Specifically, he talked about the promise that Sony's regions would be a bit more antonymous under Hirai.

"There is no question that Kutaragi-san ruled with an iron fist, but it was his vision," Tretton said. "In terms of how we went to market in region, that was anonymous."

But Tretton said that Hirai has a better understanding of the company's day-to-day operations and the challenges they face both in Japan and abroad.

"He's been in the regions. He's been in the trenches. He's been outside the towers in Tokyo," Tretton said. "I think there is a better understanding."

Tretton also touched on how SCEA and other regions had to struggle a bit with the perception of PS3 as a super computer created by Kutaragi and the reality that the console had to be a gaming platform first to sell.

"Kutaragi-san built the PS3 as a super computer for the home," he said. "We thought there was a risk of losing the game identity of the Playstaiton 3, so we tried to distance ourselves from that and we understand that credibility would be built with games."

See our other Tretton stories from E3:
Tretton Says No 360 Final Fantasy XIII Coming to Japan
Tretton Explains the Long Road to Home
Tretton: Sony Considering PSP with Harddrive

According to a recent Kadokawa Group Holdings financial statement, Kutaragi will be taking on the role of an outside director, making him on the board of directors. This will be approved at the June 22nd shareholder meeting. Kadokawa Shoten publishes many manga (Lucky Star, Cowboy Bebop) as well as magazines (Newtype). Apparently Kadokawa is hoping to tap into Kutaragi's international business savvy. M'kay.

As IGN points out, here's where it gets interesting: Enterbrain is under the Kodokawa Group Holdings umbrella. Enterbrain publishes Famitsu, Japan's most influential game magazine. Let the conspiracy theories begin!
Ken Kutaragi's New Digs [Famitsu]

After receiving similar accolades from the Entertainment Software Association and Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, we're worried Ken might let this all go to his head. Who knows what engineering insanity he could devise if he ventures into mad scientist mental territory?

Kutaragi finds fame with CEA [GameSpot]

• Former Microsoft exec Peter Moore on Red Rings of Death:
"You know, things break."

• Nintendo president Satoru Iwata in May 2004:
"Customers do not want online games."

• SCEA boss Jack Tretton on post-launch PS3 availability:
"If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on store shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1,200 bucks for it."

• Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan on Wii owners running out of memory space:
"But if your refrigerator's full, you've got to pull something out and put something else back in. I mean, really, are you using everything thing there?"

• PlayStation Father Ken Kutaragi on the PS3's intial price tag:
"It's probably too cheap... We want consumers to think to themselves, 'I will work more hours to buy one.'"

Hey, at least most game execs are not boring!
Crazy Executive Quote Award [Game|Life] [Image]

Yeah, we get it. There's an opportunity to save a couple bucks. But why remove the PlayStation 2 chipset altogether, after investing in software emulation and eliminating hundreds of titles from the PS3 library? According to an interview with SCEE reps at GamesIndustry BIZ a "reduced emphasis placed on this feature amongst later purchasers of PS3, as well as the availability of a more extensive line-up of PS3 specific titles" is the reason the company is nixing the once promised support.

Plus, they've got 65 PS3 titles ready for the holidays.

Solution? Buy the 60GB (while they're still available), natch. This is the one time as an early hardware adopter that I don't feel screwed over. Off to hug my Emotion Engine!

40GB PS3 Confirmed for Europe; Sony Gives Up on Backwards Compatibility [GameDaily BIZ]

"Ken's contributions to our community and the entertainment lives of ordinary consumers are extraordinary," said Michael D. Gallagher, president of the ESA. "His insight and vision revolutionized in-home entertainment, enabling advancements in creativity, technology, and innovation."

'Father of PlayStation' to be Honored by ESA at Nite to Unite [GameDaily BIZ]

Sony Prez To Headline TGS [IGN]

The father of the Playstation officially stepped down today, ending an era that saw the launch of three consoles and Sony's entry into the gaming market.

