Kaz Hirai: We're the "official" industry leader

Eurogamer.com writes: Sony Computer Entertainment boss Kaz Hirai has dismissed Microsoft and Nintendo as competitors because he sees PlayStation as the "official" industry leader.

[Nathan Drake]

It's an accurate statement from Sony,they simply can sell their casual products(The latest Singstar with over 500,000 sales worldwide)and their hardcore products(Resistance 2 with over 1.2 Million sales worldwide).

Nintendo of course,can sell their casual software like hot cakes,but their hardcore software(Disaster for example) did not put up satisfactory numbers.

[v1c1ous]

:)

[moreover]

@nathan
ahahah no.

[The Lazy One]

You're in the movies: 350k
Lips: 670k
Scene it: Box office: 550k
Banjo Kazooie: 630k

of the casual games you mentioned, all of them broke the 500k mark you set.

[CryofSilence]

What about "You're in the Movies?" >.>

Also, your math, while it appears to be good, is actually flawed.

~20 million PS3s
~28 million Xbox 360s

Therefore, 500k of each is, respectively, 2.5% and 1.8% of the entire console base.

Edit:
Facts are facts. Nothing to disagree about.

[fishd]

Hirai is a true samurai,gotta love him
:)

[N4g_null]

Nintendo's hardcore games are actually listed in the top ten. I think brawl and mario kart was there.

These remarks are why you won't see a price drop. Keep on siding with Kaz. Every PS3 fan says hey it will sell like hot cakes with $100 off! Yet now it's ok for him to basically say yeah we have no competition, thus we should not lower prices.

Your celebrating his elitism LOL and saying yeah it's ok it cost this much. Seriously just say you don't care if the PS3 wins this gen. Truthfully it does not matter because the Neo geo was not even close to competing yet it was my fav system when it came to wow factor.

Seriously though... SONY has not spelled it out yet but they are graduating to the PC market with a closed system that no one has hacked yet. If SONY was smart they would take this tech to the PC market in order to provide a solution for it!

It's only a matter of time before the fans tire of this war. It always happens. Kaz is just playing the swaggar capt as the ship sinks. I wonder if he does the same during the internal meetings? If so that would be a fun job actually! Hell I would even dress like Conan the barbarian! Hey didn't they do that?

[Product]

Scissor ....

nice to see you back on here its good to see people with actual opinions that make sense around here.Ill agree this is just talk for why they are nto selling liek they thought they would back at launch.People might want a pricecut but till the production cost come down i dont see this $100 price cut till atleast next year.

[RememberThe357]

Did you actually read the article? Where in it does he say that the PS3 has no competition?

He says the Wii is not competition, but that was Nintendo's stance from the start.

He says that he doesn't know what word to call the 360. He says it doesn't have longevity, but he never says that it's not competition.

He seems to believe that he has the better system. Can you blame him? And how is that "elitist"?

[N4g_null]

I'm sorry RememberThe357 I read the source at Gamasutra, that's where a few industry guys go for the real news. Please know I'm a PC gamers that has a Wii and love old school console games. I won't be getting an HD system unless I get really bored with building new HD ready PCs and playing Wii games. So far I'm perfectly fine. Yet as a gamer you should be afraid of SONY's dealings because it could cause many to fall. If SONY goes down many go down with it because money invested in it's games.

Here you go:
http://www.gamasutra.com/ph...

To not name your competition when you have said your are in competition in the past is elitism.Now all they can say is yeah they won't be around when they are still in front of you. Catching up doesn't count if you don't catch and past them. This is not some soccer moms every one wins logic that you guys seem to use. They are 3rd those are the facts. Being number one in a region doesn't matter out side of japan for a lot of these companies.

They have not won yet they claim victory by saying they are better or saying they are the official industry leader his words as they sit at the bottom looking up. To say the 360 has no longevity is pretty silly right now. It is very easy for MS to keep this box going for another 2 years which would be a long time. Also I don't see many new SONY games coming out for the PS2 any more either. Another funny thing is the xbox 360 is now making money on systems sold and they have bought the exclusives needed to keep the thing going. Last time I checked MS big games still sell pretty well. SONY has no halo or gears just to name a few.

I'm not an xbox fan but even I understand why MS dropped the old xbox. Intel had them by the balls and they did not have the support they needed last gen. Yeah it was cut short but you now have a console from a none player that is sitting in second place. While a industry leader ignores the competition and double talks you you try to spin it? You don't really understand that he is trying to tell you

-Yeah sony fans I've heard you say you want a price drop because it helped the xbox 360 yet that things is not even going to be here in a few years, So you know we will win by default.-

You see in japan people gave SONY hell so they got a price drop right away.... Yet the English speaking groups are just fine with spinning the SONY fall so every thing is all rosey.

Here is some reading for you......... a freebie

Report: Sony Restructuring Imminent Amid Management Tension
http://www.gamasutra.com/ph...

Ouch!

Another thing is IBM, Nvidia, AMDati are the tech leader ship right now. SONY takes lots of credit for these guys work, IBM, nvidia yet they would not know where to start if they had to make those chips them selves. Nintendo is the controller and expanded/arcade audience leaders right now along with the over all crown for the console war as of now.

