Sony's Kaz Hirai: we're the official leader, Ninty in a different world, MS lacks longevity

Posted Jan 20, 2009 at 8:30AM by QJ Staff Listed in: PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 Tags: Kazuo Hirai, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony
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Wii - PS3 - Xbox 360 - Image 1


As if following up with another blow to the jaw after the "MS and Ninty are add-on peddlers" comment, Sony's very own Kazuo Hirai has spoken about what he thinks of how the current console industry stands.

Dismissing both Microsoft and Nintendo as competitors, Hirai believes that Sony stands alone as the official leader in the industry. He explains further:

This is not meant in terms of numbers, or who's got the biggest install base, or who's selling most in any particular week or month, but I'd like to think that we continue official leadership in this industry.


It's difficult to talk about Nintendo, because we don't look at their console as being a competitor. They're a different world, and we operate in our world - that's the kind of way I look at things. And with the Xbox - again, I can't come up with one word to fit. You need a word that describes something that lacks longevity.


Hirai talked about lifespans, saying that the PlayStation brand will definitely stay, and that their current console won't "fall by the way side in five years." Appending his earlier statement, he followed up by pointing out that this simple five year milestone has yet to be breached by Microsoft.

Yeah, Hirai's pretty confident about the PlayStation's lifespan. He added that "unless things go really bad, there's no way that at the end of a life cycle our competition is going have a higher install base."

He also responded to the many claims of developers finding difficulty in creating software for the PS3.

We don't provide the 'easy to program for' console that [developers] want, because 'easy to program for' means that anybody will be able to take advantage of pretty much what the hardware can do, so then the question is what do you do for the rest of the nine-and-a-half years?


So it's a kind of - I wouldn't say a double-edged sword - but it's hard to program for, and a lot of people see the negatives of it, but if you flip that around, it means the hardware has a lot more to offer.




Related articles:


Via Eurogamer

 
 
 

Comments [refresh]

by gameuy22 - 2009-01-20 04:46
» just my oppinion

The comment about the Wii has some validity to it, since the two are currently aiming towards different audiences. The comment about the 360 however, is bs.

by Thinker - 2009-01-20 04:50
» LOL

So, is Kaz the Head of SCE, or the Ass?

by lllegal Machine - 2009-01-20 04:56
» When the going gets tough,

The tough claim that overall sales, installed user base, and attach rate are irrelevant.

by Shatterdome - 2009-01-20 05:22
» ...

None of those things speak about the hardware or the company. All sales means is that more consumers were "persuaded" into buying that machine/product.



If John Carmack thinks PS3 has more going for it, i'll beleive anyone else who says so as well.

by kayuza - 2009-01-20 05:25
» negative Mach..

..it's *all* relevant, and for him to speak on *anything* means some type of profit analysis during this particular speech. On the other hand, Sony has some pretty big shoes to fill this year, there's a lot on there system's front end that needs major work in terms of features and usability. Here's to 2009 with Sony..

by BIH - 2009-01-20 05:33
» ..lol

Sony still living in their own little word. Guess they can try and kid themselves.

by HDRasta - 2009-01-20 05:40
» wow

listen to yourself BIH M$ has got you by the balls. PS3 will outlast the 360 man the 360 still have a disc try thats not moving forward thats just using the same components as the old xbox

by milo128 - 2009-01-20 05:42
» ps3

has tons more stuff going for them like home, the great exclusives coming this year(unless 360 bribes them to go multiplatform)

by logicbomb.de - 2009-01-20 06:03
» Sony's not going anywhere anytime soon

As more and more people make the switch to Hi-Def (plan to scoop up a Bravia very soon) PS3 is going to look much more attractive if/when they make a significant price drop.



not sure if I'll go stand alone for Blu ray or the PS3 route, but any system looks gorgeous on a nice Sony HD set.

by purple_cow - 2009-01-20 06:07
» Right...

"This is not meant in terms of numbers, or who's got the biggest install base, or who's selling most in any particular week or month..."



