Shuhei Yoshida | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Fri, 23 Sep 2022 11:52:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Shuhei Yoshida | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Sony reiterates that first-party PlayStation games won’t come to PS Plus at launch https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sony-reiterates-that-first-party-playstation-games-wont-come-to-ps-plus-at-launch/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sony-reiterates-that-first-party-playstation-games-wont-come-to-ps-plus-at-launch/#respond Fri, 23 Sep 2022 12:30:15 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=575503 The 9th generation of video game systems has seen competing companies take wildly different approaches when it comes to the marketing and release of their systems, with Microsoft going for a “play anywhere” approach, while Sony remains slightly more hunkered down in that respect. In a recent interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Sony confirmed that this approach …

The post Sony reiterates that first-party PlayStation games won’t come to PS Plus at launch first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The 9th generation of video game systems has seen competing companies take wildly different approaches when it comes to the marketing and release of their systems, with Microsoft going for a “play anywhere” approach, while Sony remains slightly more hunkered down in that respect. In a recent interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Sony confirmed that this approach will not change – at least when it comes to PlayStation Plus.

Sony recently revamped its PlayStation Plus subscription service, expanding it to offer three different tiers: PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra and Premium. Extra represents the best value for money, giving users an Xbox Game Pass like experience with some games launching day-one on PS Plus.

According to head of indies Shuhei Yoshida “For Extra, our approach [is] we like to help the publishers [with] lifecycle management. I was managing first-party [at PlayStation] so I know that it's like in the movies — a movie comes out at the theatre first, then goes to pay per view, or a subscription service, or free TV, every time generating new revenue and reaching out to a broader audience.”

Elaborating further, he said “In the same kind of way, we believe in the premium release of a title at launch and after maybe six months, or three months, or three years, when the game's sales come down, inclusion into this service, PS Plus Extra, can help introduce these games to new, broader audiences. Some people might have missed these games when they came out and it's a great chance to play and generate word-of-mouth or if there's DLC or a sequel going, we can help elevate interest to a broader audience about the franchise.”

This approach does make sense from the perspective of the service provider, and so while some may disagree with this tactic, it seems as though this is the route that Sony has chosen to take – at least this generation.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Shuhei Yoshida’s statement? Do you agree with it? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post Sony reiterates that first-party PlayStation games won’t come to PS Plus at launch first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/sony-reiterates-that-first-party-playstation-games-wont-come-to-ps-plus-at-launch/feed/ 0
PlayStation unveils new “Indies initiative” with 9 games announced https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/playstation-unveils-new-indies-initiative-with-9-games-announced/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/playstation-unveils-new-indies-initiative-with-9-games-announced/#respond Thu, 02 Jul 2020 13:34:14 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=474996 PlayStation has had a long and mutually beneficial relationship with indie developers. The console manufacturer has historically placed great emphasis on these smaller titles – especially during the late PS3 and early PS4 eras. Now, PlayStation has officially announced it’s “PlayStation Indies initiative” alongside the reveal of 9 new titles. Announced by Shuhei Yoshida himself, …

The post PlayStation unveils new “Indies initiative” with 9 games announced first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
PlayStation has had a long and mutually beneficial relationship with indie developers. The console manufacturer has historically placed great emphasis on these smaller titles – especially during the late PS3 and early PS4 eras. Now, PlayStation has officially announced it’s “PlayStation Indies initiative” alongside the reveal of 9 new titles.

Announced by Shuhei Yoshida himself, the recently appointed ‘Head of PlayStation Indies, SIE’ took to the PlayStation Blog to say “As some of you may have noticed, I have long been a big fan of indie games, and ever since I was appointed as Head of Indies Initiative for PlayStation in November the last year, I have been working closely with all departments at Sony Interactive Entertainment to elevate our efforts to help make indie developers’ lives easier and their titles shine in this super competitive video game market.”

With that, “I’m pleased to formally announce the PlayStation Indies initiative. With PlayStation Indies, we hope to spotlight and support the best of the best indie games being published on PlayStation and the entire indie community as a whole. Our goal is to make PlayStation the best place to develop, find, and play great indie games.”

Commenting on the power of indie games, Yoshida said “We trust indie developers with strong vision will continue to bring ideas that have never been tried before, creating whole new genres of games and advancing the art and meaning of video games. PlayStation has always embraced games with completely new concepts, like PaRappa the Rapper, Katamari Damacy, LittleBigPlanet, and Journey, and we look forward to seeing what surprising new ideas will come next!”

As part of this initiative, Yoshida confirmed that “a new indie title will join the PlayStation Now service every month, starting with Hello Neighbor in July”. Furthermore, the console manufacturer announced and highlighted 9 new games. The games in question are:

With Sony’s first-party AAA titles receiving universal acclaim, and now its rejuvenated commitment to indie experiences, PlayStation is seemingly setting itself up to once again have an excellent generation, when PlayStation 5 releases later this year.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the PlayStation Indies initiative? Do any of these newly announced games interest you? What’s been your favourite indie game this year? Let us know down below.