Kutaragi announced his plans to leave the company as all but an "honorary chairman" back in April. Kazuo Hirai will be stepping into his large shows to take over day-to-day responsibilities as the head of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

It's doubtful we will see any substantial change in the company's operations in the weeks leading up to E3, but I'm sure this move will trigger some shifts in the way Sony does business down the line.

Father of Sony PlayStation steps down [CNN]

That doesn't mean The Gooch is a Microsoft fanboy, though, as he's quite critical of the company in his forthcoming EGM interview, taking shots at the MS Japan marketing department.

Fortunately for the finicky, mustachioed Mistwalker developer, one of his issues with PlayStation development will soon be moot but something tells me we'll see a Mistwalker effort on Wii before we see one on PS3. Michael McWhertor

Hironobu Sakaguchi Doesn't Like Ken Kutaragi [1UP]

While Kutaragi reportedly ran the PlayStation biz like a dictator, Hirai is described as more "affable and articulate." Sure, he may have contributed heavily to the botched E3 2006 keynote, but Kaz does have off-stage finesse.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter likes Hirai's chances, saying the exec is "far more in touch with the U.S. publishers, and probably in a good position to enlist their support for PSP, PS2, and PS3." According to CIO Today, Hirai is already hard at work, building relationships with developers, focusing on in-game advertising and working more closely with Sony Online Entertainment. See how I stuffed that bitter in-game ads bit between the good news? Makes it go down easier.

Kaz is also sporting more grays. I expect to see far more over the next two years. Michael McWhertor

Can New PlayStation Chief Beat the Wii? [CIO Today]

Ken looks to have washed his hands of the PLAYSTATION 3, having already outlined cost reduction scenarios and new PS3 design models for the next two years, and will independently aide Sony in their PS4, PS5 and PS6 plans.

While Ken is cryptic about the future of the PlayStation family—hinting at a strictly network-based device—he seemed clear about one thing. In the EE Times report, Ken says that he was the one who "proposed his resignation to Sony's board of directors." In other words, you can't fire him, 'cause he quits!

Surely, Ken's time is focused on getting the PS4 to work in the fifth dimension, in which we'll play online against alternate timeline versions of ourselves on an inter-dimensional network. Or something like that. Michael McWhertor

Exclusive: Outgoing Sony exec Kutaragi already planning PS4 [EETimes]

While some are of the opinion that the PLAYSTATION 3's slower adoption and high price embarrassed the company, others are less sure. Analyst Michael Pachter says that Kutaragi's early retirement may indicate a renewed focus on PS3 and PSP first party software efforts and paints a positive picture for his successor, Kaz Hirai.

He tells GameDaily:

I think Kaz Hirai is great, and the company probably doesn't need a visionary for another 10 years. They need an operations guy, need to drive costs down, and need to develop more software support (internal and external). Hirai will be great at that.

There are some interesting insights from a number of industry watchers, so do read on. My guess is that Ken's move is probably less exciting and dramatic than it appears, with the Father of the PlayStation continuing to be an outspoken figure for the next decade. Michael McWhertor

Analysts Weigh In on Kutaragi's Departure [GameDaily BIZ]

Today's news that Ken Kutaragi is retiring from the SCEI, can only be seen as further proof that the company does indeed use Brian's School of Volcano Management.

I first noticed back in December when Kutaragi was "promoted" to replace Sir Howard Stringer who had just been popped out of the crusty lip of the Sony Volcano.

In my theory, heat from bad decisions and poor management builds until a key person involved in the decision-making process is pushed up and up and up and finally ejected entirely from the company.

Next up, if my theory holds, Kaz Harai who just jetted past several branch pipes and parasitic cones to the summit when he was named President and Group CEO of the Playstation business worldwide.

Of course that's not how SCEI puts it, this is their take:

Kutaragi has said that he has been considering this decision for some time. He stated that, in the six months since the appointment of Kazuo Hirai as President in December, the new generation of management, led by Mr. Hirai, has continued to develop. With the March introduction of PS3 in Europe completing the successful launch of PS3 worldwide, Mr. Kutaragi has identified SCE's Annual Shareholders' meeting in June as the ideal timing to pass on the torch to the new generation of management. Mr. Kutaragi will now apply his extensive technological knowledge and leadership skills to take on new challenges beyond the world of PlayStation. Sony and SCE will continue to seek Mr. Kutaragi's input and ideas from a broad perspective, while continuing to support him as much as possible in the realization of his dreams."