If Hirai's going to challenge Microsoft when it comes to industry leaders, he should at least set the playing field or else he just sounds like he's grabbing at thin air. If he won't set the terms, then he can say he's a winner at anything.



"I'm rich. Not in terms of money, personal value, or salary. But I'd like to think I'm rich."

by Nevers - 2009-01-20 07:32
» Spinning

@.@

by projectionist - 2009-01-20 09:39
» hey dumbass hippie

here's a newsflash for you...

Sony...IS OUT TO MAKE MONEY.

Nintendo...IS OUT TO MAKE MONEY.

M$, as you idiots call them, is just better it.



So deal.

by rollypoly - 2009-01-20 10:00
» lol...

"what do you do for the rest of the nine-and-a-half years?"



um... focus on every other aspect of making good games maybe?



sony is lucky it has a large brand following, otherwise the ps3 would be doing worse than the gamecube...

by jabbaface - 2009-01-20 10:05
» When the going gets tough...

Sony says they are in there own world! In my world i'm a super hero! ;) P.S. I'm a PS3 fanboy making fun of my own console OMG THE WORLD WILL END!!!!

by hush404 - 2009-01-20 11:22
» heh

His statements puzzle me some times but I like Kaz. He's a kewl dude.

by inimrepus - 2009-01-20 13:10
» lol

So Sony is winning, if you don't count anyone else.

by inimrepus - 2009-01-20 13:14
» so could I

I could win the Olympics, all the other competitors don't irrelevant.

by genesiscopy - 2009-01-20 14:25
» way to go sony

try comparing an apple with an apple, not an apple with (put something not an apple that you find funny here)

by FABLE - 2009-01-20 15:28
» hahaha

He claims to be the leader because theres no other competition. Congrats..you're beating..nobody, but there is nobody to beat so technically that makes you the winner right?!



Kaz Hirai is a very intelligent man. I can't believe he actually said those things. He is sort of right about the lifespan tho

by rakizta77 - 2009-01-20 16:04
» Hirai

Kaz is such a genius.

You guys are taking his words literally.



its a waste of time to explain to everyone why he said that. just make your brains work.

by sycoblast - 2009-01-20 16:36
» :S

all i cud come up with was orange and an orange isnt funny

by avatar76 - 2009-01-20 18:17
» LOL

Yeah and nintendo are laughing at that tool while they're flicking through a bundle of $100 bills. The truth is I don't want to wait 10 years to get the most out of my games console. I want to buy the console and have games from the first day that make the most of it. If they can't give developers tools to make the most out of the PS3 then that is going to be a problem for them.

by avatar76 - 2009-01-20 18:21
» I'm sure they'll try if they're any good

The last big supposed Halo killer, Haze turned out to be a real fizzer though.

I'm sure there's some good ones coming this year though, after all they said last year we just need another year.

by J2Jack - 2009-01-20 18:25
» Jinkies!

It doesn't matter if in 10 years everyone has a PS3, other companies made better consoles and will sell more than Sony does in about half the time. The market moves on when the market leader says so. Developers won't keep making games for a dead console and people will discard them.

by avatar76 - 2009-01-20 18:27
» Stand alone BRP (if you've got a new amp)

The PS3 won't bitstream your encoded HD audio codecs straight to your new amp. But if you haven't got a fancy amp without DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD.

If your amp supports multi channel PCM (not just stereo PCM) though go for it. Also if you haven't even got an amp your bravia will show your PS3 off awesomely.

I've got a 46" Sony Bravia XBR and it looks fncking awesome! 360, Bluray, PS3, whatever.



PS the newer 360's do 1080P also (no bluray playback though).

by avatar76 - 2009-01-20 18:36
» Like I said earlier though

Do you really want to be waiting around 10 years to get the most out of your console? I can just imagine it now.

[in 2016] "Well I've had this console for 10 years and finally some good games are coming out. Geez I'm glad I didn't buy an xbox360 back in 2005."

Meanwhile the xbox720 will have came out in 2012 and p!ssed all over anything the PS3 is capable of.