The post PlayStation unveils new “Indies initiative” with 9 games announced first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/playstation-unveils-new-indies-initiative-with-9-games-announced/feed/ 0
PlayStation offers $10 million to indie studios during COVID-19 https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/uncategorized/mustafa-mahmoud/playstation-offers-10-million-to-indie-studios-during-covid-19/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/uncategorized/mustafa-mahmoud/playstation-offers-10-million-to-indie-studios-during-covid-19/#respond Wed, 15 Apr 2020 13:24:10 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=462093 There’s no denying that the current pandemic has led to many aspects of the video game industry grinding to a halt. While some development studios have had to pivot to working from home, many smaller indie studios are unable to afford to do so. In light of this, Sony has announced that it has “earmarked …

The post PlayStation offers $10 million to indie studios during COVID-19 first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
There’s no denying that the current pandemic has led to many aspects of the video game industry grinding to a halt. While some development studios have had to pivot to working from home, many smaller indie studios are unable to afford to do so. In light of this, Sony has announced that it has “earmarked $10 million to support our independent development partners” during this trying time.

Announced as part of its ‘Play At Home’ initiative, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s President and CEO Jim Ryan stated that “Independent developers are vital to the heart and soul of the gaming community and we understand the hardships and financial struggles that many smaller gaming studios are facing. With that, SIE has developed a fund to support them during this time. We have earmarked $10 million to support our independent development partners”. More details on the fund, including eligibility, will be made available soon according to Sony.

PlayStation has often had a strong relationship with indie developers, showing a great deal of support to these smaller studios. Most recently, last November PlayStation veteran Shuhei Yoshida was appointed as the head of a brand new indie initiative. At the time, Jim Ryan stated that indie titles “are [the] lifeblood of the industry, making our content portfolio so special for our gamers. These wildly creative experiences deserve focus and a champion like Shu at PlayStation who will ensure the entire SIE organization works together to better engage with independent developers through a culture of supporting and celebrating their contributions to PlayStation platforms.”

While many larger studios have transitioned smoothly to at-home development, many smaller studios don’t have the luxury to be able to do so. Therefore it is encouraging to see PlayStation offering a helping hand to those in need during this time.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: How do you think Sony has handled these recent developments? Is the company simply doing its due diligence, or do you think that the Japanese console manufacturer has gone above and beyond what is expected of it? Let us know down below.

The post PlayStation offers $10 million to indie studios during COVID-19 first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/uncategorized/mustafa-mahmoud/playstation-offers-10-million-to-indie-studios-during-covid-19/feed/ 0
PlayStation launches new indie initiative headed by Shuhei Yoshia https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/playstation-launches-new-indie-initiative-headed-by-shuhei-yoshia/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/playstation-launches-new-indie-initiative-headed-by-shuhei-yoshia/#respond Thu, 07 Nov 2019 16:19:09 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=435042 Earlier today, PlayStation announced that Hermen Hulst, the managing director of Guerrilla Games, would become the new Head of PlayStation’s Worldwide Studios, replacing Shuhei Yoshida. It was also revealed that Yoshida will remain at the company, but will now be leading a new initiative with a focus on working with external independent developers, “creating new …

The post PlayStation launches new indie initiative headed by Shuhei Yoshia first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Earlier today, PlayStation announced that Hermen Hulst, the managing director of Guerrilla Games, would become the new Head of PlayStation’s Worldwide Studios, replacing Shuhei Yoshida. It was also revealed that Yoshida will remain at the company, but will now be leading a new initiative with a focus on working with external independent developers, “creating new and unexpected experiences for the gaming community”.

Shuhei Yoshida is a veteran of PlayStation. He joined Sony back in 1986, and was one of the first members of the original PlayStation project. He was promoted to president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios in 2008.

The new initiative by PlayStation will have Shuhei Yoshida reporting directly to PlayStation’s CEO, Jim Ryan, and will “concentrate on our [PlayStation’s] diverse community of independent developers, ensuring they have the tools, technology, and services to reach PlayStation’s large community of gamers successfully”.

Speaking on the matter, Jim Ryan said “I am thrilled to announce Shu Yoshida as head of this new initiative. Everybody knows just how passionate Shu is about independent games – they are [the] lifeblood of the industry, making our content portfolio so special for our gamers. These wildly creative experiences deserve focus and a champion like Shu at PlayStation who will ensure the entire SIE organization works together to better engage with independent developers through a culture of supporting and celebrating their contributions to PlayStation platforms”.