[pixelsword]

Humble yourself, and you shall be exhalted.

and

A person who is putting on their armor should not boast like one taking theirs off.

While I do enjoy the PS3's technological advances (I go on home at least almost every other day now) keeping a humble attitude installs dignity to both the consumer and the vendor.

But I believe Kaz realizes that a major obstacle may have been overcome, so he may very well be "out of the battle", and therefore sees himself in the position to boast, so I won't come down on him too hard...

...after all, I full well know that I'll be handing Sony $60 when Killzone came out, and bulking up to over 30 games (on disc, mind you) that I play on my PS3.

He's so confident now, I'm almost willing to say some sizable announcement is near.

[meepmoopmeep]

i agree,

keep it humble.

i know i'm the best but i don't boast about it

:)

[jwatt]

I honestly think they're just confident about thier game line up through out the year.

[Sarcasm]

"I'm almost willing to say some sizable announcement is near. "

Price cut and Massive advertisements for Killzone 2 should be in order.

But above all, with all the smack talking Kaz has been doing lately. Sony's priority is

PRICE CUT PRICE CUT PRICE CUT

[Aclay]

I agree about being humble, but Sony has been humble for a large part of this generation. Microsoft PR like Don Mattrick and Aaron Greenburg have ran their mouths immensely.

Sony usually isn't the company to boast for no reason at all. With these powerful fighting words coming from Kaz, I have a feeling there's plenty of stuff brewing up in the Playstation camp for 2009.

When running a race, it's not always the quickest that wins, but the one that endures until the end.

A quote that I've heard many times that I think applies really well to Sony's long term PS3 plan is this:

"The Race isn't given to the Swift, but to the one that endures to the end."

[The Lazy One]

sony was rarely humble this generation. They've only seemed humble because they've had nothing to boast about since the public decided to give sony the finger for all its pre-launch boasting shortly after launch.

[N4g_null]

This is not a race this is a war... the first one to crush the other side wins. There is no slow crushing or throwing the last punch if your knocked the F out. There is only a few rounds and the announcer is yelling and SONY's hurt! Swinging widly with jelly arms as nintendo bounces off the opposite rope to ready a running uppercut.

Just like the other systems that died we still loved them because they where the only systems to get some games. Maybe I'll get one, one day or just wait on the PS4 that will have B/C.

[I_LOVE_MYSELF]

Sony did lead the industry... Microsoft dethroned them hard this gen and Sony are left trailing... Sure the PS3 suits me more as a person but the 360 is clearly the better purchase for a wider range of customers

[Gue1]

X360 has a bigger install-base, wider library of games and it is cheaper... But that statement goes to the trash when you remember how often they break, the monthly fee to play online, all the add-ons it needs to be on par with PS3 and at the end it doesn't has blu-ray and and it will cost more. 2009 line-up of games looks better on the the PS3.

edit:
BTW that disagree you have doesn't comes from me...

[Kratos19]

Nintendo dethroned them, not Microsoft.

[Xbox Street Gang]

No.

[pixelsword]

As a whole, The Asian territories tend to go Nintendo, then Sony, as well as Europe...

...as a whole.

and even in the Americas, the Wii is leading.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

You are right, MS is just nibbling at the little marketshare Sony has left after Nintendo dethroned Sony. So far Sony is the big looser this generation. Going from hero to zero...

Hopefully KZ2 will mark the turning point.

[304three]

can the 360 play blu-ray movies

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Does it need to?

[JBaby343]

It would be nice. Playing movies AND games is twice the fun.

[FF7numba1]

lol ps2 is still on the shelves. I like how xbox and nintendo fanboys like to pretend ps3 is the only console sony has. Goes to show that your company really doesn't have much going for them besides the head start and causal machine. Anyways ps3 will be on the shelves longer than wii and 360.

[Xbox Street Gang]

Can't argue with him...

KZ2>>>>>> 360

[No FanS Land]

WTF is he on? Sony struggles selling PS3's and yet they can't afford to cut the price because they still lose money. What is he thinking?

[Fishy Fingers]

He doesn't actually say that...

"This is not meant in terms of numbers, or who's got the biggest install base, or who's selling most in any particular week or month, but I'd like to think that we continue official leadership in this industry,"

Reading (more than the title), makes news much easier to understand.

[pixelsword]

...good point.

[No FanS Land]

finally it's not that wacky. kinda right, it's about his ten year plan and the advantage of longevity.

[N4g_null]

WOW I read the "new" and the comments on the page LOL. You know some of those guys might actually be in the industry. I'm sorry they need to do some thing and I don't want to see any one else close their doors because their team is full of SONY fan boys. It's not the most powerful system it's just different and that's not really helping it where it needs it.

Most people are not eating what SONY is feeding them. We are buying core 7i's and new video cards and laughing at such a superior machine get crush by the Wii which actually has an interesting play style. Yes the graphics are not the best but hey that did not stop the PS2 back in the day.

[SSCOOLCHEA]

FEB..27......

[Kasatka]

The Playstation brand maby, if you add up the PS1, PS2, PSP, and now the PS3.

[Foxgod]

Pfffrt, if you even add up all the sega consoles you still come on top of sony.
Let alone nintendo who outsold all the sony computers combined in only the past 5 years.

[meepmoopmeep]

just say "no" to drugs

[Mr.Mister]

well if u add all nintendo console......