Who, I wonder will be replacing Kaz Hirai? I think Jack Trenton has been doing a good enough job to remain bobbing up and down in the magma chamber with Phil Harrison. Brian Crecente

I am happy to graduate from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. after introducing four platforms to the PlayStation family. 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 endeavors.

SCEI Corporate Release [SCEI, thanks R. Hunter!]

According to an interview with Sony designer Teiyu Goto in an upcoming Official PlayStation Magazine, Ken "Father of the PlayStation" Kutaragi "insisted" that the typeface be used to represent the console. Further, Goto contends that the Spider-logo may have been "the motivating force behind the shape of PS3."

I've always been a fan of the design. It's simple, beautiful, classic. It's, like, "How much more black could this be?" And the answer is, "None. None more black." Michael McWhertor

Kutaragi "insisted" on Spider-Man font for PS3 [CVG]

Kutaragi was right! The PLAYSTATION 3 is a supercomputer. No, really. Using eight PS3s, North Carolina State University's Dr. Frank Mueller created a supercomputing cluster capable of high-performance crunching. His total cost? US $5,000. He explains:

Clusters are not new to the computing world. Google, the stock market, automotive design companies and scientists use clusters, but this is the first academic computing cluster built from PLAYSTATION 3s...

Scientific computing is just number crunching, which the PS3s are very good at given the Cell processor and deploying them in a cluster.

Mueller reckons that clustering 10,000 PS3s would create the fastest computer in the world — One with somewhat limited networking and capabilities. And what about Mueller's cluster? It's been used since January 3rd at NC State for education purposes and research. Brian Ashcraft

Super Computing PS3s [Physorg.com, Thanks Tim!]

A console that looks like a grill needs one thing: Tasty sauce. Akihabara retailer Sangatsu Usagi is selling unofficial PLAYSTATION 3 sauce. (Actually, a sticker has been placed over Bulldog branded sauce.) The phony product lambasts Sony for recent goofs. It features an illustration of Ken Kutaragi, notice of the SIXAXIS Emmy fiasco and the promised one million shipment number. Below that it says, "However, The Source Was Sony." There are even 20GB and 60GB versions of the sauce priced accordingly at 399 yen (marked down from 499 yen) and 599 yen (US $3.20 and $4.93). We always kinda thought the PS3 looked like a Victorian waffle iron, so do eagerly wait the mock-up syrup bottles. Brian Ashcraft

PS3 Sauce [Akiba Blog]

He's been called "Crazy Ken." Ken Kutaragi might've created the PS1 and the PS2, but it was the PS3 that made him seem out of touch. Or was it? It's no secret that Kutaragi is not a numbers guy (Kaz Hirai, he's your pencil pusher). No, Kutaragi's an engineer by trade. He likes to make stuff. And according to numerous insiders, Kutaragi has been itching to make games for months now. The Bandai Namco move isn't necessarily Sony shoving him in the corner. It could be something else entirely — A strengthening between the two entities, an opportunity for Sony to create more exclusive titles. (Kutaragi's son apparently is a manager at Bandai Namco, so this marriage more than makes sense.) Moreover, unlike Hirai, Kutaragi is a gamer. He's a big FPS and RPG fan, so don't be shocked if you see him churn out a mis-mash of both. Does Sony shuffling Kutaragi around in the organize mean he's made mistakes? Definitely. But is he now irrelevant? Hardly. Brian Ashcraft

Sony and Bandai Namco have announced a joint venture to develop new content for the Cell chip including games for the PS3 and content for mobile phones and personal computers, Bloomberg reports.

The two companies are investing about $821,000 to form Cellius, a company that will be headed up by Ken Kutaragi, the father of the Playstation. The company will be formed on March 6 and will 51 percent owned by Bandi Namco and 49 percent by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Bandai Namco's president and another exec, as well as a second senior Sony exec will also on the newly formed company's board.

