Joystiq

Sony considers splitting the company after proposed IPO

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:30:00 EST

Sony executives are considering splitting the company's entertainment and electronics divisions, following billionaire Daniel Loeb's proposed initial public offering of its entertainment business. The entertainment arm includes all PlayStation properties, alongside Sony's film and music businesses.

Loeb, with Third Point LLC, owns a 6 percent stake in Sony worth $1.1 billion, and is Sony's biggest investor. Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai confirmed that the top brass is considering Loeb's offer, but didn't say when it would come to a decision, Bloomberg reports.

"It's only a start," Hirai said. "It's important that the board will discuss this and come to a decision that represents Sony's stance." Following Loeb's offer yesterday, Sony stock surged 9 percent.

Sony considers splitting the company after proposed IPO originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 May 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kaz Hirai drops some titles at Sony, still president

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 09:50:00 EST

One morning, Sony president and CEO Kaz Hirai woke up and said, "I probably have too many titles." Beyond being the president and CEO of Sony Corporation (the umbrella parent company of PlayStation, Bravia, and many other Sony brands), Hirai is also "representative director" and "chairman" - until today, that is. Hirai is relinquishing his responsibilities and titles for both his positions as representative director and chairman of Sony Corp.

Hirai is dropping both titles and responsibility in today's move, only remaining on Sony's board in a "part-time capacity." He became president and CEO earlier this year, taking over former CEO Howard Stringer's spot in early February. Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House is taking over the vacated chairman position, effective this month, and former Sony Corp. head Howard Stringer is also exiting his board seat.

In case the bizarre-looking hierarchy isn't clear enough, this means that Andrew House - the guy who runs the PlayStation brand - is the head of Sony Corp.'s board, followed by eight Japan-based Sony Corp. employees. One of those is his boss, Kaz Hirai. Yup.

Kaz Hirai drops some titles at Sony, still president originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony expects biggest loss ever, 10K laid off; games a pillar for future

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:30:00 EST

Sony announced today it would cut 10,000 jobs, approximately 6 percent of its global workforce, as it projects a loss of $6.4 billion for the fiscal year that ended in March. It will be the fourth straight year of losses for the company, which really needs to turn around its money pit TV business over the next two years.

"Sony will change. I've fully dedicated myself to changing Sony," said new CEO and President Kazuo Hirai to press today, as reported by USA Today.

Part of Hirai's turnaround efforts will be a fiscal pilates regimen, focused on strengthening the core businesses of mobile, digital imaging and gaming. The plan is for these groups to generate 70 percent of total sales for the company and 85 percent of income for the entire electronics business.

On the games front, the company plans to increase sales through PSN subscriptions and downloadable content, along with expanding the PlayStation Suite lineup and its compatible devices. For all of Sony's problems, the games division seems to be the least of its worries.

Sony expects biggest loss ever, 10K laid off; games a pillar for future originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony appoints Kaz Hirai to prez and CEO, replacing Sir Howard Stringer

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:50:00 EST

After a bout of he said / she said earlier this year over the possibility of executive deputy prez Kazuo Hirai becoming president and CEO of Sony Corp., Sony has decided to make the news official this morning. As of April 1, 2012, Kaz will step up to the job of current CEO Sir Howard Stringer, effectively kicking off two months of vacation for Stringer before he becomes chairman of the board of directors in June 2012.

"I look forward to helping Kaz in every way I can so that succession leads inevitably to success," Stringer said in the announcement press release. Kaz was ready with the back patting as well, as he said, "Challenging as times are for Sony now, were it not for the strong leadership of Sir Howard Stringer these past seven years, we would have been in a much more difficult position." Hirai is known for having lead Sony Computer Entertainment through its most successful years, as well as being the guy who says "Riiiiiiiidge Racer!" really enthusiastically.

Stringer's appointment to the board of directors in June awaits final approval during the annual shareholders meeting in June. If confirmed, he will replace retiring chairman Yotaro Kobayashi, though he will in no way match Kobayashi's totally sweet name.

