Kaz Hirai Takes A Swing At Microsoft!

Usually we frown upon this kind of inter-corporation bashing (even if it does make for sensational headlines such as the one above) but this time we have to kind of just stand there in stunned amazement thinking “way to grow a pair Kaz!” Incendiary comments of this nature are usually reserved for the manly men types (at least as manly as being a PR dude for a videogame company allows) such as Peter Moore, Reggie, Phil Harrison, and now and again good ol’ Kenny. That’s why we were somewhat surprised to wake up to these comments from Sony‘s own Kaz Hirai apparently made in the latest issue of PlayStation Magazine:

PSM: Sony and Microsoft seem to be taking the exact same path.

Hirai: We seem to. Every time we go down a path, we look behind and they’re right there – we just can’t shake these guys. I wish that they would come up with some strategies of their own, but they seem to be going down the path of everything we do. If you look at their strategy in other business areas as well, they tend to do that.

Hirai:…And the other thing is, you take a look at, for example, the fact that we incorporate the Blu-ray drive from day one. You’re not going to be asking me, ‘So, talk to me about this Blu-ray add-on that you have. Does it work for games? Is it just for movies?’ That’s exactly the kind of pitfall you fall into if you launch something that’s too early, too premature…

Ouch! Maybe it seems all the more scathing because it’s coming from Kaz Hirai, the “RIIIIIIDGE RAAAAACER!” guy, but talk about a one-two sucker punch! Sigh… why is it that we hang on every word these guys utter?

Usually we frown upon this kind of inter-corporation bashing (even if it does make for sensational headlines such as the one above) but this time we have to kind of just stand there in stunned amazement thinking “way to grow a pair Kaz!” Incendiary comments of this nature are usually reserved for the manly men types (at least as manly as being a PR dude for a videogame company allows) such as Peter Moore, Reggie, Phil Harrison, and now and again good ol’ Kenny. That’s why we were somewhat surprised to wake up to these comments from Sony‘s own Kaz Hirai apparently made in the latest issue of PlayStation Magazine:

PSM: Sony and Microsoft seem to be taking the exact same path.

Hirai: We seem to. Every time we go down a path, we look behind and they’re right there – we just can’t shake these guys. I wish that they would come up with some strategies of their own, but they seem to be going down the path of everything we do. If you look at their strategy in other business areas as well, they tend to do that.

Hirai:…And the other thing is, you take a look at, for example, the fact that we incorporate the Blu-ray drive from day one. You’re not going to be asking me, ‘So, talk to me about this Blu-ray add-on that you have. Does it work for games? Is it just for movies?’ That’s exactly the kind of pitfall you fall into if you launch something that’s too early, too premature…

Ouch! Maybe it seems all the more scathing because it’s coming from Kaz Hirai, the “RIIIIIIDGE RAAAAACER!” guy, but talk about a one-two sucker punch! Sigh… why is it that we hang on every word these guys utter?