Kutaragi officially retires from Sony

The writing was on the wall after the horrible PS3 launch.

Today marks the day that Sony becomes a threat to Microsoft again...

Guy did a lot for gaming, we need more people like him to push the industry forward.

A poster boy for the pitfalls of corporate arrogance.

See ya, Ken. You will not be missed.

How do you screw up a brand like Playstation?

He's been planning retirement for a while? Ah, no wonder he quickly got more crazy than ever.

He's going to "focus on content". So he's going to be a game play tester? :o)

he still has my respect

There's a feature out there on Ken Kutaragi. Some of you should read it before you pass judgment on "Krazy Kutaragi", thanks.

Here you go.

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=75805

I personally don't think Sony, or Ken, has done that much for gaming. They have and they haven't, I guess.

All they really did was make a system with an identical controller to Nintendo's SNES and used their superior CD format and marketed it, like Sega, as a cooler brand. I think Nintendo's arrogance had more to do with that working out than Sony's ingenuity. I mean, they just copied Nintendo and it worked.

Same with the PS2. Give a controller that is a direct derivative of the gameplay style Nintendo put forward, embrace the newest storage space, and pop out the system.

The systems themselves did a lot for gaming by building huge install bases that allowed for risky and unique games to be made without fear of total bankruptsy by the companies making them. But it wasn't like Sony ever came up with some new idea that made a big difference in the way we play games. Some of the development companies that they own certainly did, and I'll give them that.

Honestly, am I missing anything? Nintendo basically invented every console controller feature that we use today. Shoulders, triggers, square placed face buttons, d-pad, analogs, etc. They weren't always the first to use it, but the last to use it really effectively before another console maker took it up. Sony came up with analogs also being a button, I guess.

With MS, they brought PC advantages into a centerpiece position on consoles. They made online big with their system and it has carried over into Sony's. They pushed the hard-drive thing as well. And they were the first to do downloadable games and demos in the console arena. Basically, they just took PC things and brought them to consoles, while retaining what advantages consoles have. Not real innovative, but at least took some vision. And please, don't "correct" me by pointing out that Dreamcast had some kind of online or whatever. Nobody used it.

Good riddance.

One addition to my way to long above post. Don't take that thing the wrong way. The PS2 was easily by far my favorite system last gen and the PS1 was tied the previous gen. I love Sony consoles even though the PS3 doesn't have anything worth playing yet. I don't want to sound like a fanboy, though I certainly do have preferences that change every generation depending on my tastes and what a company puts out.

It is just that I don't feel Sony brought much "new" to gaming. I have always felt like they were a company that took what other people came up with and improved upon it or tweaked it slightly.

Maybe he should work with Nintendo again...

"Nintendo basically invented every console controller feature that we use today. Shoulders, triggers, square placed face buttons, d-pad, analogs, etc. They weren't always the first to use it, but the last to use it really effectively before another console maker took it up. Sony came up with analogs also being a button, I guess."

Why is it that when Nintendo COPIES something it's always new and innovative but when other companies use it it's stealing? This double standard really annoys me.

@cc123

Because Nintendo always is the first who take a risk and use those features in an expanden way.

Next PSP you will see that is going to use touchscreen and the PS4 and Xbox 720 will use motion and pointer, doing what Nintendo do, as always.

@cc123

The Wii and DS are the only game devices who are actually innovative. PSP, PS3 and 360 the only think who did is increase the raw power (Nintendo can do that, but Nintendo take a risk with the touchscreen and motion controls and pointer capabilities, and its working)

To clarify my point look at what you did here.

You give Nintendo credit for: "They weren't always the first to use it, but the last to use it really effectively before another console maker took it up."

And then take it away from Sony for: "It is just that I don't feel Sony brought much "new" to gaming. I have always felt like they were a company that took what other people came up with and improved upon it or tweaked it slightly."

Basically you applaud Nintendo and look down at Sony when you just described the exact same thing. How does this make sense?

@Rocker

"The Wii and DS are the only game devices who are actually innovative."

This not only just YOUR opinion but also very retarded. I don't see replacing a button press with shaking a controller as that innovative.

Oh and Rocker no offense but after seeing try to argue that Sony stole DOWNLOADING from MS a while ago I wouldn't trust your opinion on a potato let alone a video game console.

@cc123

"I don't see replacing a button press with shaking a controller as that innovative."

So, why the PS3 put mediocre motion capabilities on the Sixaxis? In your opinion (past posts), the PS3 is the best console ever, the most inovative... so, if they put motion capabilities, is becasuse is a good thing

@cc123

"Oh and Rocker no offense but after seeing try to argue that Sony stole DOWNLOADING from MS a while ago I wouldn't trust your opinion on a potato let alone a video game console."