Sony appoints Kaz Hirai to prez and CEO, replacing Sir Howard Stringer originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nikkei: Kaz Hirai stepping up as Sony president, Stringer staying on as chairman and CEO

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:35:00 EST

It's unfortunate, but it seems unlikely we'll be hearing Sony Computer Entertainment's current "executive deputy president" Kazuo Hirai regaling us with extended "Riiiiiiiiidge Racer!" shouts much more, as Nikkei is reporting he'll be taking over as president of Sony Corporation in the coming months. Current president, CEO and chairman Sir Howard Stringer will apparently be losing a third of his title to Kaz, and the move is expected "as soon as April," as translated by our bilingual cohorts at Engadget.

When Hirai was promoted to the deputy president role earlier this year, he became the heir apparent to Stringer's job as president, so it's not exactly an enormous surprise to hear this report. Sony had yet to confirm the news as of publishing, but Nikkei isn't exactly known for its false reporting. All the same, we've reached out for confirmation.

Update: Sony tells us it "Doesn't comment on rumor or speculation." Not exactly a denial, but take that as you will.

Nikkei: Kaz Hirai stepping up as Sony president, Stringer staying on as chairman and CEO originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony responds to Congress with open letter, suggests 'Anonymous' was responsible

JC Fletcher — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:21:00 EST

In response to a letter sent to Sony by the US House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, Sony's Kazuo Hirai sent an open letter detailing Sony's "principles" in dealing with the PSN outage and Sony/SOE data leaks. The full letter has been scanned and placed on Flickr for public view.

A PlayStation Blog post summarizes the content of the letter. According to Hirai, Sony has worked under the following four principles in dealing with the issue: "Act with care and caution, " "Provide relevant information to the public when it has been verified," "Take responsibility for our obligations to our customers," and "Work with law enforcement authorities."

In addition, the letter and post provide a timeline of the attack, including this early clue: "We discovered that the intruders had planted a file on one of our Sony Online Entertainment servers named 'Anonymous' with the words 'We are Legion.'" Despite that evidence, Sony still says it has yet to identify the "individual(s) responsible for the breach." It's unclear if that means Sony does not think the hacking organization known as Anonymous was responsible or, rather, if it hasn't managed to uncover the actual identities of Anonymous' ... err, anonymous contributors.

The "Welcome Back" program was also detailed, through which Sony is offering free downloads, and free PlayStation Plus memberships (and Qriocity access for those subscribers) lasting 30 days plus the length of the PSN outage.

Sony responds to Congress with open letter, suggests 'Anonymous' was responsible originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 May 2011 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSN 'welcome back program' includes a free download, 30 days free PlayStation Plus, Qriocity

JC Fletcher — Sun, 01 May 2011 00:50:00 EST

Notes handed out before a Sony press conference today (timed so conveniently at 1am EDT in the US, and noon on the Sunday of Golden Week in Japan) reveal that Sony plans to offer free downloads of unidentified "content," 30 days of free PlayStation Plus access to new and existing members, and 30 days of free Qriocity service. The paper also says that PSN service will be restored "soon."

Two days ago, a PlayStation Blog Q&A post mentioned that the company was considering a "goodwill gesture" to PSN users (and sure, why not Qriocity users too) put out by the two-week outage. The company will likely have to provide much more dramatic gestures to appease all the government organizations who have taken interest in the case (and, you know, that enormous data leak).

Follow along after the break for pseudo-liveblog coverage of the presentation by Kaz Hirai and other executives.

Continue reading PSN 'welcome back program' includes a free download, 30 days free PlayStation Plus, Qriocity

PSN 'welcome back program' includes a free download, 30 days free PlayStation Plus, Qriocity originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 May 2011 00:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hirai to address PSN security breach at 1 a.m. EDT

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST

Though we've been getting frequent updates from PlayStation Blog on the state of the recently intruded-upon PlayStation Network, one of the massive corporation's higher-ups is now planning to step forward to field some of our questions. According to Reuters, Sony Corp executive deputy president Kazuo Hirai is scheduled to address the media about the PSN outage and security breach in Tokyo tomorrow at 2 p.m. (1 a.m. EDT).

The predicament must be weighing heavy upon Hirai, who was promoted last month to a position meant to groom him for possibly inheriting the CEO seat from Howard Stringer. Then again, this might be the perfect opportunity for Hirai to set himself apart from the other contenders: If he singlehandedly manages to fix these problems using the ol' Hirai charms, he's a lock for the job.

