What we should expect from Kaz Hirai
by Nick Doerr 
{ May 1st 2007 at 8:00PM }
Already being hailed as the anti-Kutaragi (not against-Kutaragi, but antithesis-Kutaragi), Kaz Hirai has some big shoes to fill as the new CEO later this year -- big shoes to take some big steps towards success with the PlayStation 3. We'll highlight some of what's expected from Hirai from this impressively competent article from Business Week.- He's affable and articulate -- he's expected to shift Sony from a Japanese empire to a global organization.
- He's great at getting ties with distributors, game developers, etc. Hopefully he can score some exclusive titles with his... personality.
- Kutaragi demanded to be in complete control, wanted to answer everything himself. Hirai is set up to be a better listener and be more pleasurable to work with.
- Hirai isn't as technologically savvy as Kutaragi and hasn't even dealt with the main Japan office that much. He's a stranger to many at Sony. As Business Week said, "that's both an opportunity and a risk".
- Hirai recently said "that he had separated strategic planning from daily decision-making and had given regional heads more responsibility over console shipments, inventories, and new game titles." Hopefully this will keep people in-touch and not alienate anyone from the PlayStation 3's progress.
Will Kaz be able to bridge the gap between the PS3 and the competition? We'll find out in due time, but as smart and influential as Kutaragi was, it is a different business model nowadays and Hirai seems to more accurately and appropriately reflect that. Let's just hope the world is ready for a new leader behind Sony.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kingofwale @ May 1st 2007 8:05PM
># He's great at getting ties with distributors, game developers, etc. Hopefully he can score some exclusive titles with his... personality.
That to me is the most important aspect of his hiring, Let's go buddy-buddy with the developers.
Kutaragi is a GREAT visionary, but like all visionary, he's way ahead of his time and his idea is just...not affordable.
Naaiif @ May 1st 2007 8:07PM
I miss Krazy Ken...
KILLU @ May 1st 2007 8:42PM
yyup this is the start of the life baby, shampane flowin G like he skys, money raining like a dar thunders Torm in a rainforest, games poring everywhere like us A,s suage line connected to one ending, ps3 being sold 4 like babys, and happy gamers eveywher witha ps3 killing each other online ofcourse, more GAME TRAILER of games for us thanks to the new boss. hail ps3.
8/1/2007
John @ May 1st 2007 9:30PM
I think this is a good move, as I expect Kaz Hirai will have a better head for strategic relationships, for control and connections issues, for the multiple dynamics required of this position.
Ken still has a chair seat, so he still gets to be a visionary, which is what he was always best at.
One of Ken's strong talents was future-proofing things. The PS1 was the first to really focus on 3d gaming as a priority, the ps2 had the two 'baby cell' extra processors that have allowed a 300 Mhz machine to stay in the game this long. And we all know about the Cell.
My only concern might be that Kaz would be more likely to cave to pressure and 'cheapen' things in order to get something to market quicker, or to manufacture more easily.
However, this isn't very likely as the biggest cost to the ps3 was blu-ray and that's not happening again.
I expect the next Playstation will be flash-drive based, and hopefully so will the next Xbox. While flash will be the next hard-to-afford item, if both systems use it (and I wonder what Nintendo will do-- blu-ray, when it's nice and cheap? hee hee), the competition/difference between systems will be less. This shows a strange scenario, because if the two systems are so similar, will it simply be a matter of choosing a Dodge over a Chevy (or vice versa)? The only thing that will differentiate will be exclusive games and we all see where that's going.
If playstation goes for shared computing and can get games that are more intricate because of network computing, they may have a lead on xbox, but xbox could do the same.
Not sure where all this is going, but I don't see a huge differentiation in the future between these two systems. And I wonder if Nintendo will do what they're doing now, or are they storing all that money they're making (and they ARE making it) and come out with something to beat Sony AND Xbox?
THAT would be interesting.
fwacce @ May 1st 2007 9:56PM
Where is my KILLU to ENGLISH Dictionary...
Arno @ May 1st 2007 10:43PM
Maybe he can suck off the board of directors at EA for some exclusives. Hahaha, I would expect nothing less from Sony.
shase @ May 2nd 2007 2:15PM
I think Kaz will do a better job than Ken. One thing from gamer's pov is that I "see" him a lot more in interviews and that is a +. While I never seen a Ken interview posted. If the reason that Ass Creed lost exclusivity because of Ken's delay (not $$$ from MS) then i think Kaz will be able to prevent further delay of response from now on. Plus he speaks english pretty well so i think there wont be any translators around and easier to coomunicate. (not saying Ken doesnt know english but i never seen him in an interview before).