In a revealing discussion at the European Technology Round Table in Barcelona, Nobuyuki Idei detailed many of the troubles during his 10-year tenure at Sony.
Claiming that work with IBM in developing a new processor for the Playstation 3 had been the primary source of delarys, Mr. Idei added that Sony had been beat to the punch by Microsoft’s Xbox 360 because, “Microsoft is not a technology company.”
In the discussion Mr. Idei, who ran Sony from 1995 until 2005 and remains a chief corporate advisor, also revealed his regret in the decision to expand into Hollywood with its 1989 acquisition of Columbia Pictures.
While Mr. Idei’s decade tenure included the launch of both existing Playstations, which moved Sony to the forefront of the video game industry, it was also a period marked by financial difficulties and fierce competition. Nobuyuki Idei was replaced as Sony’s chief in 2005 by Welsh born Sir Howard Stringer.
Source: MCV