PlayStation was well known to be a big supporter of indie games, especially during the PS3 era, where games such as Journey, Flower, and The Unfinished Swan could prosper. During the PS4’s lifetime however, Sony’s commitment to indie games seemed to falter in the eyes of developers. This idea was furthered when PlayStation heads admitted to focusing on AAA games and partnerships for the PS5, with indie relationships falling to the wayside.

It seems like PlayStation has reversed on that decision. With an entire initiative dedicated to courting external indie partnerships, led by one of the biggest names in PlayStation, Sony appears to be remembering to stay humble. Shuhei Yoshida is known by many as a gamer first, and is seen to be the face of PlayStation in many respects. With that in mind, putting him in this role ensures that Sony retains its relationship with external indie developers, and doesn’t lose its way during the PlayStation 5’s life.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this new initiative? Have Sony made the right move, or should they focus exclusively on AAA games, which seems to have served them well this generation? Let us know down below.

The post PlayStation launches new indie initiative headed by Shuhei Yoshia first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/playstation-launches-new-indie-initiative-headed-by-shuhei-yoshia/feed/ 0
Sony: VR entertainment will have great future in the coming 20 years https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/sony-virtual-reality-entertainment-will-have-great-future-in-the-coming-20-years/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/sony-virtual-reality-entertainment-will-have-great-future-in-the-coming-20-years/#respond Fri, 02 Oct 2015 01:39:39 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=270336 Shuhei Yoshida, president of worldwide studios at Sony Computer Entertainment, compares PlayStation VR platform to the original PlayStation and claims that in 20 years’ time virtual reality experience will evolve as dramatically as 3D games have evolved since the original PlayStation. “As a developer, I am super-excited about the potential of using VR tech,” said …

The post Sony: VR entertainment will have great future in the coming 20 years first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Shuhei Yoshida, president of worldwide studios at Sony Computer Entertainment, compares PlayStation VR platform to the original PlayStation and claims that in 20 years’ time virtual reality experience will evolve as dramatically as 3D games have evolved since the original PlayStation.

“As a developer, I am super-excited about the potential of using VR tech,” said Mr. Yoshida in a interview with Eurogamer. “I feel like, working on PlayStation VR, is like when we were working on the original PlayStation 20 years ago, when we were very excited to use 3D real-time graphics for the games.”

sony_playstation_vr_morpheus_2

Virtual reality games and entertainment are not expected to take the market by storm overnight due to high prices, limited amount of games and imperfect hardware. However, VR headsets and gamers will gradually evolve and will eventually become much more attractive both for core gamers as well as for casual gamers. In fact, as console and PC hardware is getting more powerful, virtual reality games and other entertainment programs will become more realistic, which will improve user experience and will attract new customers.

“After 20 years, we are still making even bigger, better 3D games, so I see a long-term great future for VR entertainment for the coming 20 years,” added the legendary game developer.

While Shuhei Yoshida mentions the original PlayStation when he talks about 3D graphics in general, it should be noted that the latter has evolved thanks to multiple companies, including a dozen of graphics processor developers (e.g., ATI, Nvidia, Matrox, S3 Graphics, Rendition, etc.), hundreds of software companies and a widespread industry support from all major technology companies.

Today, VR headsets are set to be available from three major players (Oculus VR/Facebook, Sony, Valve/HTC), they will be supported by several dozens of game developers and will address mostly core gamers. While in general industry support for virtual reality is fairly high, it does not seem that there will be a lot of competing products in the market. Competition typically catalyzes rapid evolution and numerous technology breakthroughs. Hence, only time will tell whether the journey of VR will be as incredible as the journey of 3D graphics.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It remains to be seen how Sony’s PlayStation 4 will handle virtual reality games. At the end, the system is not very powerful from compute performance standpoint. Nonetheless, it is good to see that Sony knows where the VR could be going in the next 20 years.

The post Sony: VR entertainment will have great future in the coming 20 years first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/sony-virtual-reality-entertainment-will-have-great-future-in-the-coming-20-years/feed/ 0
Sony welcomes Oculus VR takeover – helps to promote VR https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/sony-welcomes-oculus-vr-takeover-by-sony-helps-to-promote-vr/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/sony-welcomes-oculus-vr-takeover-by-sony-helps-to-promote-vr/#respond Mon, 14 Apr 2014 12:42:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=187251 Shuhei Yoshida, an executive from Sony Computer Entertainment and a renowned video game expert, welcomes acquisition of Oculus VR by Facebook. According to him, this validates feasibility of virtual reality in general as well as work done by Sony’s PlayStation division in particular. “I woke up that morning and saw the announcement,” said Shuhei Yoshida, …

The post Sony welcomes Oculus VR takeover – helps to promote VR first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Shuhei Yoshida, an executive from Sony Computer Entertainment and a renowned video game expert, welcomes acquisition of Oculus VR by Facebook. According to him, this validates feasibility of virtual reality in general as well as work done by Sony’s PlayStation division in particular.

