midnightguy
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http://www.shacknews.com/extras/kutaragi/070705_kutaragi_01.x
By: Alec Matias Date: 07/07/05
The president of Sony Computer Entertainment, Ken Kutaragi, is truly a visionary and a pioneer in the videogame industry. He is often called the "father of the PlayStation," as it was he who was the catalyst for Sony's entrance into the console business. Since then, he has been the driving force behind Sony's gaming ambitions, making the PlayStation 2 the behemoth success it is and revolutionizing the portable gaming market with the PlayStation Portable. These days, he is concentrating on cementing Sony's position in the worldwide gaming market by making the PlayStation 3 extend beyond the minds of the college student and turning the PlayStation into a mass-appealing home entertainment device.
Although much of his notoriety comes from his accomplishments, including his trailblazing work on LCD projectors and digital cameras, lately the venerable leader has been garnering press for his off-the-wall remarks. His image has been slowly turning from a videogame luminary to a boisterous loudmouth. What's happened? Why, suddenly, has everything that Kutaragi says immediately undergoes scrutiny and then ridicule on gaming forums across the net? Let's take a look at the history of Ken Kutaragi's remarks and try to pinpoint where things go wrong.
Ken Kutaragi led the team that was developing the SNES CD-ROM. When Nintendo felt threatened by Sony, they dropped Japanese supergiant as the developer of the hardware in a very humiliating, public fashion at the Consumer Electronics Show in 1992. Embarrassed, Kutaragi pleaded with Sony CEO Norio Ohga to keep the project alive, saying that the final product would blow the SNES out of the water. The rest, as they say, is history.
Gamers didn't get the first glimpse of Kutaragi's antics until the announcement of the PlayStation 2, and even then the affects weren't immediately felt. With the burgeoning power of the Internet, the PlayStation 2 announcement was covered heavily across the Internet. When Sony pulled back the curtains on the hardware, gamers were promised everything and the kitchen sink. Kutaragi poured on the hype; saying that the Emotion Engine, the heart of the PS2, would "create a world as involving and impressive as portrayed in movies." On top of that, he claimed Sony would be the leader in e-commerce, allowing consumers to download digital movies, music, and even games straight to your PS2. They hyped the polygonal production, saying the PS2 could dish out 80 million a second. Well, none of that stuff ever happened and the PS2 was woefully underpowered compared to its rivals. This didn't sit well with gamers and when the PlayStation 3 was revealed at this past E3, many called shenanigans on their technical demonstration.
However, it wasn't until the PlayStation Portable where Kutaragi was first being labeled as someone off his rocker. His remarks about a faulty square button were reposted all over the Internet. In Japan, before the launch of the US version, thousands of PSP owners were returning the system because the square button wasn't functioning as properly as the other buttons. It was discovered that the detection sensor beneath the button was not as large as the rest due to its close proximity to the LCD screen. Kutaragi decided to clear the air publicly.
"This is the design that we came up with. There may be people that complain about its usability, but that's something which users and game software developers will have to adapt to. I didn't want the PSP's LCD screen to become any smaller than this, nor did I want its machine body to become any larger.
"The button's location is [architectured] on purpose," Kutaragi added. "It's according to specifications. This is something that we've created, and this is our specification. There was a clear purpose to it, and it wasn't a mistake."
It made sense, but what he said next was what sent gamers into a tizzy.
"I believe we made the most beautiful thing in the world. Nobody would criticize a renowned architect's blueprint that the position of a gate is wrong. It's the same as that."
It was later discovered that an error during production was the true source of the problem. The molding of the case wasn't properly cut and it was later fixed. Still, the damage had been done. Gamers found it comical that Kutaragi would make such a claim about an electronic gaming device.
