Somebody get the Jefferson’s on the phone, Ken Kutaragi is moving on up away from the Sony Playstation division [source SCEI pdf] replaced by Kaz Hirai, head of SCEI’s US division. I’m not sure how many will view this as a promotion for Kutaragi, but that seems to be the way it’s being sold.

As Wagner James Au at Gigaom aptly points out:

Once a rising star, last year Kutaragi was demoted, with the Playstation 3 seen as his chance to redeem himself. This latest move almost certainly confirms that this redemption has failed, and that Sony is acknowledging (belatedly, or perhaps far too late) that their status as console king is in grave peril.

Also, I found it interesting that Au pointed to the possibility that there might be no PS4 and that Sony could go the way of Sega, a comparison I suggested back in August and was quickly flamed by Sony fanboys. The blind Sony loyalists claim how great the PS brand is and how easy it is going to keep the #1 slot on the console gaming front, but this time around things are a lot different.

1) Microsoft got in first and has a one year start
2) The Xbox 360 has a more established game library
3) The Xbox 360 has a more established online gaming presence (Xbox Live)
4) Nintendo isn’t in the game. They are playing for the lower priced model with a different strategy, realizing that their style of games can’t or won’t compete against the 360 and PS3 directly. They are going after families and could soon be playing the “we need exercise” card. Could be a brilliant strategy on their part.
5) Very few people will be able to buy a PS3 for the first six months, meaning that the real console challeng won’t occur until Holiday season 2007. By then a cheaper Xbox 360 will be out, making the PS3 look even more overpriced.

The only things Sony has going for them are some killer exclusive titles and strong, but weakening brand loyalty. Square comes to mind on the RPG front. If we see them give up and start supporting the Xbox 360 with these exclusive titles then I seriously doubt we’ll ever see a PS4.

While I’m not willing to make the leap that the PS3 is Sony’s dying console gasp — especially since I’ve never played one — things sure seems abysmal at the moment, don’t they? They would be — and already are — a very successful games company. Sure to be missed by the fanboys who will likely flame me for this post, I sincerely hope Sony can pull it together and not go the way of Sega. As readers here already know, I’m all for competition and Microsoft will be more innovative trying to catch up than they will be in the #1 slot. I’d like to see Microsoft staying hungry.

Would also like to start writing something positive about Sony, but feel that probably won’t happen until I actually get my hands on a system — next year. That’s the biggest problem. Far bigger than it was for Microsof with the Xbox 360 because there wasn’t a PS3 or Wii waiting in the wings like there is now.

And for the rest of you that still haven’t seen — and don’t expect to see — a PS3 available for sale, that isn’t stopping others from taking theirs and turning them into strange concoctions like a PS3 Grill via Make:

I don’t know about you, but I take comfort in knowing that somehow, somewhere, some dude is cooking up little steaks and sausages on a $600 toy.

Tasty!

Seriously, Bill Gates and camp were correct to make getting out there first being a key first victory in the next generation. We won’t know what the true fate of the Playstation is until 2007 or 2008 when both companies have ample supply in the stores with a good stable of games.

• Gametrailers ranks the top 10 videogame systems of all time
• Sony lowers PS3 price in Japan, will lose over a billion dollars on launch, may still be #1
• More PS3 sell than Xbox 360 first five months of 2008
• Sega games for Wii virtual console, it’s a great time to be a classic videogamer
• Premature extrapolation: Sony Playstation 4
• DISCover console gaming system plays PC games on TV