The news comes months after Kutaragi was promoted out of daily operations of Playstation 3 decisions. It will be interesting to see what sort of insight Kutaragi brings to the game development side of things.

Hit the jump for the full Bloomberg story. Brian Crecente

Sony Corp., the world's largest maker of game consoles, said its PlayStation unit will develop games with Namco Bandai Holdings Inc. to help take share from Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co.

Namco Bandai will own 51 percent of the venture, named Cellius Inc., with Sony holding the rest, Sony said in a faxed release today. The venture will begin operations on March 6.

Cellius will use Sony's Cell chip, which powers PlayStation 3, to create games for the console and content for mobile phones and personal computers, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka said today. He would not give earnings forecasts or other details.

The alliance may help Sony recoup the 200 billion yen ($1.65 billion) it spent developing the Cell with International Business Machines Corp. and Toshiba Corp. Sony is expecting the chip, which makes the PS3 about 35 times faster than the PS2, to attract gamers with sharper graphics and more complex play.

The Cell chip is also part of Sony's strategy to beat Microsoft and Apple Computer Inc. in controlling the digital home, a future network linking televisions, music players, game consoles and other appliances to the Internet.

Sony, Namco Bandai Ally to Jointly Make Games for PlayStation 3 [Bloomberg]

You heard about that string of promotions at Sony Computer Entertainment earlier? (If not, Ken Kutaragi is now Chairman and Group CEO and Kaz Hirai is now President and Group COO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., with the latter replacing Ken as president.) Is all that organizational reshuffling just a corporate love-in for a job well done, with new titles and responsibilities for everyone involved, or does it signal a major change at Sony?

According to analysts quoted by the Financial Times, it could imply a shift in the company's business. Putting Hirai, primarily focused on the software side of Sony Computer Entertainment in charge, could indicate that Sony is moving away from hardware.

Yuta Sakurai, an analyst at Nomura Holdings, Inc. has a gloomy outlook on Sony's hardware future.

The appointment of Hirai could be the start of a shift from hardware to software. I cannot now imagine a PlayStation 4.

RIP PlayStation 4? I'm no analyst, but my guess is that Sony needed to put someone more charismatic and arguably sane in a role to repair damaged relationships with third parties worldwide. Hell, I'm so confident that we'll see another Sony console, that I'm going to put $50 down on a pre-order tomorrow. Or maybe the day after. Michael McWhertor

Sony sidelines PS3 mastermind Kutaragi
Kaz Hirai Promoted [Kotaku]

Remember when Sony honcho Ken Kutaragi said the PS3 was a "super computer," and we all laughed at him and called his mammoth console a Victorian waffle iron? Or was it a panini maker. I forget!

Enter game creator David Braben, who when not hard at work on a PS3 title, like to talk about how great the machine is:

When you put it together with the fact that it supports a keyboard and things like that, people may start to regard it more as a cheap PC than an expensive console. Or a new thing that's somewhere in between.

David's so right. Do think of it as cheap PC, because it makes paying for it way less painful. Brian Ashcraft

The PS3 Is A Computer [QJ.Net]

Not only is Ken Kutaragi father of the PlayStation, but also of the crazy PlayStation quotes! In a relatively sane interview with Newsweek, Kutaragi talks superior PS3 graphics, Blu-ray and delays. Things to look forward to? Kutaragi says:

Maybe in the near future, either from Sony or maybe from third parties, we will release a network storage system that contains multi-terabyte capacity.

So, uh, before that, how can customers secure a PS3?

The best way is waiting, but maybe you have some lucky friend who can get the PlayStation 3. So please visit your friend's home to share and enjoy future entertainment.

Yep. This is waiting. Brian Ashcraft

Kutaragi Talks PS3 [VGB]

Sony? Walking PR disaster. Everything that could go wrong did and has. Enter Dave Karraker. Previously he'd worked on the Dreamcast launch (R.I.P.) and since then has represented Martha Stewart. If anyone knows PR hell, it's him. So, Dave, how is it handling Ken Kutaragi and all his Kutaragisms?

