Ben-DutkaAfter posting an operating loss for the first time in 14 years – and it was quite a large number – Sony has been forced to reshuffle and reorganize. After the corporate whirlwind, here's how things fall (we've got a lot to talk about):
According to a variety of sources, including GameZine, Edge and Joystiq, the first piece of big news is that Sony CEO Howard Stringer will replace Ryoji Chubachi as president of the company. Chubachi will assume the new role of vice chairman in charge of quality and environmental issues; Stringer will officially take the helm on April 1. Said Yuuki Sakurai, general manager of financial and investment planning at Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance: "The Japanese can’t take decisive actions toward their comrades during hardship. As a non-Japanese without such loyalties, Stringer is better positioned to conduct the large-scale restructuring that Sony has to do." So that takes care of the leader of the new pack.
Now, onto Ken Kutaragi's replacement, Kaz Hirai. He will now take charge of the freshly formed Networked Products & Services group, which will include PlayStation, VAIO, and Walkman. The added purpose of this division is to "ensure that the company can focus on creating gadgets that can work together with one another wirelessly." As for the Bravia TVs, Cyber-shot digital cameras, and general audio and video operations, these will now fall into the new Consumer Products Group. The head of Bravia, Hiroshi Yoshioka, will take charge of this division. As one added little bonus, Sony has also announced a brand new software-based team to "bolster product connectivity and save costs."
This restructuring should let Sony save $3 billion in costs, which is higher than the prior estimate of $2.5 billion. New chief Howard Stringer had this to say in response to the major company moves:
"This is the worst recession of our lifetime. But in difficult times, there is opportunity. The changes we're announcing today will accelerate the transformation of the company that began four years ago. They will now make it possible for all of Sony's parts to work together to assume a position of worldwide leadership and, together, achieve great things."
So there you have it. Sony has made the moves analysts and investors have asked them to make, so now it's just a wait and see situation. But nobody can claim Sony didn't respond to the issue; that's for damn sure.
psn with games, movies, music, and electronic books=good for me+good for them.
music would be the big one
I posted this on another site…
"…this sounds encouraging and plausable. You streamline by overlapping common areas and concepts into one group. In theory, it can strengthens all those areas at once in that group. When intergrating common concepts, you can get more efficient productivity like the iPod and iMac. Of course all this is in theory. Let's just see how SONY executes it."
I did this on dubdubdub dot vgchartz dot com. And it's sad to see some of the covert negative spin from others users who would rather bathe in their SONY hate instead of being thankful that a company as big SONY attempting to help right their wrongs.
I think this may be a great thing for Sony. I also think you guys should have used the "My stocks! NOOOOOO!!!!" photo of Stringer.
A changing of the guard was certainly in order, but I hope this guy knows where this boat is leaking, because we've been talking about it on the net for some time. Psst, Advertising needs help even before you make all you products talk to each other.
I actually expected them to announce they've scrapped their ad team,
They have an ad team?
Sony would have to wake its ad team up just to fire them.
Last edited by Orvisman on 2/28/2009 2:20:24 PM
It sounds to me like Howard Stringer and Sony are planning on taking over the world!!!In reality, hope everything works out for Sony, they make quality products and I don't want to imagine a world without playstation 🙂
If it fails Oh god an world without Playstation would mean the death of video games has Microsoft further damages the Gaming industry
are the japanese saying that they cant bear to do things against their own people so they're getting a stranger without those loyalties(heartless) to do it for them?
Yep thats the jist of it, and its a very good thing. If something is tough for yourself because of your Moralities, get somone else to do it for you lol. Hope Sony dose better this year.
"As a non-Japanese without such loyalties, Stringer is better positioned to conduct the large-scale restructuring that Sony has to do."
Wow this could really polarise a company.
I hope for the best for sony this year.
Iyyt people jw if anyone knows wot tha killzone update was 4…Version 1. point something forgot wot it was jw if anyone actully knew wot it was 4
Lol, nobody's been on today. Must be playing KZ2. My mom is picking it up for me, BUT THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE IT AT MY LOCAL WAL-MART. If it's not at Movie Gallery, I'm not getting it today.
P.S. The nearest store that sells new games other than Wal-Mart and Movie Gallery is more than 45 minutes away. Heh, bet Wal-Mart has Halo Wars on release day…
Last edited by somethingrandom on 2/27/2009 5:46:55 PM
I think this could really rejig things for Sony. Things couldn't get worse, right?
good news hope it plays well. also, I really want to see how many copies did KZ2 sell and how much units did it pull in for the PS3? im anxious to hear!
Good, hopefully now Sony will replace their rotting driftwood, not that I'm giving my middle finger salute to anyone there……….
COUGH****"ADVERTIZING DEPARTMENT"****COUGH.
<<<< The added purpose of this division is to "ensure that the company can focus on creating gadgets that can work together with one another wirelessly.">>>>
And his statement above, can only be a good thing!!!!
Now this is something!
Well i hope this changing in loyalties doesn't change their policies in certain aspects *couchbuyexclusivescough* and by taking away the way third-parties and second-parties deal with the way Sony has always dealt with them, with innovation and ambition for new things
Let em burn.
What are you still doing in here? or is this someone else impersonating JoshAdams?
Looks like somebody has a multiple personality sign-up disorder,
(so far, at least 3 & still counting)!!!!!