When I said that???

Fernando,

How do you feel about russets? Yukon golds?

^__^

"In your opinion (past posts), the PS3 is the best console ever, the most innovative"

I've never said this. But yes I do prefer my PS3 to the other consoles.

And the tilt sensor was added to the controller for retarded marketing purposes. I have yet to see it used in a meaningful way. Matter of fact the PS3 controller is my least favorite part of the whole system.

@Rocker

"When I said that???"

A couple of weeks ago. I remember cause I called you on it and you kept going with it. Also because it was one of dumbest things I ever heard on here.

lol @ 23 =)

Hey! Try to stay on topic here. This is a post about saying goodbye to a minor genius who went on to become a raving madman. You gotta respect that. I will miss his outlandish remarks, but, can't say that I will miss him as a person.

Ken Kutagari one of the most influence man i gaming industry we will miss you a lot, you leave a big mark in the gaming world; thanks for your hard work.........

@ Grindstone

True. True.

@topic.

Ken is a brilliant engineer and a PR nightmare. I'll miss his crazy ass.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=24620

there was a lot going wrong within Sony's game division, and the PS3 is the result.

having the architect of the PS3 retire(d) before the console's first birthday is all the proof you could ever ask from Sony. things have been a mess over there, and they've only recently started trying to fix it.


.

@ cc123

Do you have Sony bed sheets? I'm asking seriously.

Only somebody with their head stuck in the sand or with very little knowledge of the games industry would claim that Sony is even in the same league as Nintendo when it comes to innovation. Notice I said innovation and not invention. N didn't invent touch screen or motion sensing tech but they were the first to bring them to mainstream gaming along with countless other features.

Sony brought 'cool' to gaming, whatever that is and not a great deal else. The PS 1 & 2 played host to amazing game libraries due largely to 3rd parties but the machines themselves were pretty generic & uninspired. Excluding the odd feature like the Eyetoy Sony has pretty much watched for what N has brought to the table the last couple of gens and simply copied. You can delude yourself and believe that Sony intended to include motion controls in SIXAXIS before N announced the Wii or that they started development on their gesture based bowling game before Wii Sports was unvieled but your only fooling yourself.

Farewell to Kutaragi and his madness.

"I don't see replacing a button press with shaking a controller as that innovative."

You, like many people, are ignoring the distinction between motion sensing device and pointing device. I'll be the first to agree that the Wii's motion sensing is overrated. However, IMO, the key to the Wii and DS is not the motion sensing but the fact that they are dedication gaming systems that feature robust general-purpose pointing devices.

Now they're obviously not the first pointing devices to be used in games: PCs have mice, various systems have had light guns, and PalmOS had portable stylus-driven touchscreen games. So, yes, this may not strictly qualify as innovative either. But it's no less innovative than Sony or MS, and frankly, my main point is really just this:

I'm getting really tired of people thinking the Wii is all about motion-sensing while completely ignoring the vastly more important IR pointing.

@BiggerBoat

Thats what I wanted to say but my limited english dont let me write that way (can read english like 90%, but I cant write it very well) =(

@BiggerBoat

Jesus Christ it's like some Nintendo virus in you ppl. Apparently your estimation of how innovative something is depends on if it gets accepted by the mainstream: "N didn't invent touch screen or motion sensing tech but they were the first to bring them to mainstream gaming along with countless other features."

Using that logic Sony kills Nintendo since the PS1 and PS2 brought gaming into the mainstream. Oh and btw I was playing games on my touchscreen Ipaq waaaaay before the DS came out.

"You can delude yourself and believe that Sony intended to include motion controls in SIXAXIS before N announced the Wii or that they started development on their gesture based bowling game before Wii Sports was unvieled but your only fooling yourself."

Did you even read what I wrote or are you just responding for the sake of responding? Here I'll quote myself: "And the tilt sensor was added to the controller for retarded marketing purposes. I have yet to see it used in a meaningful way. Matter of fact the PS3 controller is my least favorite part of the whole system."

I love how they won't fire you in japan, instead they demote you to 'chief of sanitation and carpet shampooing' so that you quit hahah.

Motion controls were out LONG before the Wii had them. Yeah, the first successful launch of a motion control based console, but the subtle fact that it was only $250 AND came with a game was really appealing.

And Sony made gaming what it is right now. Without them, the industry wouldn't have zoomed ahead like it did. Maybe it's just popular to hate Sony right now.

