Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/01/sony_shuffle_kills_ps4/
Sony's move to promote Kaz Hirai, yesterday head of the US wing of the company's Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) division but now President and COO of the global SCE operation, means the consumer electronics giant may never produce a PlayStation 4 console.
So claimed Nomura analyst Yuta Sakurai in a Financial Times report today. Sakurai believes Sony's move, which sees former SCE head Ken 'Father of the PlayStation' Kutaragi made Chairman of the division, marks a fundamental shift in Sony's approach.
"The appointment of Hirai could be the start of a shift from hardware to software," Sakurai told the paper.
"I cannot now imagine a PlayStation 4."
That's undoubtedly an extreme view. Certainly, other analysts cited by the paper indicated a less drastic outcome from the SCE management reshuffle. Hirai's promotion, said one, centres on his "superior communications skills", which he'll use to strengthen SCE's ties with third-party software developers, said to have been strained by the numerous delays made to the next-generation console's release schedule and subsequent launch numbers. ®
Sony to sell '75m PS3s by 2010' (3 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/03/datamonitor_ps3_forecast/
Sony sticks by PS3 sales forecast (14 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/14/sony_sticks_to_ps3_sales_plan/
Sony updates PS3 firmware (7 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/07/sony_updates_ps3_firmware/
Sony to ship major PS3 firmware update next March (5 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/05/sony_ps3_firmware_update/
Sony exec says 'yes' to PS4 (5 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/05/sony_says_yes_to_ps4/
North Americans buy 600,000 Wiis in first week (28 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/28/nintendo_eight-day_wii_sales/
Sony punching out PS3s 'smoothly' (22 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/22/ps3_production_going_smoothly/
Man buys PS3, smashes it with sledgehammer (20 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/20/canadians_smash_ps3/
Man shot while queuing to buy PlayStation 3 (17 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/17/man_shot_in_ps3_queue/
Sony PS3 'costs at least $805-840' to make (16 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/16/isuppli_prices_up_ps3/
Sony to ship '150-200k' PS3s for US launch (15 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/15/ps3_uk_launch_forecast/
Sony's PS3 purchased, pulled apart (13 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/13/sony_ps3_disassembled/
PS2 sales highlight Sony's challenge as PS3 debuts in Japan (13 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/13/sony_ps3_japan_debut/