[FF7numba1]

wrong only the ps2,ps3 and psp count. and nintendo only has 2 to the guy above. gamecube and xbox have been abandon for a long.

[Nathan Drake]

The Ps2 is still officially supported and in production,therefore,it's impossible to label Hirais statement as anything but fact.

And it should be mentioned that the PsP is sitting comfortably at 48 Million+ sold,expect an official announcement regarding the handheld crossing the 50 Million mark sometime in the near future.

[moreover]

no, stop it. what are u the waffen SS of sony?

[Homicide]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA......no Sony, NO!

I didn't know the leader is supposed to be outsold by its competitors.

[militant07]

agreed, he should work on selling more PS3 than saying this.

how he gona look when he end up losing ?

[Gr81]

Sure buddy keep living in fantasy land. The PS3 is currently in 3rd place WW, gotta love this guys attempts at making something outta nothing though.

And Kas if you wanna do that, what about all the gameboy's NES SNES N64, GC, DS, and now Wii? that is just silly.

[Foxgod]

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAA

just , no.....

[PotNoodle]

In the industry, at this moment in time - the playstation brand > xbox brand.

Which includes the PS2, PSP, PS3 and all their first and second party software (which they have more of than microsoft and nintendo).

[Foxgod]

oh plz, nintendo owns sony upside down both hardware and software.

[bviperz]

Sony is not the leader as in 'sales' but leader as in 'moving the generation forward'. My opinion.

[Mike134nl]

He could have been more precise,

Also (to Kaz Hirai) stop operating in "your world" and start operating in the real world

[PotNoodle]

Sony have more first and second party studios than nintendo.

[N4g_null]

DeathroW22 "Sony have more first and second party studios than nintendo"
They are also losing more money and had the least amount of games in the top ten with just one.

[FF7numba1]

thats nice fox hound come back when it reaches 150 million.

[Th3 Chr0nic]

Delusional much? i hear they have meds for that sir

[OmegaKulu]

Service, sure, MS is leading in online service.
Hardware, no, Nintendo is clearly leading that.
Games, Yes and No, 1st/2nd party offering is pretty much even with Sony atm.(I'm talking about the number and the types of games coming out, not how good they sell)

[Sir Ken_Kutaragi]

...Me and Ken Kutaragi Laughed at the xBox 360 when we saw it'!!! ;-D

[Sanzee]

Who the hell let Kaz out of the f*cking center? You know he's in there for a reason! The man is bi-polar and suffers from a rare case of overconfidincism!

Save Sony! Find Kaz! Or all hope will be found!

[blackbeld]

Agree me laughed too..... bubbles for you :)

[GiantEnemyLobster]

Its kind of hard to lead from way back there in 3rd place Sony.

[Stryfeno2]

Bubbles for making me laugh.

[karlostomy]

Kaz Hirai: We're the "official" last place leader

fixed.

[razorbladelight]

it's Ridge Racer. RIIIIIIIIIDGE RACER!!!

[jcfilth]

Microsoft only talks about sales, of course that's why they rushed the 360 to lunch 1 year ahead of the PS3, so that today, they could talk ONLY about sales, which to me is pathetic! why? because when you compare the console sales year to year, the 360 is ahead only by 1Mill and a bit more and that sales push happened recently when they made the price cut to $199.

So considering that the PS3 has been the most expensive of the 2 consoles, that its been out for only 2 years, the PS3 is doing just fine. What do you all think will happen when the PS3 drops to $299??(besides another 360 price cut lol) PS3 sells will Sky-rocket!!

How would you feel telling your friends that you "won" a race of 800meters but that you had an advantage of 400meters and that your competition was just 1 meter behind you when you reached the finish line? I WOULD FEEL STUPID, LIKE A LOSER, PATHETIC, SAD, and all my friends would laugh at me like now US PS3 owners are laughing at Microsoft and the 360.

[Captain Tuttle]

He's a nut job. An arrogant, arrogant nut job.

"We don't provide the 'easy to program for' console that they [developers] want, because 'easy to program for' means that anybody will be able to take advantage of pretty much what the hardware can do, so the question is what do you do for the rest of the nine and half years? It's a learning process"

[cmrbe]

I would prefer that my console would yeild better games through out its lifecycle than a console that maxes out in just 2 years of its life.

[dachiefsman]

Oh Captain, My Captian!

[Chrisy]

"We don't provide the 'easy to program for' console that [developers] want, because 'easy to program for' means that anybody will be able to take advantage of pretty much what the hardware can do, so then the question is what do you do for the rest of the nine-and-a-half years?" explained Hirai''

:O
:O
:O
:O
:O
:O
....
....
....
:O

I am without words:o How did this company ever came to exist is beyond me. WTF just WTF?!?! For humanity's sake I really hope he didnt really say this. I cant believe these retards actually have supporters out there. wow Although such quotes only confirm that this company wont last another year. How did this monkey ever get hired, HOW?

:O

[theKiller]

"We don't provide the 'easy to program for' console that [developers] want, because 'easy to program for' means that anybody will be able to take advantage of pretty much what the hardware can do, so then the question is what do you do for the rest of the nine-and-a-half years?" explained Hira

then he continues

"He picked God of War to show gameplay changing during long life of the PS2, and said that sort of learning curve will be the same with PS3.

