Japanese giant Sony has appointed Kazuo Hirai, the head of its PlayStation game business, to a new key position in a move seen as the first step in anointing him successor to CEO Howard Stringer.

Hirai is a longtime executive with the firm who played a major role in developing Sony's PlayStation business in the 1990s and is credited with turning Sony's games business around from earlier losses.

From April 1 he will become executive deputy president, Sony said Thursday.

Hirai, 50, will run a group that combines Sony's Networked Products and Services division, meaning he will add the likes of TV, home video and audio to his responsibilities for gaming and PlayStation.

The move comes as Sony looks to focus more on pushing its content such as games and music through hardware platforms such as game consoles, smartphones and tablet computers, analysts say, and will be a key test for Hirai.

Stringer, a Welsh-born American who became the first foreign chief at one of Japan's most famous companies in 2005, said Hirai was an "obvious candidate" to succeed him as leader of the Japanese giant.

He added that Hirai's new role was the first step in a succession plan, describing the PlayStation as a "profit centre" for the company.

"This is the first step but we have not made a final decision," Stringer told reporters on Thursday. "It's an opportunity for the board to watch Hirai-san and to judge his performance."

Stringer, who turned 69 last month, said he was staying on as chief executive for the foreseeable future. Under his leadership Sony has more closely melded its strengths in televisions and other gadgets with content.

Facing tough competition from rival products such as Apple's iPad and Nintendo's Wii and DS consoles, Sony has pursued a future vision in which people download its music and movies via the Internet to Sony mobile telephones and TVs.

Hirai is credited in particular with expanding the firm's PlayStation Network system, which boasts more than 74 million registered users and allows owners of the video game console to download games and link up with other gamers.

When the financial crisis hit demand, the electronics giant was forced to undergo major restructuring -- slashing thousands of jobs, selling facilities and turning to suppliers for parts -- after seeing losses pile up.

Under Stringer's leadership the company has looked to cut many business areas while boosting others. Its focus in the television space, for example, has entailed buying parts from others and assembling them under the Sony brand. "The role of Mr Stringer was to choose what to keep and what not to keep. Perhaps, in his own mind, he might have reached the point where he sees a path forward," said Koki Shiraishi, analyst at Daiwa Securities Capital Markets.

Shiraishi added that all eyes will be on Hirai as Sony focuses more on pushing content through hardware platforms such as consoles, phones and computers.

After the planned realignment effective April 1, Sony's electronics and networked service operations will consist of two groups.

The consumer-products and services group -- all consumer electronics including televisions and games as well as services offered through those products -- will be led by Hirai.

The other group consists mainly of Sony's broadcast products, component and semiconductor businesses and will be led by Executive Deputy President Hiroshi Yoshioka.

Hirai in January took to the stage to unveil a new portable touchscreen gaming console, due to hit stores by the end of the year, as Sony tries to mount a fresh challenge to Nintendo and Apple in the competitive mobile gaming market.

The device, codenamed "Next Generation Portable", will succeed Sony's PlayStation Portable handheld device and boasts 3G mobile connectivity and WiFi, allowing users to download games and other content.

gaming

Sony taps possible successor to Stringer

admin

•

,

•

No Comments

The Sony executive credited with turning the PlayStation into a money-maker, Kazuo Hirai, is in the lead to take over from Howard Stringer after he retires, the Sony chairman said Thursday. But Stringer noted that the race is not over yet.

"The PlayStation group has gone from being a money loser three or four years ago to being a profit center," Stringer said during a small group interview at Sony's headquarters in Tokyo.

Hirai's success with the PlayStation has been noticed by the company's board of directors and made him a very obvious leadership candidate at Sony, Stringer added.

On Thursday Sony announced Hirai's promotion to the head of a new consumer products and services group that will include all of Sony's consumer electronics, personal computer and gaming operations. He currently runs Sony's Networked Products and Services Group (NPSG), which included the PlayStation business. The promotion will take effect April 1.

Stringer offered several reasons for Hirai's leap into pole position. Aside from his PlayStation success, Stringer noted Hirai's teamwork with engineers, expertise in convergence products, loyalty and "charming personality."

There are also strategic reasons.

As head of NPSG, Hirai oversaw the creation of a digital platform that delivers content to Sony devices. The PlayStation Network feeds games, music and video to PlayStation 3 consoles while a companion network, called Qriocity, serves audio and video to Sony consumer electronics products.

