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Timothy Bender joins SCEA as senior VP of sales
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Aug 24th 2009 at 4:30PM } 
Raise a glass -- or two -- in celebration of Livescribe and LeapFrog veteran Timothy Bender, who has just been appointed to the role of Senior Vice President of Sales for Sony Computer Entertainment America. Assuming he does an excellent job overseeing sales and merchandising initiatives for the PlayStation brand across North America, Bender can look forward to having his presumably dull, non-metallic posterior smooched by everyone but company CEO Jack Tretton.Jack still had some nice things to say, though! "Tim brings a proven ability in growing strong consumer brands and building deep relationships with his team and the retail community," he said, quite nicely. "As we approach one of our most aggressive holiday seasons and a truly exciting future for all our product platforms, we are confident that Tim's great leadership skills and contributions will help drive continued sales and market momentum for the PlayStation brand."
In other news, SCEA's accountant and bad posture poster child, Timothy Tredame, has expressed disappointment upon learning that the Timothy Bender everyone was talking about wasn't a playful euphemism for that office chiropractor he's been hounding human resources about forever.
Tretton dismisses PS3 price cut talk
by David Hinkle { Jul 8th 2009 at 11:30AM }
Sony's Jack Tretton isn't keen on all of this PS3 price cut jibber jabber. During an interview with Fast Company, the Sony bigwig mentioned that the goal of the company is long term, and not in the short term. "People are having short-term thinking – the platform is not even three years old. It was $599; it's now $399," he said. Tretton further emphasized Sony's 10-year goal with the system, and said that a price cut alone wouldn't net Sony the customers it wants. "The focus on pricing is something we appreciate, but you have to have the conviction and the confidence that you are on the right path for the long term and ultimately you'll get all the consumers you want. You won't get them all day one, but we're looking to get them over a 10-year period. It's going to take different things to get different consumers."
Tretton also talked about how Sony could've just pumped out a PS2.5 for a much cheaper price, but the system wouldn't have had the technology to sustain itself at retail for long. The PS3 is obviously very different. It has the Blu-rays, the gigglebites of storage, and the most important thing: the shiniest finish imaginable. That's what really counts.[Via MCV]
Call the waah-mbulance: Tretton talks PSP Go leaks
by David Hinkle { Jun 12th 2009 at 6:15PM }
Sony's Jack Tretton is a pretty upset guy. Before last week's E3, two major surprises were spoiled for Sony, in the PSP Go and The Last Guardian leaks. That's made Tretton somewhat bitter -- as one would expect -- and he's told CNBC that the industry needs to do a better job of keeping a lid on it."People don't respect confidentiality in this industry," said Tretton, who is now concerned for the future of his company down the line, where he sees leaks once again beating Sony to its own news. "You have to prepare for people to know things in advance. The frustrating thing is they only know a part of the story and that opens up a lot of conjecture and misinformation that ultimately waters down the reality when you roll it out."
Sure, it's tough, but it's all part of the game (sorry!). If Sony is so concerned with the confidentiality of who it trusts with this information, then it needs to do a better job of policing leaks and encouraging silence. To us, it's as simple as that.
Tretton says PS3 motion controller can work with existing games
by Andrew Yoon { Jun 12th 2009 at 2:46PM }
In fact, Tretton goes so far as to say compatibility with current PS3 games is "absolutely conceivable." Without being able to go hands-on with the device, it's hard to judge. Are there sufficient buttons and sticks to make a 1:1 translation between DualShock and the motion controllers? While it's certainly possible, we can't see many gamers throwing out their DualShock controllers any time soon.
Tretton: PS3 sales 30% better than expected, warns of shortages
by Alan Tsang { Oct 2nd 2008 at 11:45AM }
Speaking to Reuters, Jack Tretton said that they have no plans to alter their sales targets for this year, despite the economic downturn. PlayStation 3 sales, in particular, we better than what Sony expected. In fact, they are around 30% better than projected and 100% higher than last year, the SCEA president disclosed. Therefore, the 10 million unit target set earlier this year is predicted to be met by the end of the fiscal year. There might even be shortages, warns Tretton, which might affect sales. "I'd say we are able to meet somewhere between 80-90 percent demand, based on how things are trending,"
The PSP is doing just dandy as well. Sony hopes to have 15 million units sold by the end of the year and the sales numbers are currently 20-30% higher than what they expected. Finally, Tretton reiterated the value provided by the PS3, especially with consumers watching what they are spending, will lead to strong sales "The entertainment value ... with PlayStation 3 compares very favorably to other entertainment choices."
Sony's Reeves talking up FFXIII exclusivity in Japan
by Randy Nelson { Aug 26th 2008 at 9:00PM }
When we spoke with SCEA president Jack Tretton during E3 about Final Fantasy XIII going multiplatform in the US, he was quite frank about the impact the game's PS3 exclusivity in Japan would (or wouldn't) have for the company. "Seeing as there isn't that big of a [PS3] installed base in Japan, I don't know how big of a coup that is for us," he admitted.