"So it's a kind of - I wouldn't say a double-edged sword - but it's hard to program for, and a lot of people see the negatives of it, but if you flip that around, it means the hardware has a lot more to offer," he said.
"

so his point that he wants the ps3 to have every year new accomplishment in the gameplay and graphics department because its clearly the 360 have almost maxed out and almost there is no great achievements in the graphics department nor the complexity of the things that can happen all at once in the screen!!!!

[dukadork2]

"I am without words... WTF just WTF?!?!"

yet she gave her money to a company that knowingly screwed at least 1/3 of its customers in broad day light, and she keeps polishing that c0ck zealously everyday on n4g.

kaz is 100% right: the learning curve is part of the longevity of a console and longevity is 100% to our advantage as gamers. compare that to directx with no learning curve but all games look and feel dead similar and you need new hardware all the time to compensate for dumb ass coders.

only corporate c0ck suckas like you would rather give them more money. i'd rather devs competing and learning a difficult platform to deliver titles that look even better than crysis on a $4000 PC only 2 years in its lifetime!

get yourself some kleenex xb!tch, tough times ahead
lol

[IWentBrokeForGaming]

it was nice too!. It's always nice to see when MS and Sony can just STFU and do their jobs. With the release of Killzone 2... apparently Kaz grew his cahonies back to run his yapper!.

My message for Kaz and Sony is... we KNOW what your product contains in it, get over explaining how it's bang for the buck. We know it plays blu-rays, BUT IT'S A GAME CONSOLE FIRST!. Let your games speak for your product, your tech-mumble-jumble isn't even creditable until gamers/consumers see all that being used. Killzone 2 is the FIRST positive reception I've seen of the PS3 this gen, it WILL take gamers by storm... but now it's a sign that the expectations are going to run high after its release and people are going to want, want, want... all that eye candy. Can Sony deliver more Killzone quality outside of Heavy Rain?.. we shall find out!

My message for MS is to STFU also. We know your system has outsold the PS3 here in the states. We also know that it was do to an awesome game library that started late 07 and ended with the release of Gears 2 last year. I want to know, what will carry their product through 09 against the sick line-up Sony has planned?. Sure Im getting Alan Wake for 360... but that's ALL I KNOW IM BUYING IN 09 FOR IT!. Possibly even Ninja Blade but thats a maybe. MS's biggest announcements aside of Alan Wake, are DLC for been there, done that games. NOTHING NEW. Sure the diehards will go crazy for the DLC. Which I most likely won't get for neither Halo 3 or GTA 4, because I've been totally over those games. The people wanting Halo OSDT, won't you feel disappointed if it don't match up to ALL Killzone 2 has going for it? I would be. It's MS's time to flex back, with graphics and I can't see them doing it. But 360 has sold A LOT here in the US, but it was because it HAD GAMES. Now MS has only 1 TRUE game, THAT ISN'T A DLC ADD ON. To boast about in 09 and that is really really worry some!

But whatever comes for either console I get to enjoy anyways. I just feel they both need to STFU and just let the product speak for itself, cause they both sound like broken records in the things they spit!

[TheColbertinator]

Hahahahahaha is Kaz losing it?

[Says you]

Or XBox 360 has dethroned the PlayStation brand there's practically more PlayStation's in the world combined and when Sony talks its not ok for them I think all of you should shut up and let them since none of you are working for them anyway at Sony's they haven't been talking for a while there has been barely any articles about them talking about sales all the time compared to Aaron Greenburg and Microsoft talking about sales and when they talk you guys just jump on them.

[Graphics Whore]

Technologically they're the only company moving the console business forward instead of going backwards (Wii) or standing still (Xbox).

[caladbolg777]

Whole-heartedly agree.

[METtAL-GAMER]

Sigh...Still way too cocy after 2 years.I guess this means they are still not worried about advertisement.

[mithril]

Compare with car industry, Toyota is leader in car sales because sale many Camry ? No Toyota is Leader with combined product (Camry, corola etc...) Same with Sony. Sony is leader because sell PS2, PS3, PSP and games development.

[DJ]

And the Playstation brand generates more revenue than any other gaming brand. The PS3 is a little behind the competition in terms of hardware sales, but the platform is experiencing long-term, steady growth due to Sony's hard work. The fact that it only took them two years to match Xbox Live's subscriber figures is a landmark achievement, and with a smaller install base to boot.

20 million consoles after two years is a good start. Though it's better than what the 360 accomplished, it's still only half of what the Wii has pulled off. As long as they drop the console's price to $299 within the next calendar year, pump out groundbreaking titles that emphasize the PS3's power advantage (i.e. Killzone 2), and continue to improve their core services the PS3 has a good chance of catching up to the Wii.

[testerg35]

So to PS3 fans, Sony is just being confident, but when MS says the same thing MS is just talking crap.

[Homicide]

Nintendo is the one who's pushing the industry forward. They got a lot of non-gamers playing the Wii.

