Ken Kutargi has long been named the "father of PlayStation," and that name has earned him a growing number of accolades. Most recently, he's been added to the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame. He'll join other notable inductees, such as the team that developed the first mobile phone and the "father of DVD." Not a bad list of people to join.

With over 200 million PlayStation-branded systems sold worldwide so far, it's clear that the lives of many people have been enhanced by Kutaragi's vision. Congrats to a well-deserved nod to his contribution to the world of consumer electronics.

Ken Kutargi has long been named the "father of PlayStation," and that name has earned him a growing number of accolades. Most recently, he's been added to the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame. He'll join other notable inductees, such as the team that developed the first mobile phone and the "father of DVD." Not a bad list of people to join.

With over 200 million PlayStation-branded systems sold worldwide so far, it's clear that the lives of many people have been enhanced by Kutaragi's vision. Congrats to a well-deserved nod to his contribution to the world of consumer electronics.

Despite retiring as CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment earlier this year, Ken Kutaragi is still being praised throughout the industry. A couple months ago, Kutaragi was honored at the Entertainment Software Association's "Night to Unite" event, and now the Father of the PlayStation has been given the Academy of Interactive Arts & Science 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award.

The honorary SCE chairman will receive the award at the Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony Feb. 7 for his "contribution to the global in-home entertainment market with the success of the PlayStation, according to Gamasutra.

"Ken Kutaragi's passion, innovative thinking and business savvy sparked a monumental movement that was unstoppable," said AIAS president Joseph Olin. "If it wasn't for Ken and his concept of the original PlayStation, there wouldn't be the billion dollar industry there is today. His contributions have clearly set new standards for developers, publishers and consumers worldwide." Although many gamers like to joke around at all the crazy things Ken has said and done throughout the years, no one can deny his important role in pushing the industry to new heights.

We've known about it for months but today it becomes official -- Ken Kutaragi, the father of the PlayStation, is stepping down as chairman and chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. He will still have an advisory post at the gaming unit but his days of crazy press statements as one of the public faces of Sony are over.

The storied engineer's long career at Sony hit some stumbling blocks with the PS3 launch, leading Kutaragi to be relieved of his day to day duties as president of the company late last year. Some say he was squeezed out to make room for new blood, but officially Kutaragi "has been considering this decision for some time" and considered today's shareholder meeting "the ideal timing to pass on the torch to the new generation of management."

Next for Kutaragi is a post at Sony/Namco/Bandai partnership Cellius, which will focus on content designed for the PS3's Cell chip. We wish him all the best, and personally hope that the train of public gaffes doesn't stop running.

It's hard not to imagine industry analysts getting along famously with PlayStation father, Ken Kutaragi. Holding hands, dancing in a circle and spouting outrageous claims at each other, they'd have a jolly good session of prediction, scrutiny and hopscotch. In response to Mr. Kutaragi's recently announced plans to leave the circle, several analysts have expressed belief that his departure is partly motivated by the parent company yelling from the outskirts of the park, insisting that, "You've had your fun, it's time to go." According to a GameDaily BIZ report, the PlayStation 3 may make for a particularly heavy golden hand to shake.

Evan Wilson of Pacific Crest Securities tells Bloomberg.com that Kutaragi's retirement "is likely an indication Sony corporate isn't satisfied with the initial success of the PS3." The Washington Post calls it a "face-saving firing," quoting IDC's famous time traveling analyst, Billy Pidgeon, as saying, "Sony had too much hype and not enough delivery." Furthermore, an AG Edwards analyst, Bill Kreher, tells GameDaily BIZ, "The PS3 obviously has had a rough start and I would question whether Kutaragi would still be leaving if the console had been better received by the marketplace."

Still, some analysts agree with Sony's official line that Kutaragi had left of his own accord in pursuit of "new challenges beyond the world of PlayStation." Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities states that the decision likely had more to do with software and the PSP. "It can't be [Kutaragi's] fault that the cost of the box was so high, and I have a tough time believing he insisted on Blu-ray. They probably just all agreed it was time to move on." He and a few other analysts go on to note that Kaz Hirai will prove to be an effective leader and a better instigator of success in the years to come.

The quote unquote Father of the PlayStation is stepping down from his position of CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment. "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."

Kutaragi will continue to be a senior technology advisor to Sony. Although the man was infamous for his somewhat delusional comments, we know that his replacement, Kaz Hirai, will do just a good of job at keeping the internet entertained.

As of June 19th, the man behind the Spider-Man font, behind the PlayStation 3's slick design, behind the massive damage control Sony is still trying to get a hang of will be retiring. Yes, Krazy Ken Kutaragi will be stepping down from his position as CEO at Sony Computer Entertainment. He will be replaced by the less krazy Kaz Hirai -- he doesn't get the capital letter yet.

The following are excerpts from a press release from Sony detailing the resignation: "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...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." He's passing on the torch to Kaz Hirai and the new, fresh, young management team! Good. It's a good thing to know what's best for the company, even at your own expense. We salute him for that. But... what are his dreams? The PS3 Grill?

While this is heartbreaking news for those who think Kutaragi was doing a stellar job with the PS3, recall that he was given a promotion recently that consequently took him out of most day-to-day operations of Sony and the PlayStation 3. As a parting farewell to all the shoddy promises given by Kutaragi, as well as a few things to make us giggle, we're sticking some famous quotes from the man, the legend, the mystery: Ken Kutaragi. Goodbye, Krazy Ken. You had a good run, but it's time to step aside. Have a great retirement!

