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[zomgbbqftw]

http://nypost.com/2015/02/19/cfo-yoshida-rumored-to-take-the-reigns-at-sony-corp/

"On Wednesday, as Hirai outlined a new three-year business plan for the company — including the possibility of selling off the TV-set unit and booting its phones unit — Yoshida was getting credit for his restructuring of Sony’s business units and helping it win back credibility on Wall Street.

The CFO, who joined Sony’s board last June, will add the title of executive deputy president in April."

I've heard similar talk, Kaz will last another year and be moved on, the board wants to keep him on in some other role, possibly even take over as chairman of the board from the part time chairman they have now while Yoshida will be named CEO and President.

Yoshida is highly respected in financial circles and has a reputation of being utterly ruthless with loss making divisions, he was behind the decision to shit-can Vaio and to spin the TV division out into it's own unit and to put the mobile division at arm's length. He is getting a lot of the credit for Sony's recent turnaround, since he joined the board and was given a key role in the company Sony has made significant strides in profitability and debt reduction.

 

[Maintenance]

We'll see how he can do, good luck on Hirai's next endeavor.

 

[Jonnax]

Hopefully Playstation won't get cut. I recall last year there were calls from investors to sell it.

 

[Alienous]

I can't find an appropriate Kaz .gif.

But there are so many.

Ah, fuck it.

 

[A Link to the Past]

Hopefully Playstation won't get cut. I recall last year there were calls from investors to sell it.

Isn't PS one of their most profitable sectors right now? If that's the case, would that really be a wise decision?

 

[Sami+]

Hopefully this isn't bad news for Playstation. I liked the direction Kaz was taking the brand in.

 

[Maintenance]

We need an updated "Say my name" gif, with Kaz being the other guy.

 

[Angel_DvA]

I don't know, yoshida is ok but Kaz is amazing.

 

[Joni]

Isn't PS one of their most profitable sectors right now? If that's the case, would that really be a wise decision?

It is not that profitable.

 

[Jburton]

It is not that profitable.

Well placed to grow, won't be sold.

 

[DaSorcerer7]

Shouldn't this be on gaming side as well?

 

[Drencrom]

The Yoshidas are taking over Sony

Hopefully Playstation won't get cut. I recall last year there were calls from investors to sell it.

Playstation is making them money and it's one of their most recognized/established brands, there's no way they're cutting or minimizing that division.

 

[diaspora]

It is not that profitable.

Or important. Imaging and financial services are significantly more relevant.

 

[Abounder]

Playstation will stick around because of the easy money from PSN

Anyway this sounds like a good shakeup

 

[Busty]

Hopefully Playstation won't get cut. I recall last year there were calls from investors to sell it.

If anything is getting sold off it's going to be their media (film/TV) divisions. It simply makes no sense for Sony, a Japanese electronics manufacturer, to own a media division like SPE in this day and age.

It feels like we've been waiting for a massive wave of consolidation amongst the big media players for the last five years. It hasn't hit yet but when it does it could change everything.

Who knows where Viacom will be a few years. Perhaps John Malone or Les Moonvest will want to double down on an asset like Columbia Pictures so they can build a new media group of their own?

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Yoshida as CEO would be kind of awesome.

Edit: I mean the other Yoshida.

 

[Renekton]

For a company with disparate lines of businesses, they could use a numbers guy to coldly cut and gut its way back to profitability.

 

[Joni]

PlayStation is making them money and it's one of their most recognized/established brands, there's no way they're cutting or minimizing that division.

It made a loss in the year ending March 2014. It made a very small profit in the year ending March 2013. It is mainly important due to brand recognition and the ability to play nice with other divisions. Sony should get the digital distribution services from PlayStation out on their movie and music departments.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

If anything is getting sold off it's going to be their media (film/TV) divisions. It simply makes no sense for Sony, a Japanese electronics manufacturer, to own a media division like SPE in this day and age.

It feels like we've been waiting for a massive wave of consolidation amongst the big media players for the last five years. It hasn't hit yet but when it does it could change everything.

Who knows where Viacom will be a few years. Perhaps John Malone or Les Moonvest will want to double down on an asset like Columbia Pictures so they can build a new media group of their own?

It really all depends on how Sony's IPTV push goes. If it goes well then they aren't going to let go of a prime media asset like SPE, look at how hard it has been for new entrants like Netflix and Amazon to build a viable media library for their services.