[fossilfern]

i think what he means is the PS3 is a console that other makers should follow. Think about it do you really want to say to a R&D team "ok we gotta make a console like the 360" no becuase baisicly what you are saying is you want a machine without dated design and a generation behind in a media format that has a high failure rate. Or would you want to follow Sonys example with the latest hardware, Reliability and pure fun ? i know which one id go for. But all Xbots will start disagreeing with me and taking away my bubbles so any PS3 fan or anyone who has sense please agree with me :D

[IWentBrokeForGaming]

I just wanna hear you say "KILLLLLLLL ZONEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

[Voiceofreason]

LMAO...Industry leader?? IN 3rd palce and the only console you outsold last year was your previous console the PS2... Sad really...Sony is just beyond stupid this gen with teir attitude.. So arrogant its not even funny.. " Millions will line up for a PS3 regardless of value." " The next gen doesnt start til we say so.." Rumble is a last gen feature and not needed in the PS3." and now the final act of depseration " "We are still the market leader with 24% market share."
Well it gives the fanboys and girls something to talk about but anyone that isnt a fanboy already knows Sony isnt the market leader..
The smell of desperation from Sony is getting sickening. Things must be far woprse than we know for them to be acting so desperate to fool more consumers with their lies.

[MrJack]

Before all the disagrees, think about it, minus the 360's one year head start it is only 2 million units ahead of the PS3, despite the fact that it is half the price. The PS3 is 3 million units ahead of where the 360 was at this point of it's cycle. By 2011 the PS3 will be in the lead. Mark my words on that.

[METtAL-GAMER]

And what if Sony doesn't win?Then what?Who cares if they win or lose as long as both systems are doing good.I don't care who wins as long as the games and quality keep coming.No point in being worried about the console war.

[PimpDaddy]

That is what I am talking about right there. You complained to me that Sony doesnt deserve the hatred, criticisim, that they dont mudsling as bad as Microsoft. Wow. Here I was thinking Ken Kuturagi had lost his mind. Kaz just dismissed the Wii because it is handing the PS3 it's a$$, and told every third party developer to go get f*cked.

BURN!!!!!

Edit: Wiimaniac. Because Nintendo isnt competing against the 360 or Wii for the "hardcore" gamer. They are competing for "every" gamer. Just like Sony has concentrated on eating into Microsofts slice of the "hardcore" gamer market while neglecting "every" gamer. Just like now the 360 is going after "every" gamer because they realized you dont sell 100+ million consoles to "hardcore" gamers.

They are all competitors. Whether they want to admit it ot not. Every time somebodys buys a Wii or 360 console/game that is less money in Sonys pocket and vice versa. All 3 companies can spin all they want. At the end of the day they want our money, so therefore they are in competition.

[Gue1]

Nintendo himself have been saying since the start that they are not directly competing with the other 2 consoles...

[karlostomy]

Stop it with your common sense and valid comments, pimp.

Juuken et al DON'T want to hear about reality.

[NickIni]

I love it when people read the article.

[Gue1]

The tittle is just to get hits...

complete quote: "This is not meant in terms of numbers, or who's got the biggest install base, or who's selling most in any particular week or month, but I'd like to think that we continue official leadership in this industry." Hirai told

-Tittle says: Kaz Hirai: We're the "official" industry leader.

-Real quote says: "I'd like" to think that we continue official leadership in this industry.

The real quote in spanish : "Me gustaria" pensar que aun continuamos siendo los lideres oficiales en esta industria.

[Z501]

PS2, PSP, and PS3.
They're all being supported.
Can't spin facts people.

[yojoe26]

Kaz!! Psss! Hey Kaz!! Please stop talking big PR talk like the Microsoft execs do. We PS3 owners love our PS3s and the way Sony works their strategy in the industry and all, but we fear for our lives when comments like this are made. It makes Xbox fanboys angry, and when they get angry, they do desperate, maniacal things to us. They hurt us and say mean things. I am going to go now, but remember: Don't stoop to Microsoft's level of big, bully-talk.

PSN Frodo25

[Lastlivingsoul]

I own both a 360 and PS3 and my roommate has a Wii. It is no secret that I like my PS3 a lot more. Listen, the blu-ray is a nice addition, I love it, but if it were not included PS3 would still beat out 360. One simple reason: games. You can talk about Wii and XBox sales being higher. You can talk all day about Halo, Gears of War and the PS3 not having enough games. In the end the issue is I just don't like most 360 exclusives...in fact the only games I'm really impressed with is Mass Effect, Bioshock, and Left4Dead...also Alan Wake seems promising. 1 of which is already on the ps3 and the two are heavily rumored to be on their way. To me most 360 games just feel generic and unoriginal, they always feel like they are playing too safe. There are honestly more Wii exclusives that I like, than the the 360 provides. I understand the appeal of Halo, and Gears. In a nation that seems to shy away from anything with true artistic merit, yet clamors for mediocrity and whatever product the media pushes the most I can see how XBox/Microsoft is capitalizing, it's a good strategy.

Now I'm not saying that every PS3 title is pushing the boundaries of innovation (for the record...I will be playing it, but I'm not yet completely sold on KZ2) but they seem to understand more what I am looking for as a gamer. Titles like LittleBigPlanet, Uncharted, Valkyria Chronicles, Metal Gear Solid, Ratchet & Clank, Infamous, Heavy Rain, Buzz Quiz TV, any thing Pixel Junk, or Team ICO (Shadows of the Colossus was the greatest game ever), WipeoutHD, God of War, Twisted Metal, Jak & Daxter, Siren, Resistance, Sly Cooper...are fantastic. These are the kinds of games I want to play. Sony continues to make games that are far more engaging than XBox. In the end I suppose it's a matter of preference, but if I could only choose one system...it wouldn't even be a contest.