Up until this point, Kutaragi only had one true "silly" remark under his belt. For the PS2 hype, you can't really blame the guy. Who wouldn't be excited about a product they've been laboring over for years? It would be odd if he didn't oversell it. But in March of 2005, an important shift occured at Sony. It started with the retirement of Sony CEO Nobuyuki Idei. Kutaragi, as executive deputy president, had been long-assumed to take the position. Instead, he announced he was stepping down from the position as well as the head of home electronics division. The company then brought Howard Stringer, an American, to run the Japanese giant. The set of moves must have been severly damaging to Kutaragi's ego; a man who redefined the Sony empire being scrubbed for a foreigner. All he had left was his precious PlayStation.
That may explain why, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo of 2005, that Ken Kutaragi began to really set off the fireworks. It all started after the show when, in an interview with Japanese media outlet Impress PC Watch, he said the PS3 "is not a game machine. We've never once called it a game machine." A shocker, to say the least. Well, if it isn't a game machine, what is it? He continued, "With the PS3, our intentions have been to create a machine with supercomputer calculation capabilities for home entertainment." This obviously didn't sit well with some members of Sony's brass, forcing the chief technical officer, Masayuki Chatanai, to tell gaming magazine Famitsu, "make no mistake--games will be the killer app for the PlayStation 3."
Then, in that same interview, he attacked Microsoft and their Xbox 360, saying that the console "is more of an Xbox 1.5 than a next generation console." Weeks later, talking to Japanese website Watch Impress, he would say "This time, Microsoft has stated clearly that it is going after PlayStation. However, they're going not after the PlayStation 3, but the PlayStation 2. They were looking at 2, and that's why [Xbox 360] became like that."
But that wouldn't be the last time Kutaragi would attack Microsoft. When asked by the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shinbun what he thought about his competitors' next-gen consoles, he said "Microsoft is trailing behind us, but they are not a threat. They are good at improving [on products], but we will be advancing to the next level with revolutionary technology. Beating us for a short moment is like accidentally winning a point from a Shihan (Karate master), and Microsoft is still not a black belt. Just like with their operating systems, they might come out with something good around the third generation of their release."
Kutaragi wasn't done with saying wacky things about the PS3. Although it's hard to top "not a game machine," in another interview with Impress PC Watch, Kutaragi talked about the decision to not include a hard drive. "We're not going to equip [the PS3 with] a HDD by default, because no matter how much [capacity] we put in it, it won't be enough." He later said, "We've added a 2.5-inch HDD bay so that users can equip HDDs, such as 80GB and 120GB, even though that's still not enough [capacity]."
The message is confusing. Gamers were left asking "not enough for what?" 120GB is a ton of space; what is in the plans that would require more space than that? And even though it is not enough, why even both release such a hard drive at all? Many felt like Kutaragi was avoiding the true issue; that a hard drive would only shoot up the price of the already expensive PlayStation 3.
Other statements of grandeur were made, hinting that the PS3 could be superior to the PC in non-linear video editing software or visual graphics programs thanks to the Cell processor. This hasn't been a statement that he's followed up on, leaving many to think it is just techno-hyperbole.
His latest folly came just yesterday, when speaking to Japanese economic website Toyo Keizai. He said the PS3 is "for consumers to think to themselves 'I will work more hours to buy one'. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else." Take that however you want, but the impression it gives off is that consumers may be a bit surprised at its price tag. Analysts have been pegging it at just under $500 to build with Sony selling it at $399.
There's absolutely no question that Ken Kutaragi's commitment to making the PlayStation the most sought-after entertainment property is one filled with passion, vigor, and heart. He is the father and the face of the PlayStation. His successes are many and continuous; he had the foresight to revolution the business strategy of Sony when his only friend in the entire company (luckily, the only one he needed) was the guy calling the shots. However, these recent remarks have done nothing but tarnish his image. Kutaragi was always seen as a true leader; nowadays, he's the butt of most gamers' jokes. He's becoming better recognized for his remarks than his accomplishments. As gamers, we are all hopeful that the PlayStation 3 will be as phenomenal as it sounds, but for Kutaragi's sake, I hope he can not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk.