Jacking into the matrix, 4D gaming... I'll miss the poor bastard :(

Na na na na
Na na na na
Hey ey ey
Goodbye~

Dont let the door knob hit yo ass on the way out lmao

Well, True that he may of brought alot of good things world of gaming in general. He also brought negative things along the way too. I believe in him stepping down will open up new and evolving change to the gaming industry. I couldnt be more happier about this not because some one is finally stepping down but seeing this as a welcome opportunity for someone to further shape the world of gaming for tommorrow. This is definitely a breath of fresh air for Sony and the Playstation brand name.

Sayonara, Kutaragi. *waves*

@ cc123
"Using that logic Sony kills Nintendo since the PS1 and PS2 brought gaming into the mainstream. Oh and btw I was playing games on my touchscreen Ipaq waaaaay before the DS came out."

Well before the PS1 came out the Gameboy had moved 70 million units, & the NES 60 mill so I think it's safe to say that gaming was already mainstream before either one of your examples released so I dont see where you're going with this point. The PS 1 & 2 sold more but is that particularily surprising consisering the VG market generally grows with each new gen? Also considering the average gamer wouldn't know what the Ipaq is I dont see how it or it's software can be seen to have penetrated mainstream gaming.

"Did you even read what I wrote or are you just responding for the sake of responding? Here I'll quote myself: "And the tilt sensor was added to the controller for retarded marketing purposes. I have yet to see it used in a meaningful way. Matter of fact the PS3 controller is my least favorite part of the whole system.""

Whether you like motion in the SIXAXIS is neither her nor there, I used it as an example of Sony's continued strategy of copying it's competitor's homework before class.

Fernando, why do you even keep trying?

BiggerBoat, due... seriously. Do you really want to be lumped in with that train of thought? Who made it first isn't as applicable as who made it popular?

And I really, really, REEEEAAAALLLLLYYYY have to put this Sixaxis thing to bed.

Here is a patent filed by Sony in 1999 (predating Kirby's Tilt n Tumble).

http://v3.espacenet.com/textdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=JP11099284&F=0&QPN=JP11099284

So... yeah... take that how you will.

No doubt he will receive a pension of FIVE HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE US DOLLARS a week.

*is shot*

@BiggerBoat

You just tried to discredit the impact that the PS1 had by showing the NES numbers. Lets look at all the the numbers for that time:

Consoles sold LTD(millions):
NES: 61.9
SNES: 49

N64: 32.93
PS1: 102.5

Do you notice that huge dip in console sales between NES and SNES??? Then the huge numbers that the PS1 pulled???

"The PS1 & 2 sold more but is that particularily surprising consisering the VG market generally grows with each new gen?"

PS1 pulled gaming out of the direction it was going. If you really think those number are "standard growth" then you are a fucking retard and I'm done responding to your posts.

@Abscissa

"I'm getting really tired of people thinking the Wii is all about motion-sensing while completely ignoring the vastly more important IR pointing."

I completely agree with this. I think the best feature on the Wii is the IR pointing that you bring up.

All I know is that without the Playstation, gaming still would've been confined purely to kids and nerds, gaming characters like the GTA cast, Sam Fisher, Lara Croft and Marcus Fenix all replaced by generic Gex/Bubsy/Ristar Mario-wannabe cartoon characters.

People take the 16-35 male demographic and the M-rated game for granted today, but the Playstation did a lot to make them a reality for games.

it's sad (and telling) that all this talk about the importance of the Playstation brand is all in past tense.



.

Wow... was post #12 a fake Jake? I don't think I've ever seen Jake post anything that far off base before.

@ cc123

yes; but you must look at it another way

that 62 million that the NES pulled was 90% of the console take at the time (the two competitors only sold 6 million units between them)

that 49 million of the SNES was only 54% of the console take (about 90 million total sold

The PS1's 100 million was 2/3 of the console market (150 million)
The PS2's 100 million was still 2/3 of the console market (150 million)

you have to look at the market leaders as total marketshare. If Someone had netted 90% of last-gen market, they would've sold 135 million units

Oh, and I also feel that Kutaragi's only truly genius contribution was the PSX, it was apparently developer heaven with an easy-to-use CPU, especially compared to what other CD-based systems were offering at the time

Sony's decision to use optical media at all allowed them to defeat the N64 and Jaguar

The PS2 was really nothing special, sub-average specs that wasn't nearly as easy to code for, its genius was the inclusion of DVD (allowing them to beat non-DVD Dreamcast and GC) and Sony's marketing's ability to drum up publisher support from all regions (allowing them to beat Xbox)