Across the Atlantic, Sony Europe boss David Reeves seemingly gets his Japanese PS3 sales figures broken down by individual components. Speaking with VG247 during last week's Leipzig Games Convention, Reeves said, "I think that just as we got a massive blip up with GTA IV – which was not exclusive – we'll get exactly the same blip up with Final Fantasy," adding that, "I know [FFXIII] will look great on PS3 and – it's up to Microsoft to clarify this – it's still exclusive in Japan."
While we're still betting on higher sales of the PS3 version over the 360 release domestically, it really seems as if Reeves is living in the mid- to late-1990s, when Japan was still SCEI's most important territory. Times have changed, Sir.
[Update: Corrected a Sony exec mix-up. They're all the same to us, you know.]
Across the Atlantic, Sony Europe boss David Reeves seemingly gets his Japanese PS3 sales figures broken down by individual components. Speaking with VG247 during last week's Leipzig Games Convention, Reeves said, "I think that just as we got a massive blip up with GTA IV – which was not exclusive – we'll get exactly the same blip up with Final Fantasy," adding that, "I know [FFXIII] will look great on PS3 and – it's up to Microsoft to clarify this – it's still exclusive in Japan."
While we're still betting on higher sales of the PS3 version over the 360 release domestically, it really seems as if Reeves is living in the mid- to late-1990s, when Japan was still SCEI's most important territory. Times have changed, Sir.
[Update: Corrected a Sony exec mix-up. They're all the same to us, you know.]
Sony is disappointed, but unsurprised, by the FFXIII announcement
by Nick Doerr { Jul 17th 2008 at 4:45PM }
[Via CVG]
SCEA's Jack Tretton on BC, DRM and Home
by Alan Tsang { Jul 17th 2008 at 3:00PM }
Our friends over at Engadget sat down to talk with SCEA CEO Jack Tretton, who questioned him about things on just about every PS3 owner's mind. Regarding backwards compatibility, Tretton saw the lack of it as a way to cut production costs, and even though implementing BC isn't particularly expensive, the company wants to be "selling PS2 software to PS2 customers, and selling PS3 software to PS3 consumers." He does express some hesitation about this though. "I would like to have had it in there, but Sony's collective strategy determined we could afford to lose it. We've now gone down that road, and we're not going back."With the new PS Store video service, some were dismayed to find that their video purchases could not be transferred to anything except for their PSP. Tretton feels this is absolutely necessary and that it " is way too hard a business to make money in to allow people to own multiple copies for the price of one." He's "all for allowing an individual consumer having the freedom to do with their content what they want," but Sony has no plans to remove the current restrictions.
As for Home, the problems are arising because of "the disconnect of when Sony took Home out of the creative minds and put it the hands of business minds..." Tretton would rather have Home ready at a much later time with good content, than open it now as "some ghost town." Read the rest of it here.
Sony: PSP software sales hurt by quality, piracy
by Randy Nelson { Jul 16th 2008 at 7:30PM }
Answer one is the most praising of the handheld. "Multimedia functionality," Tretton says. "There are more things to do with it, so you're not just turning it on to play games, which isn't the case with the DS."
The next one caught us off guard. "Quality of games," Tretton confides. "People will go out and buy a God of War or a SOCOM," he remarks, "but they're not necessarily as interested in buying a PS2 port." So ... people like good games that are original for PSP. Luckily there are some on the way.
Tretton says the "third and almost biggest reason as of late" is piracy. "We have been able to track with releases like God of War that hundreds of thousands of units in potential sales are walking out the door through piracy on day one," he reveals. PSP Fanboy reported on this back in March.
So, is there a solution is in the cards? Tretton says that Sony "has remedies moving forward," but that they won't help with systems already on the market, adding: "That machine is already out there." That machine? Is there a new pirate-proofed PSP revision on the way? Is that even possible? Doesn't Sony realize how popular pirates are these days?
Sony CEO blames piracy for low software sales
by Andrew Yoon { Jul 16th 2008 at 7:30PM }
Tretton told us that "we have been able to track with releases like God of War that hundreds of thousands of units in potential sales are walking out the door through piracy on day one. We knew exactly that only a few months ago. Unforutnately, there isn't much to do for pirates that are already getting their way. Millions of systems are already out there .. but there are "remedies" coming down the line. Perhaps a growing library of DRM-enabled downloadable titles will help Sony's cause. But for now, the situation looks rather bleak.
Sony 'disappointed' by FFXIII for 360 announcement
by Randy Nelson { Jul 16th 2008 at 5:00PM }
"Am I disappointed by it? Yes," Tretton told us, adding: "Am I surprised by it? No." He was quick to stress that the game remains a PS3 exclusive in Japan, but that "seeing as there isn't that big of a [PS3] installed base in [there], I don't know how big of a coup that is for us."
Speaking to the concept of paying third parties for exclusives, Tretton said that Sony has "invested so much money in the [PS3] hardware" that it simply "can't write checks for exclusive software."
Echoing statements made by Sony Worlwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida prior to E3, Tretton said that Sony's is more focused on exclusive titles from its own teams. "You've got to create platform-defining franchises that you own," he said. "It's the only way you're going to guarantee exclusivity going forward."