I think people need to understand that Ken is a visionary for the industry, and the stuff that he talks about is not always necessarily the here and now. So I think when Ken talks about things like a super-computer for your home, it is technically right. This is the most powerful computer you can have in your home for this price. There's no way around it. I think it's our role to take his message and interpret it for our demographic over here, which is the gaming community, and explain to them what that means.

Ah, so Dave ain't running damage control, he's translating. Is that batshit insane to just insane? Brian Ashcraft

Still, Kutaragi Says Loads of Wacky Stuff [Gamasutra]

By posting this, we acknowledge one thing: Our inbox will be bombarded with countless game pumpkins. That's okay, but make 'em good, gosh dernit. Frodo from the Weekly Geek Show carved his a Katamari pumpkin, a Triforce pumpkin and what looks like Ken Kutaragi. Nice work, Frodo! Brian Ashcraft

Admit, It Kinda Looks Like Kutaragi [WGS]

When asked by MCV whether the rival consoles will outstrip Sony's next-gen machine, he replied simply: "We do not care." But he conceded that Sony is still struggling with the production of PS3's Blu-Ray drive: "Right now, it is an issue, because we can't manufacture enough blue laser diodes for our PlayStation 3s. But we will resolve that."

You better, Kenny! I need me a blue laser diode and I need it right quick. MCV apparently squeezed this info from Kutaragi at the TGS PlayStation 3 showcase at the Sony TK building, which we attended.

In other executive quotes, Sony's sharp-dressed cue ball Phil Harrison let loose that Genji: Days of the Blade and Resistance Fall of Man are "definite PS3 launch titles." Yay! Now if I can just win that PS3 we're giving away... Michael McWhertor

Kutaragi laughs off rivals [MCV]

During Ken Kutaragi's TGS keynote, the Sony Computer Entertainment leader stated that Mega Drive (Sega Genesis) and PC Engine (NEC TurboGrafx 16) games would be downloadable over the PS3 network. Game site WORTHPLAYING claims that Sega Japan has released a statement saying this option is still being considered and currently "under examination." The site unfortunately didn't provide any links to show where they got the info, so we've contacted Sega to see what the official word is. We'll keep you updated should we hear back. Brian Ashcraft

Update: The official word is currently a "no comment."

More Here [VGB]

Our very spunky part-time British bird Alice spotted an intriguing observation made by Rod over at Gaming Edge about Ken Kutaragi's TGS 06 keynote: it's almost point-for-point the same damn speech he delivered 6 years ago.

"We need an open system. Like an internet. People can have a first hand experience: the network world of the game has to be open to everyone."

"Sony has Sony's agenda. But (I) want a very open platform, equal for every person."

"For instance: for movies. You looked at the [..] you can jack in and watch the new world. We are very lucky to live in this era. We try to open the door for the future."

"You can communicate to a new cybercity. This will be the ideal home server. Did you see the movie 'The Matrix'? Same interface. Same concept. Starting from next year, you can jack into 'The Matrix'!"

The first in each set of quotes is from TGS this year. The other is from a press piece from 2000, prior to the PS2's launch

As good old Alice notes, "Naughty man. If only he could break out prices from 6 years ago too." Florian Eckhardt

Wait, it's 2006 - right? [Gaming Edge]

After some weird rumors of a "big" announcement coming out of Ken Kutaragi's TGS 2006 keynote, it has passed with stifling a yawn and feeling "blah" But there's still some pretty hysterical commentary in some of the other liveblogs that covered the event.

First of all, from the lovely Alice, who wrote some really withering remarks in her liveblog, this comment on Ken Kutaragi hating sequels:

Sony finished off with a little finger-wagging at the development community: "why so many sequels", Ken asked, having demo'ed Ridge Racer SEVEN, Virtua Fighter FIVE, Mobile Suit Gundam SIX (at least, if I'm not wrong) and Final Fantasy THIRTEEN. Innovation will come from users, or the power of the network, or by returning game designers to the creative process instead of having them out there photographing cars and landscapes for the next racing game.