The PlayStation Network has more than 74 million registered accounts worldwide and the newer Qriocity service was launched recently in several European countries and the U.S.

With the platform "up and running quite well," Sony is poised to integrate products and services to work better together, Stringer said.

The digital platform proved that Sony can do well in software and, with it in place, "now all we have is upside," Stringer said.

Despite the strong endorsement, Stringer said other executives could still be awarded the top job at Sony.

Hirai will continue be judged on "performance, performance, performance," Stringer said. His new job will also put him in more frequent, direct contact with Sony's board of directors, giving them a chance to see more of him, the executive added.

Nipping at Hirai's heels is Hiroshi Yoshioka, who was named Thursday to run a new division that includes the remainder of Sony's electronics operations, consisting largely of semiconductors, batteries, image sensors and products for the broadcasting industry. Yoshioka currently runs Sony's consumer electronics, professional solutions and devices business.

"Mr. Yoshioka has a lot of opportunity to make a lot of money in his group, so the race is not over," said Stringer. "There are no guarantees about who gets promoted next," he added.

Stringer declined to give a timetable on deciding a successor. He also said his three positions of chairman, CEO and president could be split up and not all go to the same person.

External candidates were considered but Sony is no longer looking at outsiders.

"I think it would be destructive to bring in an outside player," Stringer said, explaining how hard it would be for an outsider to grasp the complexity of the company. "I think it would be destructive to morale, it would be destructive to performance," he said.

A decision could be years away. Stringer has extended his commitment to remain at Sony, though he did not offer a specific time frame.

"The board asked me to stay on and I'm happy to do so because there is unfinished business," said Stringer.

Stringer became chairman and CEO of Sony in 2005, a time when its core electronics business was struggling. He has said in the past he would leave the company when its turnaround was complete. With that in mind, any clues as to the identity of his successor have been keenly watched.

Sony will reorganize its core electronics operations into two main divisions from April 1, with Hirai and Yoshioka leading the units. The move positions the two executives to potentially succeed Stringer one day as chairman of the electronics giant. Originally, there were four men in the running for Stringer's job, all Japanese.

gaming

PlayStation Chief Hirai Tipped as Next Head of Sony

admin

•

,

•

No Comments

icrosoft said Wednesday that sales of the gesture-sensing Kinect for the Xbox 360 videogame console had topped 10 million units, making it the fastest-selling consumer electronics device ever.

The Seattle, Washington-based US software giant also said it has sold more than 10 million standalone Kinect games worldwide.

Microsoft sold an average of 133,333 Kinect units per day between the day of its launch on November 4 and January 3.

"No other consumer electronics device sold faster within a 60-day time span, which is an incredible achievement considering the strength of the sector," said Guinness World Records gaming editor Gaz Deaves, cited by Microsoft.

Kinect uses a 3D camera and motion recognition software to let people play videogames on the Xbox 360 using natural body movements and voice commands instead of hand-held controllers.

More than 50 million Xbox 360 consoles have been sold worldwide.

gaming

sales of Microsoft's Kinect top 10 million

admin

•

,

•

No Comments

It looks like Kinect's officially a record-setter, grabbing Guinness' attention long enough to snag the title 'fastest selling consumer electronics device'. According to Microsoft, their controller-free Xbox 360 motion-sensing camera has sold a whopping 10 million units since it launched in early November last year.

Read that again: 10 million units. We're talking iPhone- and iPad-beating launch (and comparable sustained) sales here.

To be clear, that's units sold, not sold-through. The distinction's ever-important, since it refers to Kinect sensors shipped to stores by Microsoft, but not necessarily plucked off store shelves by customers. The numbers are probably close, though, and I'm told Kinect sales through the holidays were pretty close to the company's undisclosed sell-through figures.

Guinness's independent hand adds serious oomph to the press statement. The records-keeper notes Kinect sold through an average of 133,333 units per day (since November 4) and rallied an astonishing 8 million units during its initial two months on sale, through the holidays.

Let's get Guinness on the record. Gaz Deaves, Editor of the Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer's Edition, writes "The sales figures here speak for themselves" and confirms that "no other consumer electronics device sold faster within a 60-day time span," calling it "an incredible achievement considering the strength of the sector." By "strength" he means the downturn in overall 2010 video game revenue.

