Hirai: PS3 To Be In "Leadership Position"

Kaz Hirai

After suffering through a very difficult Year 1, the PlayStation 3 has started to come into its own. The price of the hardware is down, many great software titles are already here, Blu-Ray has won, the PlayStation Network is popular and stable, and the PlayStation Store has been freshly revamped and is a constant source of content for users.

And now, Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai has told BBC News that after all is said and done, the PS3 will once again lead the pack. During the interview - see the video here - Hirai talked about a variety of topics, including the possibility of another PlayStation console, the Network, and the challenges Sony faced in that difficult first year. Here's the quote of interest regarding Hirai's belief that Sony will head the list in due time:

"We've only really begun to scratch the surface with PlayStation 3 but I am confident that given the long life-cycle we have planned for the machine we are going to have a very good install base in all of the major territories. I am very confident that after the 10-year lifecycle we will have the install base that we are looking for and that is obviously to be in the leadership position."

Concerning a PlayStation 4, Hirai said it would be "difficult to say" when a new platform would emerge, and Sony is still planning the 10-year life cycle of the PS3. He also admits to "some challenges" during the first year, especially when it came to the lack of shipments for Japan and the US in 2006 and the lack of software early on. But now he says-

"That situation has been remedied to the satisfaction of consumers. The software line-up is looking good for this year and certainly for the holiday period." And as for the developers learning the difficult PS3 hardware- "I think they are beginning to embrace the technology and are able to express their creativity on the platform certainly more than they were able to at launch."

From a journalist standpoint, we've certainly seen the evident 180 that Sony has pulled in one year's time, and we're happy to see it. Every major corporation has its issues, and we all have specific complaints about that, but here, it seems as if Sony is making all the right moves at all the right times. Let's just hope it continues.

5/7/2008 Ben Dutka