So yes there are aspects of both the 360 and the Wii, that I like and there are definitely some areas in which Sony could improve...primarily marketing, until the other systems begin to consistently provide GOOD exclusives...PS3 will be my choice.

Sony is the leader of the pack, regardless of sales...(which they will definitely beat out 360 in the end), because they actually learn from their mistakes, they listen to their customers and continue to create innovative and interesting games without having to purchase their ideas from competitors.

[kingboy]

Three lucrative consoles in the gaming market all selling at a decent rate..never been done before nuff said! now go weep

[YeOldeGamer]

...in ridiculous, arrogant statements maybe.

[RealtorMDandDC]

I could not have said it better...

I own a 360 and a PS3..and 2009 looks more interesting for my PS3 versus my 360..

I cannot think of "one" game I will be purchasing for my 360 in 2009..I can think about 17 I will be purchasing for my PS3........

Is this the last year for the 360...."I think so" 360next 2010........it makes sense..remember my comments...1/20/09..when change and hope begins

[Jdoki]

While I agree it's a slightly arrogant statement, I was typing out a response to put a bit of context around why Kaz might say that. Y'know, like brand loyalty, recognition, feature set and stuff not directly related to sales.

But so many people on this site are so polarised, closed minded and unwilling to actually discuss things with out reverting to name calling and flaming, there's little point.

So to appease the fanboys please pick the one that applies most to you...

- LOLZ, Kaz is Krazy. PS3rd place suxxxs ass. Xbox ownzs. PS3 will suffer the same fate as the GameCube and Virtual Boy.

- Teh PS3 and SELL CPU is teh most powerfulest gaming machine in existance. Enjoy your XBox3FIXME while you can, on Feb27th Sony officially wins.

[AgentCLJ]

Kaz, be careful. Didn't your predecessor get "reassigned" for making similar comments early on?

[Magic_The_Celt]

LMAO umm dude

not a good time to be stating this

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Kicking and screaming fingers in your ears denial.

[Graphics Whore]

Yeah, you're doing a pretty good job.

[InMyOpinion]

"official" leader. All games in "1080p". The next generation "starts" when we "say" so. Rumble is a "last gen" feature. The cell is more "powerful" than any other processor, hence "superior" multiplat games. We are "pleased" with the NPD numbers. Our games "outsold" all other games this holiday. We are not in "3rd place". "Home". Denial...

[FinalomegaS]

After the NPD report, MS gave their 2 cents, then came Nintendo with their pie chart ( jesus 99%), and now Sony's Kaz and his "we are the market leader".

meh ... read the post and all you see are speculations of what he means, Kaz is crazy when he's ready and he tends to speak out of context sometimes and he's allowed to say whatever he wants. Man look at Nintendo and their 99% pie chart... A lot of Sony fans on this site and you show it hard, but you seem on defense. The game list is strong and it speaks for it self, we can argue of each system ( same old argument actually lol) until we can't speak no more but can we just stop the bashing of each other. Kaz is just doing his PR duty(honestly don't like him though) I wouldn't mind any other Sony member to say it hehe.

Don't we get tired seeing the same old negativity?

[Tacticity]

'Kaz Hirai' is a great leader, Deffantly better then those f!cking MS bosses.

[jrsenkbe]

he is completely right. It will be so funny when 360 and Wii owners are coughing out another $300 plus in a couple years at most for a new console that ONLY competes with the PS3 and PS3 owners are still enjoying their great games and true HD movies.

[Kazu0 Hirai]

As President of Sony Computer Entertainment, I would like to express my true feelings to the gamers of N4G because I feel you hardcore gamers deserve only the truth. My previous statements to Eurogamer were false, and were made only to please the few remaining fans we still have that are faithful to the Playstation brand name. In truth, I realize that my Playstation 3 console is in last place behind the Nintendo Wii and the Microsoft Xbox 360, not only in terms of hardware/software sales, but also in terms of quality. Because of these cold, hard facts, it is obvious I am not in a position to be calling Sony the "official industry leader". I would like to apologize to the millions of gamers out there who believed in Sony and had faith that we would follow the Playstation 2 with a worthy successor. My 10 year plan for the Playstation 3 is now more important than ever, seem as though my lack of accomplishment in the past 2 years is completely unacceptable. My dream is to see the Playstation 3 as a successful, profitable console with great games for everyone to enjoy. I expect my dream to come into fruition in the years 2015 - 2016. Please do not lose faith.

Sincerely,

Kaz Hirai

[lokiroo420]

So was that an attempt at humor?

[Thoreau]

in order to grow, you must acknowledge your flaws. every day i look in the mirror and ask the lord and my soul the question of, "what do i need to improve on?" sometimes i am just so mean and i need to work on that aspect of my personality. d@mn kaz, don't count your chickens before they hatch. drop that ps3 price. allow Killzone 2 to release. granted, the ps3 is better than the wii or the 360 (in my humble opinion, check me on psn or xbl, i am a big CODWAW(360) and MGO(ps3) fan), but when i see companies flapping there gums, i get a little annoyed. Focus on yourself(sony) and watch your opponents(nintendo, microsoft). the minute you talk, your guard is down.

everyone ignore jenzo and jason 360, they only own the xbox 360. (see, me being mean again)

[Tacticity]

'Kaz Hirai' is a great leader, Deffantly better then those f!cking MS bosses.

