.

[DanNEBTD @ Nov 22nd 2006 11:20PM]

Umm . . Blue LED stands for Light Emitting Diode . . . ie both are the same thing.

[thegrey @ Sep 30th 2006 4:49PM]

Blue LED, Blue diodes. Blue does not like Sony...

[Sreepranav @ Sep 30th 2006 4:56PM]

I'd like to comment on Tani. The entire world knows that there will be a new PS3, and that it should have been out a while ago. Hell, it was even on CNN and Fox News.

Everyone knows. Sony either has something up their sleeve, or they're just trying to go bankrupt. I'd say they have something (or someone) that they aren't telling the rest of us about.

[tani @ Sep 30th 2006 5:05PM]

I disagree with your assertion about "entire world" knowing about the new Playstation.
If that were the case a marketing campaign for it (which has yet to start) would not have been necessary.
I know plenty of people who don't know about it and don't really care to know either. That's my personal opinion so i don't see any sence in arguing about it.
I do however agree with you that sony is not telling us everything. Either that or things really are as bad as they seem.

[gdw @ Sep 30th 2006 4:54PM]

This (and several other things) make me wonder is Sony has something up their sleeves. Somehow I don't think all the cards are down yet.

Just a thought.

[Mrfreezie @ Sep 30th 2006 9:09PM]

I agree. Sony has always played the console wars right. And for their next gen war to start off so horrible seems odd. How can a company go from first to last so quickly? Seems strange, near impossible.

[Hinde @ Sep 30th 2006 4:55PM]

Is that a big model of a ps3 or just a really small japanese guy? Please tell me that is not the actual size of the console.

[Korey @ Sep 30th 2006 4:56PM]

hes the biggest egotistcal jackass ever PS3s gunna bomb and its not gunna be worth ur mommies and daddies drop the money on it.

[Dario @ Sep 30th 2006 5:03PM]

that picture was messed with photoshop, we saw it a couple months ago.

[Matt @ Sep 30th 2006 8:24PM]

yeah i remember that pic... it has to be photoshopped cause that thing is huge. who ever did it got the scaleing wrong

[Esat @ Sep 30th 2006 5:09PM]

Well actually some form of campaign has been started, at least in europe. Pitch side PLAYSTATION 3 ads were seen at championsleague matches. I took pictures off my tv which can be seen here:

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3379464

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3379463

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3379462

[Dr Manhattan @ Oct 2nd 2006 12:05PM]

"Well actually some form of campaign has been started, at least in europe. Pitch side PLAYSTATION 3 ads were seen at championsleague matches."

This is actually yet another embarrassing SONY fiasco..

PlayStation 2 has been sponsoring the Champions League (CL) for 3 or 4 consecutive years, and Sony bought the rights for sponsoring for this season as well. But since the PS3 isn't coming out in Europe this autumn, SONY has a commitment to fill all these ads for a product that won't be coming out before next march (when the season is close to being over).

So what does SONY do with all these ads? Unlike Mastercard, Ford, Heineken and every other sponsoring company, SONY decides to rotate the tv and pitch ads between different brands (Bravia, PSP, PlayStation 3, Sony and I think I've seen PlayStation 2 as well). This is so obviously an act of desperation because the whole setup for CL advertising has been to only communicate using one brand (think of the way advertising works during the olympics). So not only is SONY diluting their message, in this strict ad environment they are probably interfering with the other brands messages as well and might even have been forced to clear this emergency strategy with these companies (or forced the CL to do so).

[Sreepranav @ Sep 30th 2006 5:10PM]

There are always people who don't know about consoles, but anyone with half a brain would go:

"Nintendo is releasing a new console"
"Microsoft released an new console"
"Where the hell is Sony?"

[DJ @ Sep 30th 2006 5:24PM]

"Strangely enough, Kutaragi fessed up to problems with production in the same interview, saying "Right now, it is an issue, because we can't manufacture enough blue laser diodes for our PlayStation 3s."

He wdded "This is becauae we have had to convert all of production facilities to battery manufacturing to replace those 7.2 million laptop batteries we produced and that have the potential to blow-up."

In a related note, Sony said it would be willing to supply batteries for all of the Xbox360 and Wii controllers if asked to do so.....

[Aaron @ Oct 2nd 2006 1:29AM]

LOL, classic! Sony, seems to be a sinking ship. Maybe one of the batteries burned a hole in the hull.

[Finished Law School @ Sep 30th 2006 5:37PM]

Considering the numerous lies about the PS3, root kits and battery fires what makes anyone think that Sony has cared about their customers?
Isn't this the same response that was given when the root kit issue was made public information?
The death of Sony will be a welcome occurrence.