On Liberty Global, a buyout by Vodafone is much more likely with John Malone getting pushed out completely than expanding by purchasing an expensive media division with most of its assets in the US where they are not relevant.

As the years go by Sony selling up SPE become less likely and them divesting electronics divisions becomes more likely. The latest plan has SPE put front and centre for investment and the two remaining major electronics divisions (TV and Mobile) being lined up for closure/sale. Sony, as of today, is far more likely to become a finance and media conglomerate with semi-conductors on the side than being an electronics company with media and finance on the side. In fact, Yoshida is said to be pushing that angle internally more than anyone else so if he is being lined up for the top job then a sale of SPE is surely off the table.

 

[andymcc]

This cult of worship around Kaz is so bizarre.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Or important. Imaging and financial services are significantly more relevant.

PS is still important , it's there only brand that still big , it's also a area with growth .
The hardware will go but not the game division .

 

[Aiii]

As long as Sony keeps making Xperia phones we're good.

If not, phuck you ruthless CFO guy, we're not gonna be friends!

 

[Texar]

This cult of worship around Kaz is so bizarre.

There is no escape

 

[Maintenance]

This cult of worship around Kaz is so bizarre.

The cult around any of those executives/CEOs/etc is bizarre. Steve Jobs, Kaz, Phil Spencer.

 

[eFKac]

Tv division to be sold?

Seems my unified Sony electronics ecosystem is nearing an end.
Time to jump to Samsung I guess.

 

[-MB-]

The cult around any of those executives/CEOs/etc is bizarre. Steve Jobs, Kaz, Phil Spencer.

There's hardly such a cult surrounding Phil Spencer, Iwata is more comparable to Hirai in this regard.
Ofcourse both hold no candle to the cult surrounding Jobs.

 

[Sylverstone14]

There is no escape

 

[diaspora]

There's hardly such a cult surrounding Phil Spencer, Iwata is more comparable to Hirai in this regard.
Ofcourse both hold no candle to the cult surrounding Jobs.

IIRC people admiring Iwata isn't so odd considering his history as a developer.

 

[RPGamer92]

If anything is getting sold off it's going to be their media (film/TV) divisions. It simply makes no sense for Sony, a Japanese electronics manufacturer, to own a media division like SPE in this day and age.

It feels like we've been waiting for a massive wave of consolidation amongst the big media players for the last five years. It hasn't hit yet but when it does it could change everything.

Who knows where Viacom will be a few years. Perhaps John Malone or Les Moonvest will want to double down on an asset like Columbia Pictures so they can build a new media group of their own?

Even with the hack, hasn't Sony Pictures still been pretty profitable?

 

[andycapps]

There is no escape

This is so disturbing.

 

[Busty]

It really all depends on how Sony's IPTV push goes. If it goes well then they aren't going to let go of a prime media asset like SPE, look at how hard it has been for new entrants like Netflix and Amazon to build a viable media library for their services.

True but isn't their IPTV separate from their SPE division? While I agree with you that it makes sense to keep SPE in that situation it's hardly essential. Owning a film studio hasn't really benefited Comcast's suite of cable channels and Netflix hasn't suffered by not owning a studio when they get product from Lionsgate (Orange new Black) and Sony itself (Bloodlines.

And is Sony wanted to have PSN be a 'Netflix killer' they wouldn't be able to grow PSN on SPE's output alone. In either situation they'd have to go and buy up library titles from other studios to flesh out their offerings.

As the years go by Sony selling up SPE become less likely and them divesting electronics divisions becomes more likely. The latest plan has SPE put front and centre for investment and the two remaining major electronics divisions (TV and Mobile) being lined up for closure/sale. Sony, as of today, is far more likely to become a finance and media conglomerate with semi-conductors on the side than being an electronics company with media and finance on the side. In fact, Yoshida is said to be pushing that angle internally more than anyone else so if he is being lined up for the top job then a sale of SPE is surely off the table.

Ignoring the major issue of foreign media ownership by a Japanese company if Sony owned, say, Warner Bros (huge franchises, huge TV presence, a wealth of owned IP) then such a plan would make enormous sense, but they don't, they own Columbia etc which have been under performing for years.

While I can't argue that what you say isn't correct it just seems so bizarre that a future Sony management team would essentially 'bet the farm' on an asset like SPE. Sony have thrown money at it before and it's hardly been a game changer.

While the future of media is content the real growth in the current media landscape is in television and streaming services etc. Being a Japanese company Sony can't buy any cable channels in the US (which is why they've been buying up channels in India etc) so they've have to make do with what they have in North America.