[smurfie4]

I think what kaz is trying to say is that Sony is the role model for the gaming industry. It's obvious they aren't the sales leader or he would have said that. If you read the article it clearly states that.

[Product]

Maybe a role model for tech right now but not for business.

[Shnazzyone]

I love how he pretends like sony exists in only it's own little gaming world and then explains openly on how difficult they have made it to develop for their gaming system. Then he randomly mentions god of war as some sort of example (which makes no sense at all!). It's nice to see that sony reps are in as much denial as their fanbase. They were made for each other.

[fatstarr]

wow sony , in 3rd place seat... and so sceptical, when nitendo was in 2nd and 3rd, they werent makin up excises, sony is #1 in not peddling accesories, number1 in #1 500$+ console not selling, Number 1 in bichin that they lost their support. and that the wii is selling and microsoft did the smart move, copy others and become the best by making whats standard obsolete. Microsoft copied the cheap scheme cause cheap sells, sony should sit back and just let this generation slide and pull a nintendo. because obv microsoft isnt gonna step up anytime soon cause in their heads they are winning and #1, nintendo doesnt have to step up untill any of their competition goes to the next level,why fix what isnt broke? all ques for sony to make the next leap.

[cmrbe]

is in a traditional sense, they are the leader in advancing the traditional console market.

Nin basically changed the dynamics the console market this gen similar to how Sony changed the console market when they brought gaming to a more adult market back in the PS1 days.

MS on the otherhand basically did noting to advance gaming this gen.

[ChickeyCantor]

Well no sh/t( well not really).
I would say the same if I sold hardware from radio's to Tv's and computers and etc etc.

[Gr81]

I still can't believe some of these droids are spewing this nonsense and trying to pass it off as a reality. "Well, Kaz, says it so if you look at it this way" gimme a break.

The reality is the official industry leader is the official market leader, last gen sony had reason to believe this, this gen, they don't. Plain and simple, they are not the industry leader, the games he mentioned will do nothing to change this, just as MGS4 did nothing, LBP did nothing, and Killzone 2 will do nothing. (And for the record MGS4 & LBP were very good games).

Just take your medicine, Sony. You expected ppl to pay 600$ for a videogame system just because it had your name on it, you used this system as a trojan horse for your format wars and took your previous console success for granted. I hope next gen you won't be as arrogant. Third times the charm, Nintendo suffered the same fall from grace, due to their arrogance, and look at them now. Breaking records on their way to the top.

[baodeus]

@shadow flair,

Yeah, and you are loosing to the chimp and apes, please tell me how does that feel?

[Mikey Mike]

So all the SONY hate steams from the fact that many here are living at home and mommy would not buy you a PS3. SONY sold 378,000 units in November. This is before you count 421,000 PSPs and 206,000 PS2s. Wow over a million SONY products sold in what was supposed to be a slow month for SONY. You guys are smoking crack. Watch and learn a lesson from SONY in 2009. When they drop the system to 299.99....domination. By then there will be word that Microsoft went to the nearest junkyard and salvage some spare parts to build another Junk Box.

[7h3ultim8p00]

lol really? Sony...products? You know things are really bad when Sony has to add in the PS2, PSP, and PS3 to stay competitive with Microsoft which has only 1 console.

I mean, in all fairness, should Microsoft include all the revenues it makes from PC games in their report? That would pretty much shut Sony up.

[7h3ultim8p00]

DENIAL

Denial is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.

TYPES OF DENIAL

Denial of fact: This form of denial is where someone avoids a fact by lying. This lying can take the form of an outright falsehood (commission), leaving out certain details in order to tailor a story (omission), or by falsely agreeing to something (assent, also referred to as "yessing" behavior). Someone who is in denial of fact is typically using lies in order to avoid facts that they think may be potentially painful to themselves or others.

Sounds like Sony right about now

[DOOMZ]

Really!

[stonecold3]

we are beyond you all the way i can bealive ps3 will outsell the xbox 360 and the nintendo wii anyway dont worry about wii its so last gen a gamecube repackaged

[CAPT IRISH]

you cant just dismiss your competitors

[ultimolu]

Oh my gawwwd, the man is on drugs!

Seriously people, read the article. That title is flamebait.

[SpartanZero]

LOL

[ReBurn]

And we all know that it really only matters how Kaz sees it, right?

[Lord Vader]

LMAO !!!

WE are the Industry Leader with the #3 console out of 3 & consistantly sucking in software sales, most notably with our Big Exclusives, like R2, which is currently being outsold by 2007's Halo 3 ?!?

Sony + Fanboys = Delusional !

[djslapdash]

First Sony thought that '360' was its only competitor because the '360' was the only console it could catch.

Now that sales of both '360' and 'Wii' are leaving PS3 marooned in last place. The bosses of SCEJ, because of their isolation, cannot see their competitors in the distance and so are saying they have won.