Jack Tretton talks about the PS3 'disaster' (and Home beta)
by Andrew Yoon { Dec 17th 2007 at 7:00PM }
SCEA boss Jack Tretton is a man with a plan. In a lengthy Q&A with Dean Takahashi, he says that in spite of all the bashing the PS3 has received in its first year, he's confident of his plan. Takahashi used the word "disaster," to wish Tretton replied: "If we have 67 percent growth over last year in our revenue, and if 45% of all software sold is on our three platforms, I'll take that kind of disaster all year long."Many criticize PS3 for its Swiss Army Knife approach to electronics. But ultimately, the PS3 is a gaming machine -- something Tretton is quick to reiterate. "I think gaming is always going to be the key. The platform that's perceived to have the best games, the most innovative games, is going to be first and foremost. And then I think the value proposition. I don't think it's all about price. I think a lot of it has to do with value: what are you getting for the money that you're spending, and is that of interest to you. And I think price matters, but not price for the sake of price."
Finally, when asked when the general public can play with the delayed Home, the SCEA boss offered a vague timeline. It's been continuously pushed, so we won't be too surprised if we're still talking about Sony's online offering at the same time next year. "Sure, we're looking to do a beta in the first quarter of calendar 2008. And then we're not 100 percent sure on when the full-blown release will be in terms of an actual date, but obviously following the ... data."
Read the complete Q&A here.
[Thanks, Terry C.!]
Tretton: 'Not appropriate' for publishers to suggest hardware price cuts
by Ludwig Kietzmann { Dec 17th 2007 at 3:10PM }
Jack Tretton thinks publishers should be a tad more considerate before they start suggesting console price cuts all willy nilly. Last month, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick envisioned $199 price tags for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, labeling it a necessary step for both manufacturers' march across the mainstream moat. "Well, I think from an unrealistic standpoint, I'm never surprised by that, because a software manufacturer may not be concerned whether a hardware manufacturer is successful or whether they're profitable," said the CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America. "But I think they should be, because without the hardware manufacturer, the software manufacturer has nothing to publish on."Tretton went on to tell The Mercury News that he would never "suggest what software publishers should price their software at," thinking it equally inappropriate for them to put a price on hardware. The point is certainly valid, but it misses the fact that both parties require each other to be successful. It's a nasty Catch-22 the PS3 currently and very visibly finds itself in: Software publishers need an audience to purchase their multi-million dollar games, and hardware manufacturers need said multi-million dollar games to attract hardware buyers. Until the situation finds better balance, you can expect more shoddy PS3 ports and fewer Uncharted gems.
Though Bobby Kotick's heart was in the right place (his wallet), Tretton thinks a change in perspective would do him some good. "I don't know, maybe he should design a platform." Hey now, let's not give the Activision Blizzard behemoth any crazy ideas!
[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Tretton describes PS3 as "short term sacrifice, long term gain"
by Nick Doerr { Dec 3rd 2007 at 11:00PM }
The strong arm of SCEA, Jack Tretton, sat down for an interview with MSNBC oddly enough and talked about Sony's strategy for the PS3 in the coming year. We actually move away from food analogies this time and get right into sports, as Jack explains the first year of the PS3 like "the first inning of a nine-inning baseball game ... You're not going to win many baseball games if you panic when you're down 1-0 in the first inning." He talks at length about the price cut of the PS3 and how it has boosted sales significantly, upcoming exclusive titles, and other stuff we've heard many times before.
As for whether or not Tretton thinks consumers are ready for high-definition broadband-enabled consoles, he thinks that no, not every consumer is going to be able to take advantage of the PS3's many functions right away, but that's fine, he says. The system is designed to last a decade and by that time, everyone will love what the black monolith has to offer. Tretton also notes there is a learning curve consumers need to be aware of when buying consoles anymore -- it's not just a purchase, plug, and play scenario anymore.
One final note -- he talks about the Sony "arrogance" that has been construed around the internet and says that they aren't actually arrogant, rather, bloggers and press ran the idea around so much that it started to stick with people and, well, perspective plays its role. Something along those lines.
Tretton admits to 'missteps' in PS3's first year
by Alexander Sliwinski { Dec 3rd 2007 at 9:25PM }
With the PlayStation 3 having recently celebrated its first birthday, Sony Computer Entertainment America's CEO Jack Tretton had a little discussion with MSNBC over what could kindly be called, "The Year of Issues." Tretton explained that the PS3 would be in a better place today if more units were available at launch, noting that demand was strong but tough to satisfy due to Blu-ray diode production problems. The hype of the launch also faded very quickly as Tretton became famous for making the delusional "$1200 quote" in February (without a lick of irony).Although he believed the launch to be "the biggest disappointment for the last year," he drew attention to that old-faithful: the 10-year product lifecycle. Sony's had 10 good years with both the PS1, the PS2 is getting up there, and he expects nothing less with the PS3. With a price cut and some desirable titles out the door, things look to get better (with fewer "missteps") in year two.
[Via GameDaily]