While Sony could certainly keep SPE as 'boutique media assets' in an effort to differentiate themselves from the likes of Sharp etc to make it the cornerstone of their strategy going forward just seems bonkers to me.

Even with the hack, hasn't Sony Pictures still been pretty profitable?

They've been doing alright recently with some profitable quarters but in previous years former boss Amy Pascal had to resort to selling off studio assets (music back catalogue, Spidey merch rights) to make an annual profit.

Again, not sure how wise it is for Sony to 'double down' on a division that's just doing 'alright'.

 

[massivekettle]

There's hardly such a cult surrounding Phil Spencer, Iwata is more comparable to Hirai in this regard.
Ofcourse both hold no candle to the cult surrounding Jobs.

Cult surrounding Hirai has no equal. The sheer quantity of gifs, memes, etc. is a reflection of that. And for what exactly? He hasn't really turned Sony around.

Jobs' "cult", if anything, is much more "deserved" given the shape he took Apple in and left it to Cook in 2011.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

True but isn't their IPTV separate from their SPE division? While I agree with you that it makes sense to keep SPE in that situation it's hardly essential. Owning a film studio hasn't really benefited Comcast's suite of cable channels and Netflix hasn't suffered by not owning a studio when they get product from Lionsgate (Orange new Black) and Sony itself (Bloodlines.

And is Sony wanted to have PSN be a 'Netflix killer' they wouldn't be able to grow PSN on SPE's output alone. In either situation they'd have to go and buy up library titles from other studios to flesh out their offerings.



Ignoring the major issue of foreign media ownership by a Japanese company if Sony owned, say, Warner Bros (huge franchises, huge TV presence, a wealth of owned IP) then such a plan would make enormous sense, but they don't, they own Columbia etc which have been under performing for years.

While I can't argue that what you say isn't correct it just seems so bizarre that a future Sony management team would essentially 'bet the farm' on an asset like SPE. Sony have thrown money at it before and it's hardly been a game changer.

While the future of media is content the real growth in the current media landscape is in television and streaming services etc. Being a Japanese company Sony can't buy any cable channels in the US (which is why they've been buying up channels in India etc) so they've have to make do with what they have in North America.

While Sony could certainly keep SPE as 'boutique media assets' in an effort to differentiate themselves from the likes of Sharp etc to make it the cornerstone of their strategy going forward just seems bonkers to me.

Who is to say that Sony will always be a Japanese company. If they shed their major electronics and manufacturing divisions then why bother staying in Japan, at least technically. Japan has higher taxes, higher costs and restrictive employment laws. Moving the company headquarters to New York has always been an option should to company head down the media/finance conglomerate route.

 

[Somnid]

Finances are important but the tech sector doesn't reward penny pinching, you need someone with a strong vision. It's not uncommon for investors to out a CEO and then get a finance person in charge who cannot react to the market or predict it. If this is their plan they need to make sure he actually understands technology or they'll be 100% insurance in a few years.

 

[Jonnax]

Cult surrounding Hirai has no equal. The sheer quantity of gifs, memes, etc. is a reflection of that. And for what exactly? He hasn't really turned Sony around.

Jobs' "cult", if anything, is much more "deserved" given the shape he took Apple in and left it to Cook in 2011.

I think Hirai's cult is more because of giant enemy crabs.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

So is Kaz being promoted for hiring this guy, or "fired" because this guy has done more in six months than Kaz has in a few years?

 

[andymcc]

IIRC people admiring Iwata isn't so odd considering his history as a developer.

I can understand Iwata because he was involved with lots of classic games. The very definition of a self-made man as an MSX developer coding most of his own games. Kaz is a suit.

 

[Busty]

Who is to say that Sony will always be a Japanese company. If they shed their major electronics and manufacturing divisions then why bother staying in Japan, at least technically. Japan has higher taxes, higher costs and restrictive employment laws. Moving the company headquarters to New York has always been an option should to company head down the media/finance conglomerate route.

I suppose it's possible..., but the very fact that you're theorising that Sony would have to 'transition' from a Japanese company to an American company just so they can buy AMC Networks (or whoever) just shows what an ill fit being a media centric company would be for Sony in it's current form.

It's also strange that Lionsgate (per the email hacks) would offer themselves up to Sony for a possible 'merger' only to have Kaz give them a firm 'Thanks, but no thanks'. Is it that Lionsgate aren't a good fit for Sony or that they weren't ready (or able to afford) to expand at that point?

