Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai
Kaz Hirai is the new big boss at Sony Computer Entertainment. Ken Kutaragi is leaving Sony – though he’ll still be an honourary chairman, he won’t have any day-to-day dealings with Sony. So Mr Kaz Hirai will be calling all the PlayStation shots from now on. This article discusses the transition. I will be focusing on the task set before Mr. Hirai.
What kind of environment does he start with? The PS3 is trailing both the Wii and the 360 in sales. There hasn’t been that many exclusive PS3 titles released since launch. And non-exclusive titles often look better on the 360 (Splinter Cell, FEAR) or are crippled on the PS3 (Call of Duty 3). The PS3 controller has tilt, but no rumble. And the PS3 costs $600 versus the 360’s $300, $400, and $480 (in North America).
So where does Mr. Hirai go from here?
First of all, I hope that his thinking isn’t in line with the official party line. Every comment we hear from Sony is that they’re happy with the way things are going with respect to the PS3. Of course they have to say that. I just hope they don’t think it. Sony is obviously last in line in the new generation, and they need to step up with some bold initiatives to bring them to the front.
PlayStation Home is a good start. But that’s all it is – a start. Will developers embrace Home and its achievements system? Sony better make sure that they do. Home seems to be Sony’s ace and it better pay off.
But the games is where things really count, and they better hit home runs with Heavenly Sword, Killzone, GT5, and other exclusives. Hirai is famous for his deal-making abilities, so he better put them to good use getting more exclusives for his favourite platform.
And what should he do about rumble? (1) Include it in new controllers? Most assuredly. (2) Have some advanced new rumble features the competition doesn’t have? They better! (3) Come out as quickly as possible? That would be the third of the three wise decisions needed to be made here. Mr. Hirai better do all those things, and not apologize for it either. It would be nice if Sony could help me replace my existing controllers with rumble ones, but I’m realistic enough to expect no help from Sony there. I bought them knowing full well they didn’t have rumble.
Of course the last question is just what Kaz should do about the PS3’s price. I think that Sony doesn’t need to decrease the price just yet. But in time for the Christmas shopping season the price should be reduced to $449. That’s right – cheaper than the most expensive 360. The price is a major stumbling block for many buyers, and that block needs to be removed.
So Mr. Hirai has a lot of work to do when it come to Home, games, rumble, and price. I’m probably missing some things, and I certainly hope that Hirai has some things up his sleaves that we don’t know about. What other challenges does Mr. Hirai need to solve?
Try now - 
May 3rd, 2007 at 10:36 am
It almost seem that you are upset or something. Its the slow time of the season for games and it isnt going to help at all. I have had mixed feelings about the rumble but have excepted it now and wouldnt mind having it. The price is the only thing slowing them down right now. Granted the games are not overwhelming right now but by the end of the year I wont be able to make up my mind what I want to play. The new guy might help but like the president of the US he dont do much but confuse the situation. Iam wondering if the Blogs will be safe from the lack of events going on right now. Everone is running around the internet trying to slap each other around it seems lately.
May 3rd, 2007 at 10:37 am
You made very good points as to what needs to be done for the PS3. You also have to look at why the PS1 and the PS2 did so well, one word……GAMES. First and foremost that is the the console is, a gaming machine. They should then look at adding the extras as second, such as home, eye toy etc. Software sells systems!! We need the games!!
May 3rd, 2007 at 3:49 pm
What Sony needs to do.
Games is the no brainer.
The tougher sledding goes like this.
1. Bundles the PS3 with Sony Bravias 1080p all the way. Throw in Spiderman one and two on Bluray
2. Advertise the fact that the PS3 is a Bluray player. Get new ad companies for a lot of this as well. Get the guys that do the Ratchet and Clank stuff.
3. Pick only good to great contest and promo tie ins.
4. Pack in Spiderman 3 in the fall. It’s such a simple solution.
5. Work out a deal in Best Buy and Circuit city where the PS3 is used to drive the HDTV displays. Just play Goodfellas and you’ll sell people on the HDTV and the PS3
6. MAKE ME A RIP OFF WIIMOTE. I don’t care if people call copycat. The remote is a great idea by Nintendo. Crippling it with a graphically castrated wii is criminal. And you just know that Nintendo has to release their next next gen console 2 years before eveyoine else since the wii should be obsolete by 2009. Hell the 360 is hitting its ceiling now. DLC is going to kill anyone without a huge hard drive.
7. Bring back the 20 gig model. Advertise the fact that you the consumer can upgrade it yourself.
8. Smaller price decreases but a lot of them. Reduce the price 10$ and promote it. Reduce it again a month from now. Keep doing it every month for a year.
9. Let me play my PSP games on my home screen. Let me buy a PSP game that only plays on my PS3.
10. Build ps3’s right into your opwn hardware. HDTV with built in PS3, Bluray player with built in PS3. Reciever with PS3. Computer with PS3.
11. Itunes store for super iPod compatibility but also access to a huge movie and music store. Yes i know Sony has their own offering. But that’s the problem it’s their own offering. Customers are wary to buyinto Sony as the provider, Content owners (EMI and such are reluctant to let Sony profit. Apple doesn’t have this problem.
12. Try and turn the PS3 into a Cable tuner set top box and have it as the default HDTV box you get from your cable company.
13. Pay users that create DLC in real cash. Create an economy. Xbox charges you to go online. Sony pays you to create content for other online users. imagine getting paid 50 cents every time someone bought your LittleBigPlanet level. Ya I knew it. You actually started calculating how much you could make. This is a powerful idea because it’s backed up with cash. And there is an entire world of people creating content to extend your $60 game investment.
14.Feature the video chat features in commercials. Video chat is a killer app when it’s done right and surprisingly no one not even APPLE HAVE DONE IT RIGHT YET.
15. The proposed paying people for contributing cycles to F@H (PLUG 55054) a good start.
16. Special Pack in consoles. A Clear MGS PS3 would be nice. A ferrari Red PS3 bundled with GT5 also nice.
17. One single date for PSN releases. Every week, Saturday would be great, they should release stuff on the network. Call it Sony Saturday. Send out on Wednesday what’s available this weekend to create buzz. But release things on the same day every week. And always release something, Always. EVEN IF IT’S JUST A TRAILER.
May 3rd, 2007 at 3:50 pm
It’s sunny and I had nothing else to do
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Impressive… Most impressive!
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:48 pm
I see^^
Reading now^^
May 4th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
#9 , mcloki is the best one you have there. Using the PSP on my TV would be great. The other ones are soso. A bare bones model couldnt hurt.