10 year life cycle? Who cares, I'm quite happy paying for a console that's half the cost of a computer and 10 times better every five years.

If they had have said at launch time buy now and in 10 years we'll be making the most out of this games console no one would have bought it. I know I'm exagerating a bit but he really shouldn't be excusing the software dev kit designers for making it so freaking hard for devs to do anything of the system.

by avatar76 - 2009-01-20 18:42
» LOL

No he's not Yoda, he's just clutching at straws and trying to seem enigmatic while doing it. Both MS and Sony are guilty of saying nintendo aren't a competitor and it's just *****e they are a competitor and they are absolutely smashing both MS and Sony. Everytime Sony or MS come out with stupid comments like that I'm sure nintendo laugh all the way to the bank. This is as stupid as one of their previous comments which was something to the effect of our sony fans will carry us through even though we're not doing so well.

by Master Chef - 2009-01-20 23:39
» lol what else is new

I like Kaz because he's cool, and crazy, but when is he not grabbing at thin air? His comments are always nonsensical and usually just make him, and Sony by extension, look dumb. I still like him tho



I also don't get Sony's fascination with this longevity BS. I really don't care if the PS3 lasts 10 years, which is doubtful because it should be very apparent now that this system will be nowhere near as successful as the PS2, because I won't be using it in 10 years. I stopped using my PS2 years ago, mostly when I got an Xbox, and completely when I got a gaming PC and 360. So who cares if the PS3 outlasts the Xbox? I won't be using my 360 then either, I'll stop using that the day I get MS and Sony's new consoles.

by BryCee12 - 2009-01-21 03:22
» @ projectionist

U gay idiot..

Sony looses money everytime the sell a PS3, but nahhh, like you said, there in it for the money??



gayarseee

by sycoblast - 2009-01-21 03:28
» i dunno

there are still enough games made for the PS2

by melty3219 - 2009-01-21 05:51
» !

OMG WTF MORE FANBOI BAIT FOR ALL THE NOOBS ON THE FORUM! LOL THERE SOULD BE A BIG SIGN HERE THAT SAYS " DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS" U ALL FANBOIS MAKE ME SICK

HOPE UR CONSOLES BREAK FOR BEING FANBOIS!

by Perfectionist - 2009-01-21 06:24
» @BryCee12

No company would sell a product at a loss if they were not expecting to make a profit at some point. you claim microsoft are just in it for the cash but they sold the original xbox at a loss, and they are selling the 360 at a loss.



You are an idiot for thinking sony are selling thier console at a loss because they care so much and want to be nice. They sell the console at a price where it would appeal to customers without casing them have to abandon the console



Do you feel like a genious now? NO *****...

by Perfectionist - 2009-01-21 06:27
» my point is...

of course they are in it to make money, that is the aim of a company

by Gamester101 - 2009-01-21 07:28
» @ avatar76

mate are you stupid? longevity isnt about finally getting great games or services in the 10th year, he's talking about great games over its lifespan with increasing ingenuity, which isn't possible on the 360 (in his opinion) because the hardware isn't good enough.

by avatar76 - 2009-01-21 08:59
» No are you stupid or just a fanboy?

My point is even if it was true about a 10 year life cycle I wouldn't want that anyway. In 2016 the PC will have so superceded what the 360 and the PS3 can do so much, that no one will care about anything much they're doing (in terms of games).

What he was saying is the developers should look forward to spending the next 9½ years trying to get the most out of the PS3. Excusing the sony people who designed what is obviously one of the most difficult to use game development systems ever made. He's probably right in one way though the built in bluray player means that in 10 years alot of consumers will probably still be using it as bluray player. I'm seeing bluray very slowly start to get a bit of a foothold, but I think we're going to have both DVD and bluray for a long time to come.

by avatar76 - 2009-01-21 09:01
» OMGWTFBBQ~!!!

:)

by milo128 - 2009-01-21 11:21
» man

the only good 360 exclusives are fable and gears (not 2) but ps3 has games like mgs4, lbp, resistance, motorstorm, ff13 versus etc.

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