 

[zomgbbqftw]

I suppose it's possible..., but the very fact that you're theorising that Sony would have to 'transition' from a Japanese company to an American company just so they can buy AMC Networks (or whoever) just shows what an ill fit being a media centric company would be for Sony in it's current form.

It's also strange that Lionsgate (per the email hacks) would offer themselves up to Sony for a possible 'merger' only to have Kaz give them a firm 'Thanks, but no thanks'. Is it that Lionsgate aren't a good fit for Sony or that they weren't ready (or able to afford) to expand at that point?

Well the plan from Yoshida shows that the board aren't content to keep Sony as it is, the restructuring plan shows they are moving things towards being a media and finance company.

As for Lionsgate it was to do with money. Sony's credit rating is in the toilet and they don't currently have the money to invest in a major new venture and neither can they add more debt to their already stretched balance sheet.

 

[vpance]

So is Kaz being promoted for hiring this guy, or "fired" because this guy has done more in six months than Kaz has in a few years?

I think Kaz put him up to be the point man from the beginning, if I'm not mistaken. He's been there for a while now, just behind the scenes.

 

[Busty]

Well the plan from Yoshida shows that the board aren't content to keep Sony as it is, the restructuring plan shows they are moving things towards being a media and finance company.

With that being the case do you think that Sony could fully transition to becoming a 'media and finance' company that could compete with the likes of Time Warner and Fox, and if so how long would such a thing take?

As for Lionsgate it was to do with money. Sony's credit rating is in the toilet and they don't currently have the money to invest in a major new venture and neither can they add more debt to their already stretched balance sheet.

I didn't realise that Sony had so much debt still on the books. A quick Google browse says they have nearly seven billion owed to debtors.

Could this be a major factor for years to come or is it manageable in the short term if Kaz can carry out this 'new plan' of his?

 

[Souldestroyer Reborn]

PS is still important , it's there only brand that still big , it's also a area with growth .
The hardware will go but not the game division .

Not necessarily in regards to "big and growth"

Sony is doing very very well in their finance/insurance side of things at the moment.

Cameras/lenses is also doing extremly well. Especially when they are supplying Apple with the lenses for their iPhones/iPads/ etc.

Also, potentially, I'm not sure how the split goes but with Spider-Man entering the Marvel Universe again while still being "owned" by Sony, there could be some very lucrative paydays.

 

[Vilix]

There is no escape

These gifs should be banned from existence.

 

[Callibretto]

Kaz coming back to playstation would be amazing, imagine him hosting E3 conference again.

 

[DieH@rd]

Kaz coming back to playstation would be amazing, imagine him hosting E3 conference again.

I don't think he will be back to the position of the leader of SCE. Andrew House is doing a great job.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Kaz coming back to playstation would be amazing, imagine him hosting E3 conference again.

It is inconceivable for Kaz to be demoted from CEO of the company to CEO of a division. Plus, where does that leave Andrew House and the current leadership team who have successfully launched the PS4

With that being the case do you think that Sony could fully transition to becoming a 'media and finance' company that could compete with the likes of Time Warner and Fox, and if so how long would such a thing take?

I didn't realise that Sony had so much debt still on the books. A quick Google browse says they have nearly seven billion owed to debtors.

Could this be a major factor for years to come or is it manageable in the short term if Kaz can carry out this 'new plan' of his?

I would rather not speculate on any of that.

 

[jmood88]

We'll see how he can do, good luck on Hirai's next endeavor.

That is terrifying.

 

[thuway]

Serious question, how will this affect PlayStation and future hardware renditions? Kaz being a gamer always felt like had a soft spot for the division.

 

[Cheebo]

The Kaz cult makes no sense since Sony has been going downhill under his run. Jobs took a near dead company and made it the most successful company there is.
Jobs "cult" is deserved if one could call a cult following deserved. Kaz is just a random mediocre failing CEO. Not really comparable.

The complete failure of Xperia phones was a disaster. any needed to hit that market of the park and failed at that spectacularly. The failure of their smartphones sealed Kaz's fate.

 

[entremet]

Kaz has been a bit of a flop honestly.

I like the guy personally, though.

Serious question, how will this affect PlayStation and future hardware renditions? Kaz being a gamer always felt like had a soft spot for the division.

Well they're finally making money after the PS3 disaster.

I think you misjudge. CEO's are not supposed to have soft spots. They weathered the PS3 storm and are poised to be successful going forward. It should be fine because it's producing results.