[Bob @ Sep 30th 2006 6:03PM]

I think the various blogs have really framed next gen as a David vs. Goliath situation. Engadget and others continue to attempt to bait Sony into mag-selling, post count-raising, melodramatic fighting words, but Sony knows they aren't getting favorable press. If I were them I would just say fuck you as well.

They know their launch won't go very well, why display a pugnacious posture that is sure to be laughed at in a few months? The battle for next gen is a 5-7 year war, not something that will be over and done with next March. Sony is smart enough to know that blogs affect what (guessing here), 25% of early adopters' opinions, and 5% of the whole market's opinions, so why open yourself up to the tidal wave of negative publicity these blogs will generate about Sony's launch frame slip ups? It seems that "fuck you, we're better than the other consoles, we'll win" is probably the smartest PR stance they could have right now.

As a disclaimer, I own a 360 and have no plans to buy a Sony. Just calling it like I see it.

[Sweetdelight @ Sep 30th 2006 6:12PM]

duh mr. obvious.

[Robotron @ Sep 30th 2006 6:18PM]

Sony is not in the position they were with the PS2.
People need to look at what their investors are doing, not what comes out of the PR mouth.
If Sony had something up their sleeve they would have shown it by now.
See here:
http://ce.seekingalpha.com/article/17605

[netposer @ Sep 30th 2006 6:19PM]

That photo must be photoshop'd. Here is another photo of him and his PS3 http://www.mcvuk.com//files/news/24458/kutaragi.gif

[Steven @ Sep 30th 2006 7:24PM]

Ken really gets on my nerves. His ego is way too big. I've always liked the Playstation, but I'd like to see this fool get floored.

[Alan Erickson @ Sep 30th 2006 10:36PM]

Sure they're worried. That's why the just lowered their price.

[CRANK @ Sep 30th 2006 8:44PM]

PS3 is the TALK OF THE TOWN RIGHT NOW.
Alot of Xbox360 owners (like myself) don't wanna admit it, but PS3 is not only going to sell out, it is easily gonna outsell Xbox 360 in America and Japan.
Amaizing that a company could invent a product so respected that people would be willing to drop 5 or $600 on it.

Nobody in the electronics world is going to care about "sony batteries causing laptop explosions" when they step on that line to get a PS3. And people WILL wait for it too.

Fortunately for me, I have an insider at Best Buy who's gonna "secure" one for me.

[Matt @ Sep 30th 2006 9:33PM]

The sheer arrogance of Sony yet again shines through.

"We dont care [about the competition]." ... hmm ok. Do you care about your customers? Wait don't answer that one! :)

What happens if the PS3 ends up 3rd behind Wii60? Are they going to end up saying something like "We dont care about games." too?

Perhaps they will claim that the ps3 is more about BluRay than games then - maybe this is what they mean now: there is little or no real BluRay competion! :)

[Drew @ Sep 30th 2006 10:04PM]

So Sony's arrogant? Well so is the competition. Just because Engadget focuses on Sony doesn't mean that the other two camps are any more innocent. What about the MS Rep's guarantee that the Xbox360 games will look better than ps3 games?
http://games.fok.nl/news.php?newsid=13942

[William @ Sep 30th 2006 10:35PM]

Stop hitting Sony... why are you complaining so much. I know they messed up on battery's but thats almost got nothing to do with the PS3

[Cycosuicide @ Sep 30th 2006 10:37PM]

Personally, I think they don't care becuz they are more concerned with getting the product out on time. If it were me, I would be concentrating on my product which I am releasing. Once it is released and things are going, then I would take a gander at the competition.

[Camperton @ Sep 30th 2006 11:07PM]

At this point I think the only Sony division that really has it's act together is the pro and prosumer video camera division who are making some terrific high quailty stuff right now.

[Camperton @ Sep 30th 2006 11:10PM]

I find hard to beleive people were actually fooled by that photo. It just blows my mind.

[Oddmanout @ Sep 30th 2006 11:13PM]

Maybe I'm an old softy, but the Sony hate is beginning to really bother me.

Yeah, they are bringing the heat on themselves (even without batteries exploding into fireballs), but jeez people, have a heart. At least when Sega went down they had a little grace. They had their day in the sun, and got cheated out of the throne that should have been theirs (thought they too made a few blunders all on their own). But, they fought as long as they could, then when they couldn't fight any longer, they gracefully stepped aside, and later rose anew (in a slightly different form).

Nintendo played it a little smarter, saw the way the wind was blowing, picked some high ground and dug in so deep they can weather a whole heck of a lot unscathed. This strategy has to a degree limited their success (ie they tend to target more exclusively to certain core demographics), but nigh assured their survival.

But poor poor Sony. Too many years as the undisputed king of home electronics has warped their minds. Megalomania elevated to a high art. It's sad to see them react to an increasingly uphill battle with so little dignity.