By: Alec Matias Date: 07/07/05
The president of Sony Computer Entertainment, Ken Kutaragi, is truly a visionary and a pioneer in the videogame industry. He is often called the "father of the PlayStation," as it was he who was the catalyst for Sony's entrance into the console business. Since then, he has been the driving force behind Sony's gaming ambitions, making the PlayStation 2 the behemoth success it is and revolutionizing the portable gaming market with the PlayStation Portable. These days, he is concentrating on cementing Sony's position in the worldwide gaming market by making the PlayStation 3 extend beyond the minds of the college student and turning the PlayStation into a mass-appealing home entertainment device.
Although much of his notoriety comes from his accomplishments, including his trailblazing work on LCD projectors and digital cameras, lately the venerable leader has been garnering press for his off-the-wall remarks. His image has been slowly turning from a videogame luminary to a boisterous loudmouth. What's happened? Why, suddenly, has everything that Kutaragi says immediately undergoes scrutiny and then ridicule on gaming forums across the net? Let's take a look at the history of Ken Kutaragi's remarks and try to pinpoint where things go wrong.
Ken Kutaragi led the team that was developing the SNES CD-ROM. When Nintendo felt threatened by Sony, they dropped Japanese supergiant as the developer of the hardware in a very humiliating, public fashion at the Consumer Electronics Show in 1992. Embarrassed, Kutaragi pleaded with Sony CEO Norio Ohga to keep the project alive, saying that the final product would blow the SNES out of the water. The rest, as they say, is history.
Gamers didn't get the first glimpse of Kutaragi's antics until the announcement of the PlayStation 2, and even then the affects weren't immediately felt. With the burgeoning power of the Internet, the PlayStation 2 announcement was covered heavily across the Internet. When Sony pulled back the curtains on the hardware, gamers were promised everything and the kitchen sink. Kutaragi poured on the hype; saying that the Emotion Engine, the heart of the PS2, would "create a world as involving and impressive as portrayed in movies." On top of that, he claimed Sony would be the leader in e-commerce, allowing consumers to download digital movies, music, and even games straight to your PS2. They hyped the polygonal production, saying the PS2 could dish out 80 million a second. Well, none of that stuff ever happened and the PS2 was woefully underpowered compared to its rivals. This didn't sit well with gamers and when the PlayStation 3 was revealed at this past E3, many called shenanigans on their technical demonstration.
However, it wasn't until the PlayStation Portable where Kutaragi was first being labeled as someone off his rocker. His remarks about a faulty square button were reposted all over the Internet. In Japan, before the launch of the US version, thousands of PSP owners were returning the system because the square button wasn't functioning as properly as the other buttons. It was discovered that the detection sensor beneath the button was not as large as the rest due to its close proximity to the LCD screen. Kutaragi decided to clear the air publicly.
"This is the design that we came up with. There may be people that complain about its usability, but that's something which users and game software developers will have to adapt to. I didn't want the PSP's LCD screen to become any smaller than this, nor did I want its machine body to become any larger.
"The button's location is [architectured] on purpose," Kutaragi added. "It's according to specifications. This is something that we've created, and this is our specification. There was a clear purpose to it, and it wasn't a mistake."
It made sense, but what he said next was what sent gamers into a tizzy.
"I believe we made the most beautiful thing in the world. Nobody would criticize a renowned architect's blueprint that the position of a gate is wrong. It's the same as that."
It was later discovered that an error during production was the true source of the problem. The molding of the case wasn't properly cut and it was later fixed. Still, the damage had been done. Gamers found it comical that Kutaragi would make such a claim about an electronic gaming device.