And this off-the-cuff diss by the Eurogamer crew:

If you're wondering when Ken is actually planning on talking about games or anything remotely concrete or relevant to gamers, developers or anyone else - so are we!

Finally, from Joystiq:

During the keynote, the DS pictochat room that had fallen silent sprang to life as bored attendees decided to entertain themselves, since it was clear that Ken Kutaragi had no intention of doing so. After the keynote, we head the words "meltdown," "total disaster," and "trainwreck" bandied about the press room. This keynote was worse — way worse — than Sony's E3 showing.

You know, Sony, the second you guys stop fucking up every last details of your launch, we'll cover it. Keep us posted, okay, guys? Florian Eckhardt

Related: http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/tgs06/tgs06-liveblogging-kutaragis-keynote-202427.php

Tonight at Sony's press reception, the big wigs—Phil Harrison, Kaz Hirai, Ken Kutaragi—were on hand to answer questions and stand next to overexcited fanboys for photo ops. Oops. I meant to type "enthusiast press", not fanboys, sorry.

We talked to Ken Kutaragi tonight to see how he thought the PlayStation 3 was holding up.

He was super psyched about the delay in Europe. Seriously. His justification was that the number of games that will be available in Europe when the console launches will be so great that the Euros waiting an extra 4 months will forget all about the missed ship date.

Kutaragi also pretty much confirmed that we won't be seeing a comparative price drop in other territories. According to Ken, the Japanese pricing changes were merely an adjustment to keep the price inline with the market. He argued that the misconception that 1 dollar equals 1 euro equals 100 yen is not a fair comparison.

So keep saving, kids. The PlayStation 3 is looking better and better, but still expensive as all get out. Michael McWhertor

Makuhari Messe. International Conference Room. At a little before 10am. AND NO ONE IS HERE.

Well, no. That is not true. No one is in front of us. Not yet. The foreign press has been shoved to the back of the bus, leaving the front of the hall wide open to more important people. Mike just ran off to "fix the hairdo" before the keynote kicks off.

Oh. Wow. The section in front of us filled right up, right quick. Mike is back. They are limiting the press to only show 15 SECONDS of the keynote. That is it. You can film the whole thing, but only run 15 secs.

Mike here. I'm back from fixing my hair — another few hours and it'll be perfect. Now the struggle to use a Japanese Mac goes into full force. More Japanese press is streaming in. Not sure if that body odor is European or not, but it's super strong.

Brian is on his knees, snapping pics of the Weekly Famitsu hearthrob editor in chief and president of Enterbrain. We're in the same row. Maybe our seats aren't so ghetto after all.

It's now 10:03 AM. Kutaragi is now officially late.

Okay, this is bordering on rude. Maybe Sony is going to come out and announce that the keynote has been delayed until Spring 2007. They obviously don't realize we have a schedule; developers to interview, campaign girls to ogle, crappy food to eat.

There go the lights! It's on.

Kenny takes the stage. Good morning, Ken! He's thanking the CESA and talking about the PlayStation 3 launch, which will "open the eyes of the new generation of gamers".

They've brought 200 PS3's to the show.

He's inviting us to "feel" the PlayStation 3 while we're here. Eww. Brian just grabbed by bicep. Trailers are kicking in.

Ridge Racer 7. Looks hot. Looks 1080p, but don't quote me on that. Ships 11/11.

Now Sega's Virtua Fighter 5 gets the trailer treatment. Mobile Suit Gundam: Target In Sight is up next. Lots of bullets, lots of mecha, lots of building smashing.

The E3 trailer for Final Fantasy XIII kicks off. Still looks unbelievably (keyword: unbelievable) amazing.

The lights come up and Ken asks "How did you like that?". Not bad, Ken. Not bad.

Ken's talking about the history of the PlayStation and how computing power, memory capacity, and graphics capabilities have improved. He's quite pleased with himself. He's going on about the controller, the advances in controller interfaces, real time response with games and how that requires fast calculations.