Microsoft adds that it sold more than 10 million standalone Kinect games worldwide to date. If that sounds like an odd match for units sold to you, it does me as well. It implies Microsoft's selling games and sensors at a 1:1 rate. Maybe I'm missing something, but you'd think that many Kinects sold might yield at least a 2:1 or 3:1 games-to-sensors ratio.

In any case, hats off to Microsoft for an unmitigated success. I still have mixed feelings about Kinect, but I know the company's working on tightening things up, and bringing more of the sort of games I'm into to the motion-control party soon.

gaming

Kinect Breaks Guinness Record, Sells 10 Million Systems, Tops iPhone and iPad

admin

•

,

•

No Comments

Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it has sold more than 10 million units of the Kinect for Xbox 360 since it launched on November 4, making it the fastest-selling device in the world. Literally.

On the same day, the Guinness World Records reported that the $150 Kinect holds the title of "Fastest-selling Consumer Electronics Device" in the world after selling 8 million units in its first 60 days, as Microsoft chief executiveSteve Ballmer announced at CES in January. The Kinect sold an average of 133,333 units per day between November 4 and January 3.

"The sales figures outstrip both the iPhone and the iPad for the equivalent periods after launch," Guinness World Records wrote in a blog post.

Which means that between January 3 to March 9, Microsoft sold around two million units of the infrared add-on, or roughly the same number of Kinects sold within the first 24 days.

The Kinect has been one of Microsoft's most successful products in recent years, buoying the company'sfourth quarter revenue in 2010. It even warned of Kinect shortages in January and was apparently forced to tap into February's ration of units.

With more than 50 million Xbox 360 owners around the world, Microsoft is hoping to tap the remaining 360 owners who don't currently own a Kinect, as it moves past gaming with features like controller-free Hulu and Netflix and hints of PC support. Microsoft has also promised to release a non-commercial SDK for the Kinect this spring.

Be sure to check out PCMag's review of the Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360.

gaming

Microsoft Kinect Holds World Record for 'Fastest-Selling' Device

admin

•

,

•

No Comments

A court order, banning Sony from importing PlayStation 3's into the Netherlands has been lifted.

The embargo was put in place in late February after the Korean electronics firm LG challenged Sony over alleged patent infringements.

It is believed that around 300,000 PS3s were impounded as a result.
The ban could have had wider repercussions, as Sony uses its Dutch facilities to import consoles for most of Europe.
Sony confirmed to BBC News that the ban had been lifted on Thursday afternoon.
LG is now facing a hefty fine for damages.
Blu-ray Intellectual property activist Florian Mueller, who has followed the case closely, told BBC News: "One cannot overestimate how important it was for Sony to obtain this ruling.
"Sony's most pressing problem can be solved and it can continue to seek an overall settlement of all patent disputes between the two companies without disruption being caused to its European PlayStation business."
The dispute centres around the Blu-ray disc player, which forms part of Sony's PS3 console.
LG claims that it uses several pieces of technology to which it owns the patents.
The South Korean firm says that Sony has failed to licence the technology and is infringing its intellectual property rights.
Two weeks ago, it was granted court orders banning the importation of PS3s into the Netherlands and authorising the seizure of consoles stored in Sony's warehouse.
LG had been seeking a similar injunction in the United States.
The latest ruling orders LG to pay substantial damages, however it does not mean Sony is off the hook.
It will still have to defend the claims of patent infringement at a later date.
"If that wider issue goes against Sony, it may yet find itself owing substantial royalties to LG," said Jas Purewal, an associate with Olswang LLP and editor of Gamerlaw.co.uk.
Tit-for-tat He added: "If however Sony wins, then LG may in principle be ordered to pay more sums to Sony.
"Finally, there is looming US legal action over both the Blu-ray and other matters, which could raise new issues for both companies."
LG and Sony have been involved in a long-running dispute over patents for mobile phone technology.
According to Florian Mueller, the PS3 has become part of the same tit-for-tat war.
"I've seen that pattern before. After Microsoft sued Motorola in October over its Android phones, Motorola hit back at the Xbox and later also the Kinect controller," said Mr Mueller.

gaming

Sony gets PS3 import ban lifted

admin

•

,

•

No Comments