Kaz Hirai what a guy watch this:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch...

[stealthy-guy]

nothing could be more worse then.the "next gen starts when we say so" dumb remark.with that said lets enjoy 09 games regarless of ur choice of consloe. can't wait to play KILLZONE2!!!!!!!!

[Kasatka]

The stop the spread of STDs by not having sex, or a life

[Solotov]

They are getting crushed by Nintendo and losing by 8 million to Microsoft. Is that a "Leader"?

[pumpkinpunker]

sony execs live in the same dreamworld that N4g Sony fanboys do.

[dash--]

If you don't say your the best than who will its just a matter of time.
I mean M$ always says their the best so why can't sony say it?

[Droid Control]

put him back in his box!

[kesvalk]

well, i have a official anouncement too

Kaz Hirai is Crazy!

okay, the PS3 is a very good console, but they are still on 3rd...
they can say that they are the leader when they really get on 1st...

[monkfish]

he lies......ive just made a console and now mines the market leader....

just because you type/say something doesnt make it true....

[JohnnyBadfinger]

Bloody hell this forum is like a monkey s*** fight.

I don't know what the gaming industry is like in AmericaLand, Eroupe and chingy chong Asia(nor do i give a rats arse). but here in Australia the gaming industry favours the xbox and nintendo.
i would say in the advertising persective the the Xbox and the Wii would get about 40% each while the Playstation gets around 20%. Reason being the PS3 is to expensive.
Right now as i write this the PS3 is selling for
$667 AUD (but you do get 1 controller and a game of your choice) wow let me just get my wallet out... OH s*** i gotta pay the bloody bills.
While the Xbox is going for $227 AUD (core console so no HHD but 2 games and 2 controllers) and the Wii for $388 AUD (you get 1 controller and 2 games).
Now you smart-arse yanks tell me what most parents would have bought their children over Christmas and remember there is a finacial crisis. Which you yanks all ready know because hundreds of your citizens are becoming homeless everyday.

The best console is judged by which sells better therefore making the Wii and the Xbox the leaders. it all comes back to the money not blu-ray (which is only for those who have no social life and a full HDTV)

Oh and probably worth mentioning im an Xbox man.

[butbutbuttehcell]

You're right but don't try telling these losers that.
Like Hirai, they think that you can lead something in last place. When PS3 outsells the Wii they'll be the leader, but they never ever will.
Newsflash - the PS3 is in LAST PLACE. It has sold the LEAST out of all the consoles. butbutbut, year 'headstart' butbutbut...no buts, it's in last place. Microsoft came to market earlier, it's not a headstart, it's PS3 taking too long to come out. butbutbut...selling well at price...selling well? Ok just another 8 million to go to be in 2nd if the 360 sells literally zero (unlikely). So forget leading the industry, once ur not falling further into dead last, THEN tell us that ur the leader. Actually, when you're in the lead you should probably do that

[bigjclassic]

Industry leader of console tech, then yea ill give him that.
But in know way are they leading anything as far as the console wars are
concerned maybe if they stop talking crap like M$ AND RELEASE THE F'N GAMES then they'll catch up.

*btw i like my PS3, there just isnt any JRPGS or Puroresu titles.*

[Anon1974]

As far as the current gen console wars you're right. The PS3 has sold neck and neck with the 360 but clearly isn't the leader. When you look at the big picture, which is what Kaz was doing, you can certainly see his position. PS2 is still selling strong and is still the most played console in the US (I imagine that's worldwide as well). PS2 games still routinely crack into the top 10 sales. The combined Playstation brand controls a huge chunk of the gaming market.

[cherrypie]

Wow. The man is sniffing paint fumes. He shoudl have a look at industry sales figures.

Clearly their the official Failure. Without a doubt, Sony -- as a whole -- is on the ropes, and the PS -- as a brand -- has fallen off a cliff.

Someone needs to get this guy some medication.

[Anon1974]

You're kinda living in la-la land, aren't you? We know that the PS3 is selling faster than the 360 ever did. 17 million consoles in 2 years vs 13 million for the 360, and that's with a much higher price point. We know the PSP has remained strong, and we know that the PS2 is still the most played console. We also have developer after developer stepping forward (including the biggest of all, EA) and stating that they make the most money off the PS3.

Really, I'm confused how any rational person could consider this a failure. All I can think is that you're just unaware of the facts..ignorant, as it were.

[SprayandPreycom]

if your talking blu ray

as far as gaming goes please ps3 make some freaking games

by the time the ps3 catches up to the 360 the next gen xbox will be out and that will be pretty much the end of playstation gaming department they will have fun competing with the wii while XBOX takes hold of the future of video games

anyway neither company has a great mmorph to date so basically they both suck balls in this the best form of online gaming

[SprayandPreycom]

this article reads like the words of a desperate man on the verge of disaster trying anything to avert total failure

"Anyways ps3 will be on the shelves longer than wii and 360."

yeah on the shelves collecting dust mites

[Droid Control]

You could always trust him. Not like these Pr!cks...

[PS3thedestroyer]

Nintendo Wii isin't a next gen console it's really a last gen, it's cheap, over marketed, there claming fat people will have fun losing weight, what a load of bullsh!t, go to a gym and as for Xbox they can't class themselves themselves anything higher than a rival.