But who knows. Others have posited that Sony can't possibly be as metally bereft as their recent actions would indicate. That they must have something in the wings we ain't seen yet. A theory I myself have posited as well. Could be true. Or in an inexplicable miracle the PS3 could rock beyond belief. After 32X, Sega CD, and Saturn many people were skeptical of the Dreamcast, but it turned out to be an amazing bit of hardware that some people still think is superior to the vaunted PS2.

They might pull it off...

But yeah, have a heart. Sony doesn't need detractors slinging insults and such...they are making themselves look stupid just fine on their own...

[TheKhakinator @ Oct 1st 2006 12:36AM]

Xbox was big, and now they fixed that with 360. This thing looks around twice as high. And oddly shaped. Looks huge, which ain't good.

[raymon @ Oct 1st 2006 12:37AM]

baka

[E Malave Jr @ Oct 1st 2006 1:26AM]

Sony made 20 billion IN PROFIT last year. How much did you guys make? Idiots.

[Mike Wunderlich @ Oct 1st 2006 1:18AM]

Why do people act like this fight is already decided? Naturally at this stage there can be no arguing about trite things like, say, game quality, a 100 million strong consumer base, system reliability, backing of major game and movie studios, and the fact that loss leader consoles ALWAYS lose money in the beginning. How can you guys complain about the price of this thing when, all things considered, your making money by buying a ps3?
500$ might seem like a lot to someone without a job, or high schoolers, but consider the entire media system surrounding the console: Plasma screen tv with hdmi input; 2000$. 7.1 surround sound speakers, subwoofer, receiver; 500$. High speed internet; 500+$ A YEAR. iPods, PSPs, PCs, DVRs, HD cable/satellite subscriptions, rent, &c &c. To anybody really invested in entertainment, the pricing points on these consoles is not a big issue.
Considering the fact that a standalone blu ray disc player or PC drive cost more than the entire system, with accessories and games, how could you possibly cast aspersions on this thing!?
If "pricing their consoles competitively" means selling dumbed down versions of their hardware that lack silly things like wireless controllers, hdds, full backwards compatibility (360 uses software emulation on 1.0 titles), a friendly handheld, or next gen format support (*sold separately), count me out. Don't forget that the 360 is almost a year old now, and when the ps3 debues in Japan the msrp is going to be the same (!) as the 360 was (40,000￥, the core version has yet to be released over there). You guys must be nuts if you think sony is going to have a hard time giving away 10 million units by the end of the year. It's obvious the market in Japan is primed for this if you consider that microsoft can hardly sell 1000 units a week over there. Yeah, sony could care less about the neotypical pundits trolling these forums (laptops and . Broke american kids are not their target audience. If sony didn't have an proud jerk like Ken running the show, they'd drown in your guys' drivel. No offense.

[Matt @ Oct 1st 2006 7:25AM]

It does not make it a sensible price just because they are making a loss on it. So you might be getting "more than you paid for" (not that you could actually buy these bits individually anyway), but it is still a lot of money compared to the competition which is the crucial factor. The reason its so over priced is because of bluray, and as far as everyone can tell, no one cares about blueray - its just yet another failed attempt by Sony to force a new format on us (like betamax, minidisk, memory stick, umd etc etc)

Anyway - many people do not have the "full setup" and have maybe just a 28inch TV that cost them �175 from Tescos. If they are planning to sell the PS3 by the millions, then there will be only a tiny tiny tiny fraction who have a "full setup".

Also, there are going to be A LOT of kids wanting one of these for their birthday/christmas/whatever present. How many 13 year olds have a huge HD TV and separate sound system in their bedroom? Likewise for older kids at school and uni? How many parents are going to be prepared to, or indeed able to, spend 500-600+ on a child's birthday present, with games being 70 quid a pop too? This is where the Wii and 360 at less than half the price are going to clean up.

[Oddmanout @ Oct 1st 2006 6:07AM]

"Sony made 20 billion IN PROFIT last year. How much did you guys make? Idiots."

Then why did they need to take a $700 million loan this year ?

http://thewilleffect.wordpress.com/2006/07/06/sony-takes-out-80-billion-yen-loan/


Serious question, no flame...where did you get that number ?

[Mike Wunderlich @ Oct 1st 2006 6:48AM]

Taking out a loan to restructure your company and losing money/ going chapter 11 are two different things. True, Sony stands to lose a billion on the ps3 launch, but they take that for granted, their 'operating profit' from just last year would cover that two fold.
"Sony's profit jumps 68 percent"
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1040_22-6065724.html
http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/04/27/news_6123076.html
20 billion is a rediculous number, unless your talking yen, then it's a bit low。
*In my last post I made a mistake on the price of the ps3 in Japan// it's 50000￥not 40000. My point is still the same though. 360 and Wii are hardly in the same league. External HD-DVD or nothing at all, they are obviously not going for the same market. Wii only supports up to 480p/vga! blech.