• "[We want] consumers to think to themselves 'I will work more hours to buy one'. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else."
• "The PS3 will instill discipline in our children and adults alike. Everyone will know discipline."
• "The PS3 is not a game machine "
  

[Via Joystiq]

In March, The Wall Street Journal said Ken Kutaragi was a "stumbling block" for Sony; now they're reporting that the controversial chairman and group CEO for Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. -- and father of the PlayStation brand -- will be retiring his post effective June 19. Of course, the 57-year-old exec was recently kicked upstairs, removing him from day-to-day operations following what many considered to be a botched strategy for the PlayStation 3. Kaz Hirai, who replaced Ken in December, will be promoted to CEO of SCE.

And Kaz, you better start practicing. You've got some large shoes to fill ... four-dimensional shoes that require dual HDMI soles to output 120 footprints a second. But seriously, we'll miss your krazy quotes, Ken!

Update -- SCEI statement: "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."

Read - PlayStation Creator Plans to Retire (WSJ subscription reqd.)
Read - Kutaragi to step down as Sony game unit CEO (IDG)

In 2004 it was Ken Kutaragi. In 2005 it was the Halo designers. In 2006 it was ... no one.

Yes, Time's last list of the 100 most influential people in the world broke from tradition and didn't feel the need to include anyone from the game industry. While nobodies like Nicolas Ghesquiere and Rain got coveted spots on the list, the leaders of a $12.5 billion industry got bupkis.

Luckily, you can help rectify this situation. Yes, you, as Time's person of the year, can go independently rate the nearly 200 candidates who are being considered for the 2007 list, including Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto. As of this posting, Miyamoto is ranked 60th, between Indra Nooyi and Albert Osterhaus (a.k.a. two people you've never heard of) with 113 votes and an average rating of 75 out of 100.

The ranking system is based on total points accrued, not the average, so more votes equals a better rank. Vote early and vote often -- it's not like you have anything better to do at work.

[Thanks hvnlysoldr]

File this under "Trivia": did you know that since Sony owns the rights to the Spider-Man font, it might have shaped the look and feel of the PlayStation 3? According to CVG, Kutaragi insisted on the use of the font, and it was one of the first design elements chosen for the console.

According to Sony's Teiyu Goto, "If you really look at the PS3 contour carefully, it is rounded when viewing the console in profile. Rather than creating a typography with all the risks that entails, it was wiser to use the one from Spider-Man, for which Sony has the rights."

Er, call us confused, but what are all the risks that creating a new font entails? Death and destruction raining down? Sharp edges? Cats and dogs living together? Thankfully, Kutaragi wasn't a hardcore Comic Sans fan, or who knows what the PS3 would have ended up looking like.

You can expect to see more from SCEA's chief Kaz Hirai (of Riiidge Racer fame), as he's moved on up on the corporate ladder. He'll be replacing "you-can-experience-4D" Ken Kutargai, who's been criticized by his rivals as being too "arrogant." There's been speculation that the slow sales of PSP, the disastrously delayed PS3 launch, and the loss of potential PS3 exclusives, like Grand Theft Auto IV and Assassin's Creed, are behind this shuffling.

Regardless, Kutaragi will remain in Sony's corporate arms as chairman and group CEO. While this theoretically is a promotion, it will certainly free up Kaz and new SCEA chief Jack Tretton from correcting the mistakes of a potentially senile leader. Hey, it worked for Nintendo when they got rid of even-more-insane Yamauchi.

[Via Joystiq]

Reuters catches Krazy Ken in a tortured moment of honesty about Sony's recent troubles:

"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," game unit head Ken Kutaragi said after Sony pushed back the PS3's European launch by four months to March.

He's referring to Sony's manufacturing capability, not the PS3's over-hyped specs, but why not make it a two-fer?

On the heels of Sony's decision to delay the European launch of the PlayStation 3, Reuters caught Sony's Ken Kutaragi in a rare moment of straight talk:

"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."

He left himself some waffle room there with that "I guess" and that "might be" language, so we'll put it to you, dear reader. What's the over/under on the chance that Sony's hardware capabilities have been gaining strength?

[Thanks, Babylonian]

Ken Kutaragi talked with a Japanese website recently about most of the things you've probably been wondering. He spoke about keeping costs down, heating issues, the Cell and even hinted at including an external power supply for the PlayStation 3.

For starters, he said that reducing the size of the Cell in the future will allow for lower costs (as we've heard already). But he also said that power consumption will be key: "If we can't reduce [power consumption] we will never be able to make the PS3 cheap and small." Well then, for the love of all that's economical, please manage that consumption!

When talking about heating more extensively, he said that "the power supply could almost be sold separately." So if they decide to go with that, expect a power brick, except of even bigger proportions than what you're used to (like the 360's). With a console the size of the PlayStation 3, it's going to need all the juice it can get.

Ken Kutaragi recently revealed that the process for making the Cell chip will go from a 90nm process down to 65nm. This will help cut the costs of manufacturing. The chip is currently being manufactured at IBM's Fishkill and Sony's Nagasaki factories. With the decrease in cost, it's possible that devices utilizing the chip could also see a lower price point when arriving to retail, to which Kutaragi hinted at devices other than the company's next-gen console as possible recipients. However in the case of the PS3, this drop in cost is unlikely to be seen.

[Via IGN]