KazHirai
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Kaz Hirai and David Reeves promoted ... wait, what?
Kaz Hirai and David Reeves have done it! They've been promoted even further than their positions as presidents and CEOs of SCEA and SCEE, respectively and have added executive vice-presidents of the Tokyo corporate executive group. Now these gents will not only be in charge of the PS3's release in America and Europe, but they will have a very important say in all of Sony's business strategy planning.What does this mean for everyone else? Take into account everything Krazy Kaz has said, and multiply that times ... Sony's business strategies and planning and you get some pretty tedious situations. Not to bash his promotion -- Sony obviously sees something excellent in him and in David Reeves, but with all the negative press being garnered around the Playstation 3, it doesn't look like a good move to us. Again, it's not possible to really say yea or nay to the move, but it kind of evokes a small chortle. Was it really good to put Kaz and Reeves pretty much in charge of planning and strategy for all of Sony? Time will surely tell.
Kaz Hirai, man of many words
Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America, decided to tell Microsoft what he thought of them in a recent interview with PlayStation Magazine. From an overall business standpoint, he feels "every time we go down a path, we look behind and they're right there -- we just can't shake these guys. I wish that they would come up with some strategies of their own..." What does he mean? No matter, it makes us fanboys fist-pump and yell out 'you tell 'em, Kaz!' At least I did.Kaz dipped into the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD format war as well. He questioned Microsoft's optical drive strategy, pointing out that Sony "...incorporates the Blu-Ray drive from day one. You're not going to be asking me, 'So tell me about this Blu-Ray add-on that you have. Does it work for games? Is it just for movies?'" While compared to standalone Blu-Ray players, the PS3 is a steal (and the games ain't hurtin' it either), but it's still a question of necessity. Let's give a few cheers for Kaz, finally stepping up and slinging some of that mud back at the competition!
Kaz sez: "MS copies Sony!"
Sony's Kaz Hirai has let his inner stroppiness out in an interview with PlayStation Magazine, where he moans at Microsoft for copying Sony's strategies and disses Microsoft's plan for an HD-DVD add-on whilst simultaneously bigging up his own company's Blu-ray plan. In a response to the interviewer's leading question/statement "Sony and Microsoft seem to be taking the exact same path...", Kaz responds by saying that "Every time we go down a path, we look behind and they're right there - we just can't shake these guys. I wish that they would come up with some strategies of their own..." It's possible that we'd be more likely to agree with this statement if we knew exactly what he meant, because as it stands this is the PR equivalent of trash talk.This childish display of "Miss! That kid's copying me!" reminds me of one of my favorite poems as a child called Please Mrs Butler by Allan Ahlberg, summmarized thusly: moan all you want, but don't expect sympathy from anyone. Especially when your complaint sits on very shaky ground.
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part X - Hirai tired of Microsoft copycats
We're quickly learning that the real gold mine of our CE-Oh no he didn't! posts is Sony, home to blustering executives prone to spewing a seemingly never ending stream of pithy, entertaining commentary on the industry as their flagship game and media device lapses further and further into delay. Up on the chopping block today is Hirai-san, SCEA President who told PlayStation Magazine the following:"Every time we go down a path, we look behind and [Microsoft is] right there - we just can't shake these guys. I wish that they would come up with some strategies of their own, but they seem to be going down the path of everything we do. If you look at their strategy in other business areas as well, they tend to do that."Really, Sony? Microsoft follows you around? Wait, didn't Sony shun Microsoft's tiered console pricing scheme, only to adopt it in the PS3? And wasn't the PlayStation originally only a response to their failed partnership with Nintendo? And wasn't the PSP merely a response to the hegemonic success of the Game Boy? And what about the new motion controller developers told us was a last minute feature creep to counter Nintendo's Wiimote? And the PS3 online service, slated for introduction long after Xbox Live? Sorry guys, you're not winning any hearts and minds when you try to pull the hype-woven wool over the everybody's eyes.
Kaz Hirai: Microsoft is just a copycat!
A bold move in the executive slap fight known as the Console Wars today: in an interview with PSM, Kaz Hirai claimed that Microsoft is copying Sony's every move. "Every time we go down a path, we look behind and they're right there - we just can't shake these guys. I wish that they would come up with some strategies of their own, but they seem to be going down the path of everything we do. If you look at their strategy in other business areas as well, they tend to do that ... And the other thing is, you take a look at, for example, the fact that we incorporate the Blu-ray drive from day one. You're not going to be asking me, 'So, talk to me about this Blu-ray add-on that you have. Does it work for games? Is it just for movies?' That's exactly the kind of pitfall you fall into if you launch something that's too early, too premature... " Wow. Yup, Microsoft totally copied the idea of a unified online system, complete with downloadable content and micropayments. Maybe they'll steal Sony's totally original motion controller, too. I acknowledge that the HD-DVD add on was forced by PS3's inclusion of Blu-ray, but this is getting ri-goddamn-diculous.
Up to 7,000 PSOne-to-PSP titles by 2007, reports UK PSP Magazine
"Riiiiiidge Raaaaacer!" Kaz Hirai's famous declaration at Sony's E3 media breifing might not have garnered much applause, but, according to UK PSP Magazine, there are plenty of other emulated PlayStation titles (for the PSP) that will. These five AAA titles should be available when the emulation service launches: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VIII Silent Hill Tomb Raider In addition, UK PSP Magazine reports that up to 7,000 PlayStation titles will be available for download by the end of 2007. Say what?! 7,000! Yes folks, it's possible -- Wikipedia: "As of March 2005, there were 7,743 software titles available (this figure counts games released in multiple regions as separate titles)."Forget PSOne, the PSP has officially become the first, truly portable PlayStation. We knew the thing would find its calling sooner or later...
Lower-end PS3 to ship with wired controllers, non-upgradeable HDD?
Besides the disheartening news that the cheaper version of the PlayStation 3 will lack WiFi, a memory card reader, and most significantly, an HDMI port, we've now learned that the $500 PS3 may also be shipping with wired, and not wireless, versions of that rumble-less, Wii-like controller. While adding separate Bluetooth controllers would only set you back a few bucks -- if, in fact, the lower-end model actually ends up shipping with BT functionality -- boosting your console's storage capacity in the future may be a non-starter, as Sony reps supposedly told Games Radar that the 20GB hard drive isn't upgradeable. With so many significant differences between the two configurations (and let's not forget the snazzy metallic lettering you get on the $600 models), it's not clear how many consumers are going to agree with Sony's Kaz Hirai that the "crippled" version of the console is a "good value" for them.Update: If it wasn't entirely clear, please bear in mind that until confirmed by Sony, the information contained herein concerning the controllers and hard drive falls squarely into the rumor camp.[Thanks, J and Ameya T.]
Phil Harrison's media Q&A video from GDC
Can't get enough Phil Harrison in your life? Check out this video from the media Q&A following his GDC keynote for 20 minutes of Phil-y love (and maybe a few furtive glances from Kaz Hirai sitting in the background).We just love how Phil "swerve[d] a couple of the questions" regarding the hard drive and other hardware-related issues, but we also like how he managed to clarify those questions regarding "content offerings" that will be charged at a "premium," though he did say that there were "no plans to charge for [multiplayer gaming] at the moment."But, yeah, Mr. Harrison wasn't as combative in his answers as some media outlets portrayed him, which is another great step for platform executives who tend to make rather grandiose statements and fiery claims. If you want to see as well as hear the Phil handle all comers, this is one of your best chances yet. We'd love to hear it all clearly in English at E3, too.[Thanks, Fan; video courtesy of Jean-Baptiste Su of Citizen Valley]