He's making a big push on the capabilities of PC's. "There's a breakthrough that is almost upon us", he says. He's seriously namedropping Oracle and talking about networking and databases. C'mon, Ken! Show more video game trailers! He won't stop. Viruses, cell phones, blah blah blah. We want to see Devil May Cry 4!

What he's finally getting to is that we can use all of this data across a network to do things like pull real map and building data and use a controller to fly through them. He actually just said "if you look at the building permit data... the capabilities are enormous". He's talking about how that data could (is?) used in Ridge Racer 7. Instead of actually rebuilding maps based on real locations, he implies that developers will be able to use real map data to build tracks.

He says that that software is now available, that it will help developers eliminate costs for creating art and assets. Hypothetically, using a global mapping system, users can upload data to a world map. He says that pictures from a handycam can be uploaded to this system. "This is not a pipe dream. Not a pie in the sky."

Now he's going back to search engine functions, foresees personalized shopping, 120% accurate search results for individuals.

Gran Turismo is up for discussion. He's going on about, you guessed it, using real world map and landscape data to create locations like the Grand Canyon and Nurbering. Plus, information about cars themselves must also be collected and then transformed into something the PlayStation can understand. The GT slide says "After four long years in the making does the latest instalment [sic] of the Real Driving Simulator bring us one step closer to driving heaven? Try several hundred steps..." Okay.

He talks about opening up the PlayStation platform for developers. Not sure exactly what this means.

Now Ken moves on to the internet. Users will be able to upload, classify, share massive amounts of content. We now have the potential for massive digital distrubution of music, movies, and more.

Now we're going back in time, 12 years, to the original PlayStation. He talks about the manufacturing problems and cheap cost of using CD-ROM technology to store game data. Touches on the "long-tail" business model potential for the 15,000 original PS1 titles.

He just won't shut up about the network! Let's hope that Sony has their act together on the online gaming front, because if it doesn't live up to Live, it sounds like the business could shatter from within.

We're almost an hour in and Ken isn't slowing down.

Sounds like Ken is saying that users will be able to play PS1 and PS2 titles via emulation over the network, no physical optical media required. The translation is sketchy, but I swear they just said PC Engine games would be playable over the network. Again, don't quote me on that. Hopefully, Ken will get to the PowerPoint presentation soon.

Okay, he's going on more about the network in the form of the Folding@Home project.

Ken is about to wrap it up but is going to show us a video. Rhino Studios Afrika comes up. A grassy plain, followed by gorgeously rendered elephant herds, wildebeasts by the thousands, giraffes walking against the sunset. Hyenas! Zebras! Hippos! I am unnecessarily excited to be looking at digital wildlife. A rhino just charged the camera.

Holy crap. That cheetah looks photorealistic. It just took down some poor gazelle. Owned.

And... that's it. That's it? Huh.

Well, there's a Q&A session coming up, but we're off to interview developers. We'll have footage and reactions up later (a whole 15 seconds worth, but they'll be thrilling I'm sure). Bye!

With computer batteries recalled and the PLAYSTATION 3 pushed back in Europe, Sony's been having a tough time of late. The company's once revered manufacturing process seems to be, well, lacking. At last week's press conference announcing the delay of the company's next-gen console, Sony Computer Entertainment head Ken Kutaragi confronted these manufacturing setbacks of late head-on. He stated:

If you asked me if Sony's strength in hardware was in decline, right now I guess I would have to say that might be true.

This has to be one of the most refreshing things Kutaragi-san has ever stated publicly. More of this openness please, Sony. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Reuters UK]

For anyone who's ever had to the burning urge to fill notebooks with Nintendo President Satoru doodles, game site Go Nintendo points out how. Neat, but does anyone know how to draw Sony Computer Entertainment honcho Ken Kutaragi? Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Go Nintendo]

Sony Computer Entertainment czar Ken Kutaragi will be delivering the keynote at this year's Tokyo Game Show on September 22nd. Kutaragi's speech will be titled "The next-generation as created by the PlayStation 3." And what idiot said Sony was arrogant? Geez...

