Rumor: Chief Technical Officer Izumi Kawanishi moves out of SCE

Posted Nov 4, 2007 at 12:48PM by QJ Staff Listed in: PS3, PSP Tags: Izumi Kawanishi, Kazuo Hirai, Ken Kutaragi, PS2, SCEI, Sony
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Izumi Kawanishi - Image 1Izumi Kawanishi, Sony Computer Entertainment's Chief Technical Officer, has moved out of the division and has settled into the mothership Sony Corporation. This is according to one of Kotaku's sources who explains that he and Kazuo Hirai had an internal dispute.

The source continues that the fight was over Hirai wanting to push the PlayStation 3 only as a game console. Perhaps Kawanishi still wanted to push the console as an all-in-one media hub? Kawanishi was integral in the hardware development for the PS2, PS3 and the PSP so he would feel strongly about it. Still, Kaz may be on the right track seeing as only 13% of PS3 owners use their consoles to play movies (apparently).

Kawanishi was also the head of SCEI's Network System Development Section and R&D division. He was also involved with the development of the original PlayStation, where he worked closely with Ken Kutaragi.

Via Kotaku

 
 
 

Comments [refresh]

by Naroon Kasui - 2007-11-04 08:08
» Hmm

I think it's just a rumor. Why would Kaz say something like that? If this were true, I'm pretty sure that latest series of commericials would not have been created. Kaz himself even proudly boasted about how the PS3 could be used as an all in one media hub, so I call BS on this one.

by Jin Wu - 2007-11-04 08:13
» Who cares

Kaz needs to do some restructuring over there. The old regime in that division was running the machine into the ground being so arrogant.

by Binary - 2007-11-04 13:35
» blah

izumi should of made better video support.

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