Hirai to address PSN security breach at 1 a.m. EDT originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's Hirai: PlayStation Network not yet profitable

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST

Sony has yet to make the free-to-use PlayStation Network profitable, Sony's Kazuo Hirai told Reuters Japan. However, he expects the PSN to start making money in the following fiscal year. According to the report, PSN sales nearly doubled in the closing fiscal year, reaching 36 billion yen. Looking forward three years, Hirai expects revenue to increase nearly tenfold, to 300 billion yen.

In addition to increased game and video sales, it's likely PlayStation Plus -- Sony's premium content subscription service -- will contribute greatly to the overall profitability of the network. (Undoubtedly, Sony will want to closely replicate the success of Microsoft's competing Xbox Live service.) Sony has been monetizing the service in other ways as well, such as the extensive advertising partnerships featured in its original video programming.

Sony's Hirai: PlayStation Network not yet profitable originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's Hirai on the challenges of differentiating a PlayStation Phone and PSP 2

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:30:00 EST

Based on the rumors circulating on this here internet, Sony supposedly intends to release two handheld devices in 2011: the PlayStation Phone and the PSP2. Although both are multi-function gaming devices, the two seem to be taking very different approaches, which have many confused about the direction Sony intends on going. Even PlayStation's Kazuo Hirai admits this is a challenge, telling the New York Times that ''we don't want gamers to be asking, what's the difference between that and a PSP ... We have to come up with a message that users will understand." Of course, "that" being the rumored PlayStation Phone (Xperia Play?). While Hirai didn't offer an official confirmation of its existence, he did add that "it would have to be a product that keeps the PlayStation's strengths intact."

The chat also touched upon the successor to the PSP, and Hirai's candid comments seem to give light to what Sony has planned for its next-generation device. Most importantly, and unsurprisingly, it seems a touch mechanic will be implemented with Hirai admitting that "there are [games] where you can play perfectly well with a touch panel. But you can definitely play immersive games better with physical buttons and pads. I think there could be games where you're able to use both in combination.''

Earlier rumors suggested that PSP2 would feature some kind of touch-based "trackpad," and Hirai's comments seem to further cement that possibility. Could the next system really offer "early PS3 graphics"? And if so, what will the slogan be? "It Only Does Everything on the Go ... Except Make Calls, Which is What the PlayStation Phone Does Instead"?

Sony's Hirai on the challenges of differentiating a PlayStation Phone and PSP 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Sony looking for a new president, Hirai being considered

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:25:00 EST

According to Bloomberg, Sony Corp. is looking for a new heir apparent for its consumer electronics kingdom, and a familiar name is in the running. According to inside sources cited by the report, Sony is hoping to install a president to lighten the work load of (and eventually replace) acting CEO Howard Stringer; one of the names on the rumored short list is Sony Computer Entertainment president and CEO Kazuo Hirai. A Sony representative refused to comment on the story, but Stringer has stated his intent to stay on as CEO until March 2013.

According to the report, another potential replacement is current executive deputy president Hiroshi Yoshioka -- but we hope that if Sony does have to decide between these two parties, they take all the important factors into consideration. You know, factors like "which of these two guys does Joystiq have more memes prepared for?" Using that metric, the choice is crystal clear.

Report: Sony looking for a new president, Hirai being considered originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hirai claims when all is said and done, PS3 will reign supreme

Nick Doerr — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, Videos and Screenshots, News

It appears Sony is getting excited -- Kaz Hirai made a statement recently boasting the PS3's upcoming success this generation. Overtaking the Wii and Xbox 360 is within Sony's grasp, when looked at through the telescopic lens of the "ten year life cycle". In a video interview with the BBC, he talks up this point as well as some of the trials and tribulations of creating the PS3, the launch, what's to come later this year, and challenges or hurdles he expects Sony and the PS3 to overcome in the near future. It's pretty interesting to watch a sit down chat with Kaz, so be sure to check it out and let us know your opinions.

Hirai claims when all is said and done, PS3 will reign supreme originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 May 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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