While Nintendo's Satoru Iwata pulled the Wii-mote out of his pocket during last year's TGS keynote, Kutaragi will most likely unveil launch titles, finalize pricing and explain how the PS3 is gaming in 4D or even 5D. Squre-Enix's Yoichi Wada will be giving another speech, and so will some dudes from Epic Games, but nothing they say will be half as zany as what tumbles out of Kutaragi's trap. This could be make or break for Sony. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Games Industry]

Worried about his gig running the S.S. Sony, captain Howard Stringer met with company shareholders and tried to alleviated concerns that Sony is effed beyond belief. According to site Next-Genartion, the bossman said, "We have entered a period of re-emergence." Continuing, Stringer said:

As of the year ending March 31, 2006, we are on target with all the tracking plans. If we deviate at all, we will make changes necessary to achieve those targets, recognizing there is a dynamic and competitive environment out there in which we operate.

Sony of late hasn't been doing so hot, losing US $578 million between January and March this year, which is actually worse that last year at the same period. The PS has been blamed for this downward skid. PlayStation boss Ken Kutaragi then said the company will sell 100 million PS3s, ate his necktie and then claimed to be Florence Nightingale reincarnated.

I kid about all except the necktie. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Next-Gen]

Dear Ken Kutaragi: please shut your stupid word hole. No one understands what you're talking about; Corky from Life Goes On made better business decisions than this in that episode where he had a high school career day interning on Wall Street for Gordon Gekko.

As the PlayStation 3 is a computer, we might even offer it on a built-to-order basis, customized to the needs of each and every user.

Yeah, thanks, K-Man, but I've already got a computer. And gee, won't the devs just love programming for a console with a sliding hardware standard?

He then goes on to say: "The world has underestimated our progress." This is the same progress that according to rumors has caused the PS3's specs to continue to slalom down the slippery slope of technological obsolescence.; the same progress that is causing PS3 to be a year late to the next-gen console wars and with only a million available at launch worldwide.

Ken Kutaragi: twelve cans short of a six pack. Florian Eckhardt

Sony President: "The World Has Underestimated Our Progress" [Gamernode]

This is really Ashcraft's territory, as he can just flip his brain into reading those insect-like Japanese cryptograms that so confound me, but he's not around. So I'm trusting the guys at Evil Avatar that this summary of a recent interview with Ken Kutaragi of Japan is more or less accurate. In the interview, Kutaragi said:

- games on PS3 are running on the PS3 with "basic configuration" - software will have different relationship with hardware (including non-gaming applications) in the future - software module will be made inside the PS3 (such as OS?) so PS3 will have no problem adopting new hardware parts (this doesn't mean you can upgrade but just different versions of PS3) - thus two models of PS3 are actually two different configurations, there might be other configurations in future, such as: enhanced version of CELL, more memory etc. The higher-end model of PS3 might be released in future.

Mind boggling. They are actually planning on techno-schisming the PS3's user base even more. The advantage of consoles over PCs from a development standpoint lies mainly in the fact that it's a stable platform with one real configuration. But Sony is basically approaching the PS3 like a computer... a move sure to frustrate developers as much as it confuses gamers.

Ken Kutaragi: Higher-End Playstation 3 Model in the Future [Evil Avatar]

Price setting is always a headache for us. No game machines are comparable to the PS3, which is neither a genuine game console, home electronics [product] nor a personal computer. It is a new kind of product...

[It will be] consumers who decide whether it's expensive or cheap. If a product offers charm, then buyers will be convinced.

Unfortunately, the last thing PS3 has right now is charm. For charm, look no further than the Wii. We're also confused by what he means by the statement that no game machines are comparable to the PS3? Price wise? Certainly. Graphics wise? The best anyone's said about the PS3's graphics capabilities is a pregnant pause followed by the words, "they're nice... I guess." Online capabilities? No one really knows what that entails yet. So he's basically saying no game machines compare to the PS3 because the PS3 is less a game console than a way to force Blu-Ray into a lot of people's homes. Too bad gamers care a lot less about Blu-Ray than they do about great games, pretty graphics and innovation.

Kutaragi defends PS3 price [Eurogamer] (Image from Be Confused)