None
Ken Kutaragi, known as the “Father of the PlayStation” announced today that he would be stepping down from his position as SCEI’s representative director, chairman and Group CEO on June 19, to be replaced by Kazuo Hirai, the current president and group COO.
Sony released a press release that stated that Kutaragi is leaving to “pursue his dreams beyond PlayStation and to accelerate his network vision”. Kutaragi further stated “I am happy to graduate from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. after introducing four platforms to the PlayStation family. It has been an exciting experience to change the world of computer entertainment by marrying cutting edge technologies with creative minds from all over the world. I’m looking forward to building on this vision in my next endeavors.”
Kutaragi’s new role with Sony will be as honorary chairman and as a senior technology advisor to Sony CEO Howard Stringer.
Kutaragi is infamous for his “quotes”, which included stating that the PlayStation 3 was “probably too cheap” and that he expected gamers to work extra hours to be able to purchase the machine.