“I woke up that morning and saw the announcement,” said Shuhei Yoshida, the president of Worldwide Studios at Sony Computer Entertainment, in an interview with Engadget. “For me, it was a validation for VR. More people will know about VR!”

When Sony was going to announce its project Morpheus, the virtual reality headset for the PlayStation 4, it thought that its showcase would prove the viability of Oculus VR’s efforts. But then Facebook acquired Oculus VR and announced broad plans for the virtual reality in general, which helped to confirm the potential of Sony’s VR technology.

“We meant to validate Oculus by announcing Morpheus, and the Oculus guys knew what we were working on. I think they were waiting for us to make the announcement, so it would be Sony and Oculus together,” explained Mr. Yoshida. “But now Oculus being acquired by Facebook is helping to validate our efforts.”

oculus_oculus_vr_oculus_dk2_oculus_rift_vr_helmt

Facebook intends to broaden Oculus’ VR technology designed with games in mind to new verticals, including communications, media and entertainment, education and other areas. Given these broad potential applications, virtual reality technology is a strong candidate to emerge as the next social and communications platform. The Sony executive admitted that the company did not have that broad vision for its VR technologies. Nonetheless, he said, the Japanese company had a vision for VR beyond gaming.

“Mark [Zuckerberg] said he believes VR can be the next platform after mobile,” said Mr. Yoshida. “That’s big thinking, and kind of excites our thinking. We have thought of doing virtual travel or something, but talking about a new platform? What does that mean?”

morpheus

Unfortunately, Mr. Yoshida did not reveal when we should expect project Morpheus-derivative VR headsets on the market. He admitted that he kept his VR sessions under ten minutes and that Sony had been talking to medical professionals about overcoming simulation sickness (headaches, seasickness, etc.). In general, it means that the VR headset hardware is still not ready for a broad adoption. Additionally, the head of SCE WS said that video games have to be designed for VR, not ported to VR, in order to truly attract gamers.

“We need to share knowledge,” said Mr. Yoshida. “We can’t just make the hardware; it is the game applications that need to be designed well. We need time for developers to experiment and find the killer application and, at the same time, we need to learn how VR applications should be designed.”

KitGuru Says: Sony cannot be unhappy with the acquisition of Oculus VR by Facebook, which has plenty of cash to popularise virtual reality in general. With the help of FB, Sony will not have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on development of VR-oriented AAA-class games, marketing, advertising and other things. Regrettably, we still have no idea when the VR become a market reality for the masses, not extreme enthusiasts eager to buy development kits and try outdated video games.

The post Sony welcomes Oculus VR takeover – helps to promote VR first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/sony-welcomes-oculus-vr-takeover-by-sony-helps-to-promote-vr/feed/ 0
Sony president confirms PS4 region free, upgradeable HDD https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/sony-president-confirms-ps4-region-free-upgradeable-hdd/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/sony-president-confirms-ps4-region-free-upgradeable-hdd/#comments Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:41:11 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=138076 While Sony might be riding on a wave of good publicity from its announcements at E3, Twitter has also been abuzz from comments made by the president of Sony Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, who said that the console would be region free. It was a simple tweet, but those are often the best: “And yes, …

The post Sony president confirms PS4 region free, upgradeable HDD first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
While Sony might be riding on a wave of good publicity from its announcements at E3, Twitter has also been abuzz from comments made by the president of Sony Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, who said that the console would be region free.

It was a simple tweet, but those are often the best: “And yes, PS4 is region free,” he said. This prompted a flurry of compliments from fans, all suggesting that the PS4 had dominated the E3 showing and would do so when the console is launched during the Christmas period this year.

sony
His face seems to say, “what else you got, Microsoft?”

However he wasn't done yet. One final announcement came before a he spent a while responding to compliments on his company's business practices. He said, “And yes, PS4's HDD is upgradeable like PS3.” This is another feature that Microsoft's Xbox One won't support (internally at least, you can still buy more external storage, like the Wii U) giving Sony's Ps4 another leg up.

Sony managed to do very well throughout the entirety of E3, drawing the most praise (and what sounds like a standing ovation from those attending) by announcing that its next-gen console would support used games and game lending and would not require any form of online activation.

KitGuru Says: While I was always a PC gamer, I've had consoles. I had the Megadrive, the N64, original Xbox and eventually I bought a 360. While I kind of want a Wii U for Monster Hunter Ultimate, If I get one from the next-gen, it's going to be the PS4.

The post Sony president confirms PS4 region free, upgradeable HDD first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/sony-president-confirms-ps4-region-free-upgradeable-hdd/feed/ 1