Up until this point, Kutaragi only had one true "silly" remark under his belt. For the PS2 hype, you can't really blame the guy. Who wouldn't be excited about a product they've been laboring over for years? It would be odd if he didn't oversell it. But in March of 2005, an important shift occured at Sony. It started with the retirement of Sony CEO Nobuyuki Idei. Kutaragi, as executive deputy president, had been long-assumed to take the position. Instead, he announced he was stepping down from the position as well as the head of home electronics division. The company then brought Howard Stringer, an American, to run the Japanese giant. The set of moves must have been severly damaging to Kutaragi's ego; a man who redefined the Sony empire being scrubbed for a foreigner. All he had left was his precious PlayStation.
That may explain why, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo of 2005, that Ken Kutaragi began to really set off the fireworks. It all started after the show when, in an interview with Japanese media outlet Impress PC Watch, he said the PS3 "is not a game machine. We've never once called it a game machine." A shocker, to say the least. Well, if it isn't a game machine, what is it? He continued, "With the PS3, our intentions have been to create a machine with supercomputer calculation capabilities for home entertainment." This obviously didn't sit well with some members of Sony's brass, forcing the chief technical officer, Masayuki Chatanai, to tell gaming magazine Famitsu, "make no mistake--games will be the killer app for the PlayStation 3."
Then, in that same interview, he attacked Microsoft and their Xbox 360, saying that the console "is more of an Xbox 1.5 than a next generation console." Weeks later, talking to Japanese website Watch Impress, he would say "This time, Microsoft has stated clearly that it is going after PlayStation. However, they're going not after the PlayStation 3, but the PlayStation 2. They were looking at 2, and that's why [Xbox 360] became like that."
But that wouldn't be the last time Kutaragi would attack Microsoft. When asked by the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shinbun what he thought about his competitors' next-gen consoles, he said "Microsoft is trailing behind us, but they are not a threat. They are good at improving [on products], but we will be advancing to the next level with revolutionary technology. Beating us for a short moment is like accidentally winning a point from a Shihan (Karate master), and Microsoft is still not a black belt. Just like with their operating systems, they might come out with something good around the third generation of their release."
Kutaragi wasn't done with saying wacky things about the PS3. Although it's hard to top "not a game machine," in another interview with Impress PC Watch, Kutaragi talked about the decision to not include a hard drive. "We're not going to equip [the PS3 with] a HDD by default, because no matter how much [capacity] we put in it, it won't be enough." He later said, "We've added a 2.5-inch HDD bay so that users can equip HDDs, such as 80GB and 120GB, even though that's still not enough [capacity]."
The message is confusing. Gamers were left asking "not enough for what?" 120GB is a ton of space; what is in the plans that would require more space than that? And even though it is not enough, why even both release such a hard drive at all? Many felt like Kutaragi was avoiding the true issue; that a hard drive would only shoot up the price of the already expensive PlayStation 3.
Other statements of grandeur were made, hinting that the PS3 could be superior to the PC in non-linear video editing software or visual graphics programs thanks to the Cell processor. This hasn't been a statement that he's followed up on, leaving many to think it is just techno-hyperbole.
His latest folly came just yesterday, when speaking to Japanese economic website Toyo Keizai. He said the PS3 is "for consumers to think to themselves 'I will work more hours to buy one'. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else." Take that however you want, but the impression it gives off is that consumers may be a bit surprised at its price tag. Analysts have been pegging it at just under $500 to build with Sony selling it at $399.
There's absolutely no question that Ken Kutaragi's commitment to making the PlayStation the most sought-after entertainment property is one filled with passion, vigor, and heart. He is the father and the face of the PlayStation. His successes are many and continuous; he had the foresight to revolution the business strategy of Sony when his only friend in the entire company (luckily, the only one he needed) was the guy calling the shots. However, these recent remarks have done nothing but tarnish his image. Kutaragi was always seen as a true leader; nowadays, he's the butt of most gamers' jokes. He's becoming better recognized for his remarks than his accomplishments. As gamers, we are all hopeful that the PlayStation 3 will be as phenomenal as it sounds, but for Kutaragi's sake, I hope he can not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk.
