Sony management really changed, I'm impressed by the extend.
Speaking of the PS2 implies that they are expecting significantly higher market shares, though he doesn't state it in any explicit manner, the arrogance that used to plague Sony PR now seems long gone, that is pretty nice.
Ironically Ken Kutaragi's departure might have helped. He was a truly visionary and insane person. The videogame industry might not have been the same today if it wasnt for him and his baby. At the same time his way of doing things became irrelevant and he probably got carried away by his vision as he the success of the PS brand grew exceptionally. The PS3 could have been a monster and the chance to fulfill his vision if he did things right. I think he gave too much attention to technological achievements and forgot completely the functionality and all the needs of those who would provide content for the product. He looked very far in terms of technology, but probably way too far ahead for his own good. Functionality and friendliness wasnt his motto. Its probably his approach that make Phil Harrison abandon Sony who saw an untapped market and a missed opportunity in the casual and family experience that Sony completely ignored with the PS3's launch.
A price that was hard to afford? Check
Extremely hard to develop for? Check
A product that forgot the casual who made the PS1 and PS2 such a success? Check
A console envisioned to attract the tech savvy? Check
Too expensive to produce? Check
The PS3 did the opposite of all the things that made PS1 a hit and did almost everything that made the Saturn fail
It must have hit Phil very hard when he saw Wii's outstanding success knowing that Sony was so almost already there with the Eye Toy, Singstar and so many other related projects in R&D. They were testing motion control inputs since the PS2's early days.
Based on some interviews we read, SCE was a one man show. He was the one who made the decisions and there was not enough teamwork. I was also amazed by some of the comments I read about him. He was visionary but also couldnt see what worked in the market. When he didnt like something he didnt have the best way to communicate it either. I read somewhere that he trashed Crash Bandicoot at Cerny's face before its release and at the end it was probably the best selling franchise on the console.
Phil Harrison and Mark Cerny I am sure would have been an unbeatable duo if they could unite their minds.
Mark Cerny and Shuhei Yoshida thankfully put the Playstation back on track, from where the PS1 has left off.
